It’s a question I have written and spoken about frequently over the past several years: with all the great talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion, why haven’t we made more progress in the business world? Why does it feel as if we’ve hit a ceiling, even after managing to push the issue higher up on the CEO agenda?
Maybe it’s time to reimagine our approach. DEI initiatives have traditionally segmented people into distinct groups and assumed that those identities defined the workplace experience. But we’re all made up of a multiplicity of identities. A Black employee can also be an LGBTQ employee, as well as the caregiver of an elderly parent. A white male employee might have a physical disability and be juggling work visa considerations.
There are two major problems with the conventional demographic categories we’ve grown used to. First, companies reinforce a majority-versus-minority mindset, fueling divisiveness among the workforce. And second, we end up ignoring huge cohorts of the workforce who could benefit from greater DEI in the workplace.
We need to move from the traditional DEI approach to one that considers the reality of today’s employees, people with varying needs that affect their job experience, performance, and satisfaction. This means:
· Reframing why DEI benefits the organization
· Resetting who should be the focus of DEI efforts
· Reinventing how to develop solutions
If we rewrite the rules of the workplace, we can finally enable each employee in the organization to thrive—which will be good news for the success and sustainability of the business.
Full article here.