Communicating the Benefits of Diversity Training

What Both Sides on the DEI Issue Get Wrong As a DEI consultant and facilitator for over 30 years, I've seen a lot of misunderstandings on both sides of the DEI debate. Let's cut to the chase. What Attackers of DEI Get Wrong: They don't know what they're attacking nor understand what DEI is. Many who resist DEI efforts believe it only benefits nonwhite people and that they will be excluded. In reality, DEI done right results in increased profits, innovation, and performance. If they understood this, they might change their minds—unless they're deliberate haters or racists. Ignorance is a big part of the problem. DEI Professionals: On the flip side, DEI professionals often assume that everyone knows what DEI is and why it's important. They think people who are against it are just racist, homophobic, or afraid of those who are different. This assumption is a mistake. Too many DEI professionals also assume they don't have to explain DEI to anyone. They're so busy being right that they forget about the results they want. When I first started in the diversity field, we would break people into small groups and ask them why diversity and inclusion are important to the organization and how they could benefit. By the end, many who started with doubts changed their viewpoint and realized their misconceptions. We need to explain the "why" of DEI. Why are people being asked to take training? How will it help them in their work? It's more important to get results than to be right. This means including everyone, helping them do their best work, and appreciating what they bring to the organization. It's more important for people to understand what DEI means in practice than just the words themselves. Another mistake DEI professionals make is condemning people quickly and canceling them in workshops rather than understanding they can change with the right information. Leaders need to educate their employees on why DEI is important, how they will benefit, and why the organization values it. I have seen some amazing changes through the years. Engage people in conversations, instead of talking at them. Be available to answer questions, and educate them on why DEI is important and how it can benefit them personally. Create opportunities like cross-functional problem-solving, and facilitated conversation circles where people can interact with those who are different and get to know them. Who doesn't want to work in an organization where they feel included, heard, and valued? Who doesn’t want to work in an organization where they can be themselves without conforming to their boss's identity? Diversity just is who we are. Inclusion means everyone has room to participate and share their genius. That environment takes the whole organization—leaders, managers, and employees—to create. Let's move forward by educating and engaging, not assuming and alienating. This approach will help create a more inclusive and successful environment for everyone.

DEI is under fire, but let’s be clear: inclusive workplaces aren’t controversial—they’re smart business. True DEI means recruiting top talent, removing bias, and creating a culture where everyone thrives. It’s not about exclusion; it’s about access and opportunity for all, including straight white men. Companies are quietly rebranding DEI as “accessibility” and “belonging” because they know the truth: Bias doesn’t disappear just because it’s politically inconvenient. Eliminating DEI sends a dangerous message—one that damages engagement, retention, and innovation. 🔹 76% of job seekers consider diversity when evaluating employers (LinkedIn, 2023). 🔹 Companies with diverse leadership teams are 36% more likely to outperform their peers in profitability (McKinsey, 2020). 🔹 Organizations with inclusive cultures see a 59% improvement in innovation and a 19% increase in revenue (Deloitte, 2018). Instead of scrapping DEI, companies should evolve it: ✅ Focus on culture & team-building. ✅ Optimize for productivity & engagement. ✅ Offer skills training (AI, leadership, etc.). ✅ Use workforce data to identify and remove barriers to employee performance. DEI isn’t about politics. It’s about performance. Smart companies aren’t backing down—they’re adapting. #Leadership #DEI #FutureOfWork #PeopleAndCulture

𝐃𝐄𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞" 𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐡: I saw a post that said, "𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦." Doesn't this miss the mark? Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion isn’t about handing out unfair perks. It addresses the fact that for centuries, certain people were systematically excluded. Research shows that women, non-white people, LGBTQ+ folks, and older professionals have experienced unchecked bias and discrimination. They faced barriers that perpetuate inequity. DEI looks to level the playing field so everyone has a fair shot, regardless of demographic. It doesn't give an unfair advantage; it's on a mission to fix broken practices. In client spaces these are the conversations I am facilitating. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 Consider that you’re running a race, and some people start 10 yards behind the starting line because of systemic discrimination. Equity means ensuring everyone begins from the same starting point. Not slowing others down, and definitely not driving the disadvantaged three miles further to start ahead of the pack. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤? Resistance often stems from a misconception: that DEI takes something from one group to give to another, as the comment I led with suggested. In reality Diversity Equity and Inclusion benefits everyone. When workplaces embrace equity and inclusion: Teams perform better. Innovation skyrockets. People feel valued and engaged. It's far from a zero-sum game; it’s a win-win. Studies show that companies with fair leadership standards are more successful. Inclusive cultures reduce turnover and boost productivity. And employees report feeling like they truly belong. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲: 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 People need clarity. If you're rolling out DEI initiatives without explaining what they're about, using victimization framing, or don't address fears and misconceptions? You'll face resistance. Employees will be persuaded by misinformation when you don't embrace transparency and honest conversations. People who understand that DEI is about fairness, not taking sides, are more likely to support it. 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴. It's part of how our brains work...we categorize information to make sense of the world. But left unchecked, biases can unintentionally perpetuate inequity. That's why that quote image hits home Think of a small step you can take today to challenge your assumptions and create a more inclusive environment. Feel free to share your ideas below! 👇🏿

My favorite conversation this week was with a CEO of one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world. We were talking about what their organization was changing, if anything, related to their DEI efforts, in response to real external pressures they are receiving daily given the complex social and political environment. This CEO was passionate about why DEI remains a critical business imperative because it is simply about winning—both internally with their talent, which is more than 50% women across managerial roles, and externally with their consumers, who are disproportionally women buyers. I loved the unapologetic conviction and commitment to the continued pursuit of their DEI efforts, despite the real pendulum swing we are experiencing in a world that is increasingly polarized. Our latest Catalyst Inc. research affirms that organizations that want to attract, retain, and advance talent must keep DEI at the forefront of their identity, especially in difficult times. Employees want companies to prioritize DEI. In fact, another Catalyst report found that 76% of employees in 11 countries value diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces, and 93% want organizations and leaders to be clear and vocal about how they’re making that happen. We also know genuine DEI policies decrease discrimination and increase engagement and retention. Now, Catalyst’s newest report finds when employees view DEI policies as genuine, they are 6X more likely to say their organization is fair and 74% less likely to experience discrimination. Genuine DEI policies benefit not just employees from marginalized groups, but everyone. They help foster buy-in and support for DEI efforts and avoid backlash from those who may feel threatened by them. The question to ask at your organization is important: Are our DEI efforts truly genuine, or are they performative? And the report reveals six actions that help employees believe you mean what you say: 1. Communicate, clearly and vocally, why engaging in DEI is the right thing to do. 2. Build accountability by taking responsibility for meeting DEI goals. 3. Act with integrity, following through on DEI promises and match words with meaningful actions 4. Ensure DEI efforts are aligned with your organization’s mission and values 5. Create transparency by recognizing where inequities are happening and sharing progress toward DEI goals with stakeholders. 6. Prevent a climate that discourages employees from speaking up about workplace issues and hinders DEI policies. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some stats and insights on what these six actions look like specifically…. but please read the report to learn more! #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion