How to Explain the Purpose of DEI Initiatives

𝐃𝐄𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞" 𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐡: I saw a post that said, "𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦." Doesn't this miss the mark? Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion isn’t about handing out unfair perks. It addresses the fact that for centuries, certain people were systematically excluded. Research shows that women, non-white people, LGBTQ+ folks, and older professionals have experienced unchecked bias and discrimination. They faced barriers that perpetuate inequity. DEI looks to level the playing field so everyone has a fair shot, regardless of demographic. It doesn't give an unfair advantage; it's on a mission to fix broken practices. In client spaces these are the conversations I am facilitating. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 Consider that you’re running a race, and some people start 10 yards behind the starting line because of systemic discrimination. Equity means ensuring everyone begins from the same starting point. Not slowing others down, and definitely not driving the disadvantaged three miles further to start ahead of the pack. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤? Resistance often stems from a misconception: that DEI takes something from one group to give to another, as the comment I led with suggested. In reality Diversity Equity and Inclusion benefits everyone. When workplaces embrace equity and inclusion: Teams perform better. Innovation skyrockets. People feel valued and engaged. It's far from a zero-sum game; it’s a win-win. Studies show that companies with fair leadership standards are more successful. Inclusive cultures reduce turnover and boost productivity. And employees report feeling like they truly belong. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲: 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 People need clarity. If you're rolling out DEI initiatives without explaining what they're about, using victimization framing, or don't address fears and misconceptions? You'll face resistance. Employees will be persuaded by misinformation when you don't embrace transparency and honest conversations. People who understand that DEI is about fairness, not taking sides, are more likely to support it. 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴. It's part of how our brains work...we categorize information to make sense of the world. But left unchecked, biases can unintentionally perpetuate inequity. That's why that quote image hits home Think of a small step you can take today to challenge your assumptions and create a more inclusive environment. Feel free to share your ideas below! 👇🏿

DEI practitioners: unless the people we work with can clearly explain what #equity work means in the context of DEI, we're going to keep seeing organizations and laypeople alike having an easy target for their anti-DEI attacks. I don't want to see more infographics of kids standing on boxes. I don't want abstract metaphors or defining equity by what it's not ("equity isn't equality!"). These might be useful teaching tools to illustrate a concept, but something's deeply wrong when the people communicating in DEI's defense can't go any further than regurgitate metaphor when tested on their knowledge. How about: Equity is an organizational outcome where people's demographics no longer predict their success or failure. How about: We achieve equity for any given dimension of difference (race, gender, disability, sexuality, class, religion, parental status, etc.) when people across that demographic are hired, paid, given feedback, mentored, developed, and promoted fairly. How about: Achieving equity at scale within an organization requires that we remove discriminatory barriers to success, build processes and practices that are fair for all, and design policies that meet a wide range of differing needs. People should be using equity in the same sentences as "non-discrimination," "fairness," and "healthy organizations." People should be conceptualizing equity work alongside organizational design, participatory decision-making, and change management. Chew on that. Adapt it for your own context. Repeat it until you can say it reflexively, whenever you're pushed on the work you're doing, because this is one of the most straightforward ways we can take back the narative. Many of the ongoing attacks on DEI work opportunistically take advantage of this industry's inconsistent praxis and messaging. And unfortunately, the quippy straw men character assassinations of DEI propped up by these detractors are more readily absorbed by laypeople than "look at this graphic of kids on boxes to understand the difference between equity and equality." It's not enough for us, in this environment, to just do the work. We also need to defend it and train those we work with to defend it in the public sphere, to combat forceful misinformation with just as forceful TRUTH, asserting that we ARE seeking to undo and correct inequity precisely by building organizations that are healthier and fairer for EVERYONE—and that workplaces and leaders strike down this work at their own peril.

What Both Sides on the DEI Issue Get Wrong As a DEI consultant and facilitator for over 30 years, I've seen a lot of misunderstandings on both sides of the DEI debate. Let's cut to the chase. What Attackers of DEI Get Wrong: They don't know what they're attacking nor understand what DEI is. Many who resist DEI efforts believe it only benefits nonwhite people and that they will be excluded. In reality, DEI done right results in increased profits, innovation, and performance. If they understood this, they might change their minds—unless they're deliberate haters or racists. Ignorance is a big part of the problem. DEI Professionals: On the flip side, DEI professionals often assume that everyone knows what DEI is and why it's important. They think people who are against it are just racist, homophobic, or afraid of those who are different. This assumption is a mistake. Too many DEI professionals also assume they don't have to explain DEI to anyone. They're so busy being right that they forget about the results they want. When I first started in the diversity field, we would break people into small groups and ask them why diversity and inclusion are important to the organization and how they could benefit. By the end, many who started with doubts changed their viewpoint and realized their misconceptions. We need to explain the "why" of DEI. Why are people being asked to take training? How will it help them in their work? It's more important to get results than to be right. This means including everyone, helping them do their best work, and appreciating what they bring to the organization. It's more important for people to understand what DEI means in practice than just the words themselves. Another mistake DEI professionals make is condemning people quickly and canceling them in workshops rather than understanding they can change with the right information. Leaders need to educate their employees on why DEI is important, how they will benefit, and why the organization values it. I have seen some amazing changes through the years. Engage people in conversations, instead of talking at them. Be available to answer questions, and educate them on why DEI is important and how it can benefit them personally. Create opportunities like cross-functional problem-solving, and facilitated conversation circles where people can interact with those who are different and get to know them. Who doesn't want to work in an organization where they feel included, heard, and valued? Who doesn’t want to work in an organization where they can be themselves without conforming to their boss's identity? Diversity just is who we are. Inclusion means everyone has room to participate and share their genius. That environment takes the whole organization—leaders, managers, and employees—to create. Let's move forward by educating and engaging, not assuming and alienating. This approach will help create a more inclusive and successful environment for everyone.