The "Frozen Middle": Why Your Diversity Stuff Just Doesn't Work

I get emails from executives and supervisors on a regular basis that say things like:

"You can shove this nonsense right up your a--."

AND

"This is all complete racist bullsh--!?You hire based on competence and not color. You judge people by their character and not the color of their skin.?This is NOT an “oppressive” or “racist” country. Need I remind you that we have had an African American President, Senators, Congressmen, Astronauts, Scientists, Generals and Brain Surgeons? We are the only Western or European nation that can make this claim.?Dr. King would turn in his grave if he had to listen to your nonsense!!!"

AND

"Diversity is a divisive and hypocritical agenda. You espouse tolerance and inclusion but condemn any Caucasian as the most vile and evil person that walks on the earth. I want no part of your false rhetoric."

These are real emails from three (3) different people over the last thirty (30) days. AND most importantly, these individuals work at your organizations. Perhaps this explains why the August 2021 unemployment data was so dismal for Black and Latino workers. In fact, how many companies made "diversity hiring pledges" after George Floyd's murder and did not attain the goals that they established? I won't call out the companies, but you know who you are...

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is the future. You can ignore it, you can get angry about it, and you can complain about it all day long-- but you can't change it. Further, the CEO can "get" diversity, but if your executive leadership / management teams do not "get" it, your diversity and inclusion strategies are meaningless. What is the saying that was made famous by Mark Fields, former CEO of Ford? Culture eats strategy for breakfast .

In the Frozen Middle: The Plight of the Middle Manager , Eric Ciechanowski asserts that "the frozen middle is the term used to describe the role that middle management plays in company progress when initiatives are handed down and they slow in the middle." Ciechanowski adds, "If the middle manager doesn’t understand the purpose or execution of the idea, they will not carry out the plan as effectively as the executives planned and no change occurs."

Who cares anyway that your managers are out of touch and disconnected from your DEI efforts? It's just an add-on, something nice to do when time or money allows. In fact, within your organization, it's normal for senior leaders and supervisors to:

1. Confuse Diversity with Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and now, Critical Race Theory (CRT). There is a business case for Diversity and it will help the company to make money, save money and achieve organizational goals. Non-compliance with EEO will get you sued, while CRT can cause a public relations crisis if done incorrectly; but the lack of diversity and inclusion causes the company to miss out on opportunities now and in the future.
2. Assume that responsibility for DEI rests solely with the DEI Officer. Your leadership team (not the DEI Officer) is on the real front line for diversity. Executives and supervisors must manage equity and inclusion well or there will be no innovation, no sustainable financial performance, no strong supply chain, no recruitment and retention of talented stars, and no long-term value in the communities where you operate or the markets where you serve. This idea about diversity is not only a numbers game, it's a literal timebomb that is ticking. By the time that a disconnected leadership team realizes this isn't a drill, it will be too late. Case in point, from NYU to the University of California , colleges have admitted their most diverse classes ever, filling their campuses with competitive and accomplished freshmen who have record-high grades and/or SAT scores. Don't fool yourself -- a "frozen in time" management team will overlook, underutilize, or mistreat these next-generation stars because of stereotypes and bias.

How do you reset the clock? You must use a TEPP Strategy: Training, Education, Preparation, and Practice. Training is distinguished from education in that education will provide your team with insight into what's changing, but training will provide the knowledge and skills to perform well. Unlike some other skills, DEI education and training takes time. The opportunity to prepare and practice is not going to be present if your team is reacting to a fire. Therefore, your TEPP strategy must be planned.

Forward-thinking companies are helping their executives and supervisors to reskill and upskill with Training, Education, Preparation and Practice in:

1. Mastering the business case for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This includes aligning the business with DEI strategic goals, and establishing a proper vision for effective diversity management.
2. Perspective shifting so that leaders can eliminate bias, make better decisions, demonstrate empathy, and improve their situational analysis skills. Valuing different perspectives will also allow managers to appreciate new ideas, build stronger teams, and collaborate better.
3. Leading by example so the organization can decrease business risks and improve end-to-end experiences. Managers should learn how to model inclusive excellence and emotional intelligence, as well as demonstrate self-awareness. Executives and supervisors should also be equipped to lead experimentation and stimulate creative engagement-- not just expect it from employees.
4. Serving as change agents so that employees are not afraid of change or lack awareness about the need to continuously adjust to a shifting landscape. This will also preclude individual leaders from acting as mavericks, where: (1) there is a culture of favoritism for "falling in line" or "participating in the old boys' club"; (2) middle managers hamper DEI efforts with negativity or inaction; and/or (3) selfish ambition causes the manager to foster an us vs. them culture.
5. Engaging in allyship so they can dispel myths about meritocracy, fit, and inferiority, as well as improve cultural competency and humility. Allyship will also provide employees with a safe place to work-- without fear of retaliation, bullying, or belittling.

The next-generation workplace and marketplace is not going to be defined by race or nonsense or division. It will be driven by the need to include unique people with different perspectives who can help the organization thrive in an experience economy. THIS is not a fad. The world around us is changing, and while technology can solve many problems, there are some things that only people can do. This is why corporate executives must change how they define DEI, as well as acknowledge that its usefulness goes far beyond doing the right thing or serving as a business distraction. It is an opportunity for the company to do business better.

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Leah Smiley, CDE, is the President of the Society for Diversity, which has a DEI certification program for executives through IDC. Learn more at www.diversitycertification.org .