🚩 DEI Red Flags We Can't Ignore

Gone are the days when DEI was simply adding a stock photo of people from diverse backgrounds on the company’s website. (Or are they?)

Recently someone asked me about what makes me say "no" to working with an organization. How do I know whether I'm going to be successful??

It's not a perfect science 😝 but this is what I look for 👇🏽

• The “Spending Time with POC is DEI Work” Fallacy: Brunching with your colleagues of color doesn’t qualify as ‘engaging in DEI work’. It’s…well, brunch. Actual equity work involves understanding systemic issues, creating inclusive policies, and ensuring fair representation.

• The All-Powerful DEI Council: A company that relies solely on a DEI council to develop its strategy is akin to expecting your pet fish to do your taxes. The sentiment is sweet, but a bit misguided. A holistic approach involves everyone - from the intern to the CEO.

• Missing Leadership Buy-In: If top leadership isn’t on board, the DEI train isn’t leaving the station. Period. Leadership buy-in is essential for resource allocation, creating a culture of accountability, and setting the tone.

• DEI led by the Most Junior Employee: If I had a dollar for everyone I talk to a "DEI Manager" with no (or low) budget, operating in a silo, at a 500-person (or 5000-person) organization. Honestly, I'd be rich.

• Sparse or Nonexistent Change Management Skills: Imagine claiming to be a gourmet chef, but not knowing how to fry an egg. Doesn’t add up, right? Likewise, claiming to prioritize DEI without providing regular and effective learning is a recipe for disaster.

• One-Time Initiatives or Events: The holidays and snacks approach (no offense to snacks). Oh, so your company celebrated ‘Diversity Day’ once last year with colorful balloons? Adorable. But real DEI work is continuous, deliberate, and integrated into the fabric of the company’s ethos.

• No Clear Metrics or Accountability: If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Not having clear metrics or systems of accountability for DEI initiatives is like trying to catch rain with a sieve.

• Not Listening to Employee Feedback: Employees are the pulse of an organization. Ignoring their feedback on DEI initiatives is equivalent to a doctor ignoring a patient’s symptoms. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t end well.

• Ready to Move On from "Race" Talk: Until the day race and ethnicity stop being the biggest predictor of education, social, and health outcomes - we need to keep talking about race. Even outside of largely white and high-income countries.

• No Long-Term DEI Vision: Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a comprehensive DEI strategy. Companies that lack a long-term vision for DEI are essentially on a hamster wheel: lots of activity, but not much progress.

Which of these do you see inside your organization?

If you find yourself nodding to 2 or more of these, it may be time to put "DEI work" on a pause, and put self-care on the front burner - especially if you identify as a person living at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities.