The DEI Death Zone? Phenomenon

In the summer of 2020, corporate executives were visible and vocal in confronting racial inequity in their companies and communities. The critical mass of people protesting around the world revived diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives giving permission to discuss race and racism in ways that were not acceptable previously in the workplace. This call for justice reverberated inside corporate America to the extent its leaders boldly proclaimed resources and goals to diversify its leadership and build greater inclusion.

The question I was repeatedly asked, “is this a moment or movement?” became irrelevant because its precedence waned as business demands prioritizing growth and expansion resurfaced. Employees optimistically believing their leadership would keep DEI front and center as a human imperative, feel let down and are gravely disappointed.

Why DEI Is Really Failing

Leaders are largely insulated from the frustration expressed about them that DEI professionals tend to carry. The incongruence with their stated commitment coupled with the distress of failing our diverse, marginalized workforce prompted me to examine this issue from an entirely different lens leading to an in-depth investigation and grounded research study that resulted in these compelling discoveries as to why DEI is failing:

1. leaders are simultaneously advocating and oppressing DEI efforts
2. oppressive decisions have no consequence and concealed through visible DEI activities
3. five unconscious biases are leading DEI yet driving it into the "death zone"

Highly committed advocates for DEI across race and gender in this study consisted of 75 Executives serving in capacities as champions, sponsors, human resources, and DEI leaders from mid to large private and public companies ranging from 2,000 to 150,000 employees.

The findings were compelling. Only 20% of advocates were advancing initiatives to support a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. The remaining 80% of leaders displayed both advocacy and oppressive decisions related to DEI.

Through this comprehensive analysis, emerged a distinctive “death zone” phenomenon that explains the failure of DEI’s ideology becoming a reality despite over 30 years of good intentions.

?What is the “DEI Death Zone?”?

Mt. Everest is the highest peak in the world where hundreds of people every year dream of ascending its summit. The most dangerous passage to reach its peak, known as the ‘death zone,’ specifies an altitude and insufficient oxygen level so extreme, climbers have perished and their frozen bodies lay being walked by and over, serving as a frightening reality that the pursuit for glory comes with great danger and jeopardizes one's life.

Well-intended leaders sorely under-estimate the unpredictable conditions without sufficient training or qualifications to make this perilous journey of DEI drawing similar parallel to risks climbing Mt. Everest. Our “climbers” choose the short cut and embark on a discounted expedition, ignoring the guidance of DEI practitioners, who serve as their “Sherpas” thus placing themselves, their guide, and DEI into the death zone.

The visible activities to support DEI are a distraction from the practices and people processes where inequity resides. The changes to solve for inequity and non-inclusive leadership are being rejected without consequence or awareness.

The presence of advocacy is not overcoming the impact of oppression.

For these reasons, every DEI initiative has fallen into the death zone and will not ascend to its pinnacle until we address the oppression being experienced across virtually every workplace.

Emerging From The Death Zone

In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer,?Tenzing Norgay?became the first climbers to finally summit Mount Everest paving the route for approximately 4,000 people to-date to achieve their dream for glory.

Our elusive “Inclusion Summit” is awaiting its first pioneers to shine light on the path for others to follow.

Two Foundational Steps

• Let's first acknowledge that our DEI work is equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest. Therefore, the pre-requisites and resource allocation are decision-points necessitating DEI expertise and input from the onset.
• Let's retire “everyone has biases” and replace with “every leader has the capacity to advocate and oppress”. Our DEI Death Zone? is the prevalence of power exercising authority for DEI related decisions without realizing or understanding its implications.

Where Do We Go From Here?

As the architect of the DEI Summit Strategy ?, we now have a targeted set of initiatives that considers “cause and effect” to lift us out from the death zone onto a lighted path.

Will our industry and leaders continue following the path of least resistance that perpetuates the status quo or take a left turn to embark on a challenging, yet transformative new journey and strategy?

DEI is at a crossroads faced with a critical choice and every leader advocating for change has an important decision to make.