Missing the Mark: The Missteps of Broad DEI Efforts and the Exclusion of Equity

In the past few weeks, I've noticed a significant uptick in the number of women of color reaching out for support. It's a trend that is both troubling and telling, especially in the context of the ongoing debates surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. As organizations grapple with the complexities of DEI—questioning its effectiveness and revisiting its purpose—many seem to have missed the forest for the trees. By broadening their DEI efforts to such an extent, they’ve inadvertently overlooked those who need the most support.

This oversight is why SHRM's recent decision to drop Equity from its focus is a critical misstep. Equity, as I define it, is the deliberate work of removing barriers and providing the necessary support to ensure everyone is set up for success. It's not a one-size-fits-all solution but a tailored approach that meets individuals where they are. Yet, the conversations I've had with women of color, particularly Black women, at various stages of their careers have made it painfully clear that equity was never truly part of the equation.

Common themes emerge in these discussions:

• Lack of Leadership in Recognizing and Addressing Bias: Many people leaders fail to identify and tackle biased behaviors within their teams, leaving those affected to fend for themselves.
• Absence of Psychological Safety: It seems that everyone, especially women of color, often find themselves in environments where calling out poor behavior—regardless of the perpetrator’s rank—feels unsafe.
• HR's Inadequacy in Navigating Diversity Issues: Human Resources departments, worried about the company’s liability, often shy away from addressing microaggressions and other diversity-related challenges, leaving employees unsupported.
• Lack of Accountability for Exclusionary Behaviors: Team leaders are seldom held accountable when they engage in or permit exclusionary practices, further entrenching a culture of inequity.
• Negative Perceptions of Boundary Setting: When team members, particularly women of color, attempt to set boundaries, these actions are frequently misconstrued as negative rather than being respected and upheld.

These issues illustrate a fundamental problem: Organizations that have provided diversity or inclusive leadership training to their people leaders have often failed to include the most crucial component of the work—enforcement and accountability. Training alone is not enough. Without a commitment to enforcing new behaviors and holding leaders accountable, these initiatives are reduced to mere box-checking exercises, devoid of any real impact.

How Accountability Can Be Added to DEI Efforts

For organizations committed to moving forward with their DEI work, even amidst backlash, the key to success lies in embedding accountability into every layer of the initiative. Here’s how:

1. Set Clear Expectations: Establish clear, measurable goals for DEI efforts, including specific outcomes related to inclusion and equity. These should be communicated organization-wide, ensuring everyone understands their role in achieving them.
2. Enforce Behavioral Changes: After training, it’s essential to monitor how well new behaviors are being adopted. Leaders should be observed, and feedback should be solicited from employees to assess whether changes are genuinely being implemented.
3. Implement Accountability Measures: Create systems where leaders and team members are held accountable for their actions. This could include performance reviews tied to inclusion and equity goals, mandatory reporting of bias incidents, and transparent follow-up on reported issues.
4. Support and Equip HR: HR departments need to be empowered and trained to handle diversity-related issues effectively without fear of retribution. This includes giving them the tools to address microaggressions and other subtle forms of exclusion.
5. Regularly Review and Adjust: Inclusion efforts should be dynamic, with regular assessments to determine what’s working and what isn’t. Adjustments should be made based on these reviews to ensure continued progress.

At The Equity Equation, we support organizations by pinpointing where psychological safety breakdowns are most prominent. We coach leaders to focus on inclusion and equity and provide the support that employees of color, particularly Black women, need as they navigate workplace challenges that often impact their personal lives.

Pivoting DEI to Focus on Inclusion and Equity

Given the challenges and evolving landscape of workplace culture, organizations must pivot their DEI efforts towards a more focused approach that emphasizes inclusion and equity. Diversity on its own—simply having a variety of voices and faces—isn’t enough. True progress is made when those voices are heard, valued, and empowered through an inclusive culture and equitable practices.

By prioritizing inclusion and equity, organizations can create environments where every individual, regardless of their background, feels safe, supported, and set up for success. This shift isn’t just about policy changes or training sessions—it’s about a deep, organizational commitment to doing the hard work of transformation.

Equity is the bedrock of any truly inclusive workplace. It requires more than just broad, generalized DEI efforts—it demands a focused, intentional approach to removing barriers and providing the necessary support for those who need it most. Until organizations recognize this and commit to doing the hard work, the stories of women of color being left behind will continue to be all too common.

How psychologically safe do you feel at work? Take our Psychological Safety Self-Assessment to learn more.

Learn more from me and other practitioners as we tackle the changing tides of the diversity, equity, and inclusion industry on my weekly podcast, DEI After 5

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Sacha Thompson is the founder of The Equity Equation, LLC, a boutique diversity coaching and inclusive culture consulting firm. With more than 20 years of experience within the education, non-profit, and tech industries, Sacha’s work involves removing barriers or providing support to achieve equity. She helps executives and leaders have meaningful dialogue and coaches them on the necessary, long-term changes that develop institutional cultures of inclusion. She was most recently featured in Newsweek, Business Insider, and MSNBC’s The Cross Connection.