DEI is floundering. It’s time for a change.

DEI- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as one investor recently mentioned, were “the hot topics for 2020 and 2021…. What’s next?” It took a moment to process, but as I was taken aback. Then it hit me. The line of questioning vaguely reminded me of Snuggies moment in the sun. Snuggies- the media sensation around the blanket with arms! Yes, that is what they are comparing DEI to. Snuggies had their moment- a steep peak of intrigue, followed but confusion around its value, and then seldom mentions or jokes around the concept.

DEI as a singular overarching term is experiencing a Snuggie moment. The importance and value have not an inkling of comparison to Snuggies but unfortunately, this commonly held refrain does make something very clear, DEI is floundering and it is time for a change.

Within a 5 year period, this burgeoning field of making organizations places where all people can succeed has experienced some bull-whip type changes in both name, focus, and perceived value. To give some context, over a few years the field has changed from D&I, to DE&I, to DEI&B (belonging), and every iteration in between. With every company having its own nomenclature.

The constantly evolving nature of the field parallels current investments in the space; investments that must be steadfast and consistent over long periods of time for true change.

One of my biggest learnings from working in the DEI space has been that the most effective interventions are not DEI initiatives, they are just better business practices. Unfortunately, it took a long time to reach that realization as the DEI space has become both a business and pacifier for many leaders to signal that change is coming.

Because there is a tendency to “other” DEI initiatives, we are decreasing the impact and giving companies passes to continue to operate in structures that perpetuate inequity. For example, a company can place all of its employees in DEI training, training that has been proven to have little longitudinal impact, and state that they have re-aligned their companies with their values and culture. But has that really changed how we promote, our incentive structures, how we operate team meetings from top-down? Behavior change starts with planting a seed, but unless the seed is in an environment where it can grow these seeds tend to perish and perish quickly.

From a budgetary standpoint, If you examine DEI budgets, they are typically small and the impact of the DEI investments are under a telescope. This is in comparison to other business budgets where systems have rarely changed yet are increasing in value. Unfortunately, too many businesses lean heavily into the adage, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

Organizations’ budgets have grown with business needs and more often than not they have grown parts of the business that were built on inequitable grounds. DEI consultants and much of DEI work focus on assessing the present and moving forward, but more work needs to be done to fully evaluate how these structures were built.

We need to move away from focusing on improving business practices as DEI initiatives and just improve business practices. A great example can be found at UpWork. Dr. Erin Thomas, an expert in DEI, is not labeled as only focusing on DEI initiatives but has taken a rotational approach to leading all aspects of the people team within set time intervals. She is re-evaluating all of the systems and processes by leading business unit by business unit and making each business unit a stronger one. While she is doing work that aligns with all the stated goals of the DEI movement, in reality she is just making a company better.

Or in other words, she is not focused on building a better DEI strategy, she is focused on building a better business.

In a world where the news cycle is as short as a tik tok video, we need to stop bucketing initiatives as just DEI initiatives and turn out attention to just building better businesses. DEI is floundering because it is new, under a ton of scrutiny, ever changing, and people still have to make the case for why it matters. If we just build better businesses through the lens of DEI but not labeling these initiatives as under the DEI umbrella, we can finally create better working environments for all. Call it a trojan horse or just deeply integrated interventions, but it is time to give DEI a makeover. Here is to just simply building better businesses in 2022.