Equity is for everyone yet DEI is under attack. Instead of leaning into controversy, we asked DEI professionals what their top concern was at work and how could we, the inclusive community, help talk through those problems.

Streaming Service Wars: Learning from Tubi

Equity is for everyone, yet DEI is under attack across sectors (Higher Education, Entrepreneurship, Government). Instead of leaning into the controversy, we asked DEI professionals what their top concerns were at work and how the inclusive community could help talk through those problems. A recurring theme emerged: the difficulty of building influence with operational partners.

Connecting DEI to Business Strategy

DEI professionals often consult business partners to align their organizations with equitable practices. One DEI professional noted, “It’s challenging to get buy-in from business leaders who are primarily focused on immediate financial returns. We need new ways to demonstrate how DEI initiatives drive long-term value.”

At Perspectives Media, we regularly analyze the news for business cases that you can use in your work. One particular success from this week’s news is Tubi streaming service.  We wrote a companion piece in our weekly Perspectives on Leadership newsletter.

A newsletter member wrote that their top concern was leadership buy-in. In an article by Ann Thomas at Bloomberg Law titled, “To Manage DEI Risk, Gain Buy-In With Coaching, Consensus Building,” we identified ways DEI professionals could influence their stakeholders.

• Article Summary: This article discusses strategies for managing DEI risks by gaining buy-in through coaching and consensus building. It emphasizes the importance of inclusive decision-making processes to foster commitment to DEI initiatives.

• Key Insight for DEI Professionals: Harness the Power of Coaching and Storytelling - Engage leadership by consulting with proven coaches that can weave compelling narratives and real-world examples into their executive coaching sessions. Develop a plan with the coach to help executives understand how diverse perspectives have driven innovation in the past, so that they can see the future. For instance, Volvo's redesign for safer cars for women, to make a tangible case for the value of DEI. Use consensus-building techniques to bridge divides and create a shared vision for an inclusive workplace.

Achieving Results, Keeping Programs Fresh: Practical Strategies from DEI Governance and Risk Management

Another newsletter member wrote that their top concern was achieving results and keeping programs fresh. In a paper on supervising DEI governance, risk management, and culture, we found several practical strategies that can help.

•  Article Summary: The IAIS released a paper highlighting various approaches to maintaining effective DEI initiatives, emphasizing the importance of continuous engagement, data-driven strategies, and integration of DEI into governance and risk management practices. It suggests using soft powers, incorporating DEI into supervisory approaches, developing mandatory DEI policies, targeted reviews, and qualitative assessments to keep programs relevant and impactful.

• Key Insight for DEI Professionals: Adopt a Multi-faceted Approach - To keep DEI programs fresh, regularly engage in dialogue with stakeholders, consider further raising the DEI profile in the organization by integrating DEI into governance and risk management (consider hiring outside advisors to raise the profile if needed), utilize innovative data-driven strategies, collaborate with industry peers, and put clear reporting and public disclosures on your company’s strategic roadmap to ensure accountability. These practices will help maintain the momentum of DEI initiatives and demonstrate a sustained commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Addressing Racial Anxiety: Lessons from the Tech Diversity Crisis

Finally, a DEI-based entrepreneur wrote in that their biggest concern related to their work was racial anxiety. In an article by JOTO PR™ titled, "Tech Diversity Crisis: Kiranbir Sodhia Advocates for Renewed DEI Efforts to Combat Sharp Decline," we found “food for thought” in addressing barriers erected due to racial anxiety.

• Article Summary: With a sharp decline in diversity among entry-level professionals in the tech industry in both the U.S. and the U.K.,  the article emphasizes the importance of sustained DEI efforts. When DEI efforts are cutback, the brain drain within an organization skyrockets raising the cost to fix the problem. Instead, Kiranbir Sodhia is trying to get his organization to keep their long-term commitment to DEI so that they never have to do another diversity-based business turnaround.

• Key Insight for DEI Professionals: Bring the arch of racial history into your work. Last week we wrote about creating a tent-pole event at your work around Juneteenth, a specific historical moment for Black Americans.  Reinforce data points around the history of racialized economic apartheid and its continued effects weaving these points into executive coaching and tent-pole events.  This should help enforce a message of a long-term Commitment to DEI giving historical context that reduces racial anxiety. -Continually reinforcing this point in new ways with different data points and client case examples can help you build up resistance to the resistance[DB1] . Reach out to colleagues who are also DEI entrepreneurs or reach out to us here at Perspectives Media.

For further strategies on addressing racial anxiety, you might consider exploring resources such as "The Science of Equality" by the Perception Institute, which discusses methods like individuation and promoting positive interactions between diverse groups to mitigate racial anxiety​ (Perception Institute)​​ (Psychology Today)​.