The Hardest Part of a DEI Engagement: Biased and Unwilling Leaders

I have worked in the diversity, equity, and inclusion field for 23 years. I have been a DEI subject matter expert for 13 years and an entrepreneur for more than seven years. Working in this field has made me both a witness and also a victim of the hardships individuals and companies face because of the difficulties that others create. I have also seen many companies fail — even some of our clients who behaved badly and were in danger of being prosecuted, which is particularly egregious seeing that they were working with DEI consultants. They will remain unnamed for confidentiality. Over the last three years, my company Diverse City has had to cancel four contracts because the very clients who hired us to help with their lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion were not doing anything to become more diverse, equitable, or inclusive. In one situation, we fired a client because they treated one of my employees unjustly and with bigotry. Three of these companies were led by white, heterosexual males. The other was run by a white woman. According to the World Economic Forum, women embrace workplace DEI two times more than men do. In my own experience, white women-led companies are more likely to rise to the occasion, than to fire a DEI consultant. So, this last contract dissolution with the woman-owned company was particularly disappointing. It’s important to realize that even those who have been discriminated against themselves are not immune to discriminating against others. As a CEO, losing clients distresses me, but it is also gut-wrenching to witness employees being mistreated. Working in the DEI space is similar to being a healthcare practitioner in that you don’t meet clients when they are feeling great. They show up when they’re struggling, on the verge of being sued, and are feeling a bit broken, lost, and confused. I have observed that 99% of the time, ego, power, stubbornness, and internal bias prevent positive change. Your job is to problem-solve for both the employees and management. When you are not able to fix the problems, it makes you question many things, including yourself. <a href="https://cheryl-80279.medium.com/the-hardest-part-of-a-dei-engagement-biased-and-unwilling-leaders-5b9da659b9d5">Visit Now</a>