change take
There may be some rollback in the urgent push to create DEI programs after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the redefinition of the terminology, but overall, companies remain committed to DEI.
Andrea Doyle
In recent years, there has been growing backlash against DEI initiatives. But diversity, equity and inclusion are still important when it comes to meetings and events.
For planners, the goal is to expose attendees to a wide range of perspectives and make everyone feel connected—regardless of the political climate.
“We’ve made DEI a big scary thing,” says Britandi Baldwin, Ph.D., organizational and leadership psychologist and CEO of Millennial Ventures. “You don’t do DEI. Be a person who respects differences. Be a person who is willing to show up as your authentic self and allow others to show up as their authentic self, even if they vote for a different party than you. I think that’s where the opportunity is,” she said at Skift Meetings said on the podcast.
Some organizations do this better than others. “Some companies will say we focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, but that’s actually a misrepresentation,” said Bea Boccalandro, who advises corporate boards and executives on social purpose issues. “There are other companies that are less public about their DEI efforts but are “full steam ahead,” she said on the podcast.
Overall, progress has been made. Bocalandro cited a Bloomberg survey that showed more than 80 percent of major U.S. cities have significantly increased the number of black people they hire since the murder of George Floyd. Another study showed that board diversity increased by about 5%. More and more companies are now publishing internal diversity data, and the number of employee resource groups created by companies has increased.
“I do think there are some positive impacts from what happened in 2020, but those impacts tend to never be reported. Of course, I note that we’re facing pushback. There are legal challenges, there’s a counter-awakening, all of that is happening,” Bocalandro said.
The conversation about DEI will continue on September 17 at the Skift Conference Forum in New York City, where Boccalandro and Baldwin are two of the featured speakers.
key point
What’s in the name?
Some groups are shifting their focus from DEI to social inclusion. Other organizations, such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), are giving up on tenure. SHRM removed the word “equity” from its inclusion, equity and diversity focus. Its new abbreviation is now I&D, which stands for Inclusion and Diversity. Baldwin and Bocalandro stress the importance of not getting bogged down in jargon.
Intention is key
Baldwin explained that some companies find their DEI programs challenging because they were created due to external circumstances.
simplify things
DEI shouldn’t be daunting, Baldwin said. “Become a person who is willing to show your true self and allow others to show their true self, even if they vote for a different party than you. I think that’s where the opportunity is.
everyone has bias
“Bias is part of who we are. It’s a different perspective and a different way we perceive things,” Baldwin said. The first step to creating a team where everyone is equal is to acknowledge it.
Episode Summary
While diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts have made progress since the murder of George Floyd, there are also challenges.
The evolving nature of DEI is complex. The initial push for DEI initiatives was in response to community events rather than corporate issues, leading to confusion during implementation. Now it becomes more strategic.
While some companies are less vocal about DEI publicly, internal efforts continue.
The focus of DEI initiatives has shifted. In some cases, not only the terminology has changed, but also the structure. Some companies are re-evaluating the role of DEI and realigning reporting lines for department heads.
Overall, despite the obstacles, companies are still trying to move forward with DEI.
