DEI is dead. Long live DEI!

I have heard it all before. With monotonous regularity. Over 30 years.

“The death of DEI… it’s all gone too far…”

In the 90s, it was the perils of “political correctness gone mad”. Today, it’s “the evils of woke”. Political and social movements inform and sometimes infect the ability to have a long, cool look at how advantage and disadvantage play out in our organisations, and in society.

The best companies (and governments) watch these movements, and they reflect on what is real and important, and what is hyperbole. Then they get on with the business of ensuring they really are recruiting and retaining the best talent, and delivering the best services and products.

This same narrative comes round from time to time, suggesting that “the pendulum has swung too far”. I would love to visit that place, by the way, as I have never seen evidence of it. Where is it, exactly, that black women and men are over-represented in senior leadership teams? In the FTSE 250? Where are all those companies where disabled people are running the show?

Any hint of disruption to the status quo of “who gets what” always elicits a backlash — sometimes small, sometimes seismic. Each time, it impacts some groups very badly, in real life. This makes for a scary, hostile environment where some are given the green light to discriminate and even be violent against the minoritised group.

But the serious work goes on, despite the ‘shouting’, by people who understand the ethical and business case for equity and inclusion. Why would we not want to notice and reflect on the patterns in our organisations — where women are in a company and how much they are paid, for example? Why would we not want to recruit and retain the best from people of all socio-economic backgrounds? Why would we not want to ensure that the perspectives and insights of Gen Z are part of our product development teams?

Reflecting on these patterns and the internal and external drivers in our organisational environments are a normal part of running and growing a successful business. We are constantly reviewing the landscape, taking account of political and legal changes and then getting on with the creative work of doing the best job we can.

We may need to find different ways of doing the work, or naming the work, or framing the work. It’s a creative process, but this does not mean we have to compromise our values. The direction of travel can always be more equitable companies that are also successful. The best work on DEI has always involved pragmatism — a focus on what can be done in the real world, rather than a focus on what can’t. The extremes of “woke is evil” and “nothing but perfection in DEI will do” distract from the real work of creatively and positively disrupting the assumptions about the abilities of this person or this group of people.

DEI is not just a department. It’s never been about tick-boxes.

Here’s something controversial. DEI teams have done such amazing transformative work, and my worry has sometimes been that other leaders in a company can think that DEI belongs “over there in that team”, and not with themselves.

As some DEI teams are disbanded, I’ve spoken to some of those individuals who have already dusted themselves off and are looking forward to mainstreaming equitable behaviours elsewhere. They are up for the challenge. Whilst worried about paying their gas bills, they are genuinely excited about finding new roles and new ways of addressing inequity.

The best companies will ensure that DEI is woven in — into everything (including pay and bonuses). They will build the capacity of all managers and leaders to performance manage in ways that support as well as ensure high standards. Those companies will do this because they really do understand that DEI done well has never been about tick-boxes, giving people jobs because they are (fill in the blanks), or to merely look good.

They know it’s about values, and ethics, and creativity and innovation. They know it’s about appreciating and harnessing difference, and they find ways of measuring that, which they do not want to share with their competitors. Why? Because they know it gives them a competitive advantage to have and retain diverse talent.

Suffice to say, these “DEI is dead” moments will continue to come and go. I don’t deny it that some times are more challenging, and there is inevitably adverse impact on some far more than others. But the work goes on. It’s creative, challenging work, which can also be exciting and fulfilling — in spite of everything.

And after all, what is the alternative? Letting systemic discrimination flourish?

Building inclusive culture starts from the top — a leadership example

One client has taken the current hostile environment as an opportunity to revisit and relaunch why treating people with respect and dignity and fairness is important to them. Engaging staff, customers and their supply chains, they have responded by:

Holding facilitated conversations across the (global) company, asking the important questions around “Why should we be respectful, fair, kind, etc.?”

Examining the alternative — withdrawing supportive policies, no longer requiring managers to take appropriate account of difference (e.g. neurodiversity, age, beliefs), and become a more “dog eat dog” culture. (Nobody wanted that shift, funnily enough.)

Eliciting a treasure trove of positive examples of the desired behaviours and mapping the benefits — to individuals, groups, and the company. These examples will be used in learning and development interventions, to recruit the best and diverse staff, and in commercial bids.

Linking the benefits to the strategic business plan.

Revisiting the comms on “Why it matters to us”.

Creating new and different metrics to measure staff, customer and supply-chain satisfaction with their experience of the company culture.

Developing innovative programmes to build the capacity for managers to enact the values day-by-day, including in the tricky moments.

The leaders in this company are far from naive. They are tough, driven, successful business people. They also have values they want to live by, and they don’t see living by their values as being “woke”.

It’s the work that matters, not what we call it

One more thing springs to mind here. DEI used to be called “equal opportunities” in the UK, then “diversity”, then “inclusion”, and recently the term “belonging” has been added. Next year, it will be different again.

That’s not to say that we have to rubbish what addressing equity has been called before. Language changes. I’m not very concerned what we call it. Let’s keep our eyes on who gets what in organisations and try to creatively disrupt those patterns — one way or another.

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