The Day Democracy Died

Shock. Denial. Anger. Depression. Redirection.?

This was not a typical grief cycle. It was Nov 6, 2024: The Day Democracy Died.

At least it felt that way.

Until I realized that was not true and certainly wasn’t going to change who I am or what I am doing.

On that day, I was in a super-cool part of London delivering a preview of 2025 ERG Trends. It was ELA’s inaugural European oversight manager roundtable. We were together in person. I was with some amazing humans who are pioneering employee networks across European countries, many of which have long had equally challenging political and legal environments.

After two very wonderfully interactive sessions, we all concluded that whatever words are used, our actions and results don’t have to be impeded.?

Organizations can remove the “D” or the “E” from DEI/I&D/etc.? They can make an expensive effort to rebrand their groups as BRGs to reinforce the purpose is more about the business than the employees.? They can even restrict the formation of certain types of groups such as LGBTQ+ or those based in religion.?

But take heart: None of these dictated restrictions will prevent employees from organizing. In fact, employees will likely organize even more aggressively and with more urgency to defy these cowardly restrictions.?

Perhaps even more ironic, employee groups raise all the employee ships in an organization – even those that choose not to participate.?

We know that organizations with well-run and supported ERGs experience higher engagement, higher productivity, higher profits and all the derivative benefits.? We know that ERGs increase the speed of innovation and heighten the popularity of the executive team. Yet, it is often those same executives who react to the fear of “stakeholders” like social media influencer Robby Starbuck, by putting the kibosh on employee groups.?

So, when my UK and European friends queried how the US election results will impact ERGs, I told them this:

We will all grieve. We must also be there for one another. We must very quickly after pick up our good work where we left off on Nov 5 and continue to build safe, strong and sustainable employee groups, no matter what they are called or how they are perceived.?

This work isn’t harder; it now requires leaders to be more strategic. We must double down on metrics and communications. We must deliver programming that is clearly valuable to the business, to DEI objectives and for the employees who specifically need it. ?

The foundational work for so many organizations is now even more critical so that consistent and equitable governance provides accurate measurement within and across groups.

ELA remains committed to efficiently equipping group leaders, oversight program managers and executive sponsors with the knowledge, skills and strategies to do just that.?

We will foster an even deeper connection within our global community to define the standards and benchmarks that demonstrate excellence, and we will continue to provide ways for peers to collaborate and commiserate so that all ERG champions know their work matters today and well past tomorrow. ?

You have my promise as the Founder & Chair of ELA to push ahead no matter the obstacles in our path.?

Above all, please remember: You are not alone. ELA’s community is 25,000+ strong and growing exponentially around the world. There are incredible humans all over the earth working hard - just like you - to create workplaces where all employees know they belong. ?

Together, we shall overcome.

-Alyssa