Language matters. If DEI is the right acronym for your organization, don’t let the naysayers force you to pivot. If people understand what it means, why it matters and how the organization is using DEI to create a competitive sustainable advantage, it is likely a long-term fit. If you’re getting resistance where people are not willing to be allies, perhaps pivoting to a word like “inclusion” or “belonging” might be a better fit.
In my interview with Latasha Morrison, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) thought leader and author of Be the Bridge and Brown Faces, White Spaces, she said, “As DEI practitioners, we’re not married to the current terminology. Our goal is to create a culture of belonging for every employee, regardless of race, gender or disability. Broadening DEI to include more than race and gender helps bring more potential allies into the conversation.”
Regardless of the name we choose for the work, the work does not change. If you’re considering renaming DEI, consider these ideas from Morrison first:
Be Intentional With Language
Morrison found in her research that words do matter. For example, instead of white fragility, she uses racial literacy. They both have similar impacts on people learning more about how to talk about race, but the term racial literacy creates less-polarizing responses. The same rings true for diversity, equity and inclusion. What words best describe the work you’re actually doing to support DEI?
To facilitate this, Morrison centers her work around bridge-building, where people from different lived experiences can learn to talk about social issues and rebuilding systems so they work better for everyone. From healthcare to education to housing, many systems were designed by members of the dominant group (white, straight, cisgender, men without disabilities) to work best for the dominant group.
Morrison believes if we start with education first, we will see the most impact. When we talk with young people about diversity, equity and inclusion early on, they are more likely to understand the issues and take action later in life. Rather than shame or blame, teaching about systems of inequity and historical wrongdoings can help keep young people from repeating past mistakes.
As Simone Morris and myself have found on our Inclusion School podcast, having conversations earlier with young people matters. If people want to be better ancestors and leave the world better than they found it, diversity is a fact and inclusion is necessary. As Layla Saad writes in her book Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor, for her, “the primary force that drives my work is a passionate desire to become a good ancestor.”
Create a Vision
In her workshops, Morrison likes to ask the question, “How can we reimagine an education system [or any system] where everyone is thriving?” Once people anchor to a vision of a world that’s more inclusive and better serves the community, they start to believe it’s possible and map their behavior to support that future outcome.
Once people can imagine a future world that’s more inclusive, they can begin to tackle the issues that are preventing that from transpiring. Redlining, property taxes and other systemic issues that have led to a disproportionate educational experience where people in the dominant group are more likely to have access to higher education, thus perpetuating systemic issues. By creating a vision and acknowledging the systemic issues, allies are better equipped to take substantial actions like voting, advocacy and sharing knowledge with others.
Debunk the Zero-Sum Game
The challenge with the exercise of imagining an inclusive world can be if people default to a zero-sum game mentality, which says if we modify systems to work better for some, they will somehow work worse for others. This loss equation is rarely true. When systems work better for some, more often than not, they work better for all.
Allyship requires a mindset shift. Instead of zero-sum game thinking, pivot to a more curious, growth mindset. Some examples might be:
“If they win, I lose” shifts to “If they win, we all win.”
“Special treatment is not fair” shifts to “We support people by meeting them where they are.”
“What do we lose?” shifts to “What will we gain?”
It is important to acknowledge these fears while pivoting towards a more inclusive, non-zero-sum-game language. Once people see the positive results of DEI work, they’re usually more happy with higher rates of innovation, profitability and improved decision making.
by Julie Kratz
Source: forbes.com
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