Leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion reveal the root causes and propose solutions.
Why do some people misunderstand diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and falsely assert that it leads to discrimination, exclusion, and indoctrination—the exact opposite outcomes when DEI is done right? And what can DEI practitioners do to challenge this wrong-headed thinking?
At the 2024 Catalyst Awards Conference, two DEI leaders shared their insights in a panel discussion with Kelly Montes, Executive Director, US, Catalyst. Here is what we learned from Vernā Myers, founder and president of The Vernā Myers Company, and Shaun Smith, Group SVP and Chief People and Culture Officer of New York-Presbyterian.
Reasons for the Pushback Against DEI
The root cause of the backlash, said Myers, is that “we’re winning. I mean, that’s the bottom line. You don’t have backlash against something that is impotent or not making a change. So I want to really encourage people [because] we are winning.”
Nevertheless, we need to take the assault against DEI efforts seriously, Myers continued, asserting that opposition to DEI is connected with opposition to women’s rights, as evidenced by diminishing access to abortion, Indigenous rights, and the continuation of anti-Black racism. The pushback to DEI is “trying to take the truth-telling out of our history,” she said. “This is part of a coordinated plan to move us back.”
Speaking specifically to what Smith has experienced at New York-Presbyterian, Smith says he has heard concerns among some employees that certain DEI policies make them feel somewhat left behind. They wonder, he said, “What does [DEI] mean for me as an individual? Where do I fit in?” He says it’s important to address those concerns promptly and head-on.
It’s not only White men asking these questions in workplaces across the country. This zero-sum thinking focuses on the needs of the individual and positions employees to assume, mistakenly, that DEI will result in the loss of personal opportunities. The challenge—and opportunity—for organizations is to demonstrate the value of diversity for everyone and to show that no one loses out.
“I would ask,” Smith continued, “[how can we show employees that diversity initiatives] are not a zero-sum game [and that we are] supporting people to win so that we can all win?” The goal for employers is “fostering and helping people toward self-actualization and living their best lives.” And to do this, Smith said, you need diversity. “You really need a lot of different brains to do that, right?”
How to Challenge the Assault Against DEI Efforts
Employees overwhelmingly (93%) want their companies to talk about DEI, Montes shared, citing Catalyst research. But how should we talk about the goals of DEI—should we emphasize the fairness case (the right thing to do) or the business case (how DEI supports the financial bottom line)? Knowing the best way to frame your commitment to employees is critical because your positioning signals your priorities. Nearly half of employees surveyed in 11 countries told Catalyst they want their organization to talk about its diversity initiatives using both a fairness case and a business case. Of those who prefer one over the other, more than twice as many prefer the fairness case.
Montes asked if it would be helpful to change our language. Myers doesn’t think so. If we change names and terms, we will discover that it’s not the language but the ideas that cause the opposition. “’Affirmative action’ was a great term, but a misinformation campaign like the one we are experiencing now has soured and stigmatized it. We need to be mindful that changing the language might inadvertently lead DEI practitioners to change the work they are doing.” She added, “You know, what you call it really doesn’t matter as long as you are doing the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Smith summed up what works best: supporting all employees “to get where they want to, which is to thrive and become who they are. When an organization gives back [to employees], people give back to you.” And the way to achieve this goal, all agreed, is through equity and inclusion.