Where Does DEI Go from Here?
Summary.
Amid economic uncertainty, corporate belt-tightening, and efforts to dismantle diversity efforts through both court rulings and legislation, the push for diversity, equity, and inclusion has slowed. The author, a researcher in positive psychology and diversity and inclusion, argues that to bring advocates and critics of diversity together, leaders must orient around a broader goal: creating the conditions for all workers to flourish. Given the high rates of disengagement and burnout, especially for those in historically marginalized groups, companies need a new approach. The author argues for fostering four freedoms at work: the freedom to be, the freedom to become, the freedom to fade, and the freedom to fail. Currently the four are unevenly distributed, but interventions such as encouraging individual allyship, implementing strengths-based development programs, and enabling flexible work can make organizations safer and more welcoming for all.
In the summer of 2020, spurred by the Black Lives Matter movement and pandemic inequities, organizations in the United States and around the world committed to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their ranks. Today, however, amid economic uncertainty, corporate belt-tightening, and virulent campaigns to dismantle diversity efforts through both court rulings and legislation, the push for DEI has slowed. Now more than ever, it’s time for companies to recommit.