Moving Forward When DEI Is Politicized

Hi friends,

As the political scene in the US has recently centered and challenged DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this work – how to frame it, what to call it, how to most effectively keep doing it so that we can make a difference for people and for organizations.?

I wanted to let you know how our company, Iris Inclusion, is positioning itself in this new environment. We remain completely firm in our mission to support organizations in their efforts to grow cultures where everyone feels valued and supported. Although it may appear that the ground is shifting, the basic principles of good business remain the same. Organizations thrive when all people feel supported and safe, when leaders and managers build relationships of trust, when teams collaborate optimally because everyone feels inclusion, and when performance reaches its highest levels with innovation, speed, and excellence. And with all the recent attacks against Black people, immigrants, transgender people, women, federal workers, and others, organizations have a lot of work to do to create a culture of inclusion and safety at work.

We recognize that workplaces are built of people with a wide array of sensitivities who embody many positions on the political spectrum. As always, our consulting and our trainings are designed to include everyone. We aim to call everyone in, to avoid alienating people while still maintaining the power and the practicality of the key learnings and outcomes.?

In that vein, we will use the acronym DEI sparingly, as it has gotten coopted away from its original meaning and is now used almost like a slur by some. Our efforts have always been about the people and the work, not the specific letters that we use to describe that work. We may explicitly talk about the way that the term DEI is being used (as you will have seen from my previous LinkedIn posts), but mostly we will spell out exactly what we are doing without acronyms. We know that those policies that create fair workplaces are supported by the majority of Americans. We will continue to be respectful and clear, evidence-based and real, passionate and inviting for all people.?

Also, I am going to create a new Substack. It will still be free of charge. I aim to send out more frequent and shorter pieces to help bring clarity and resources during these contentious times. Come subscribe so you can get notified of new writings.

So grateful for each of you and your work to create inclusive spaces! Michael