Persist

The revolt we’re seeing against DEI is similar to what we might expect if we forgot to teach our kids how to share.

Imagine allowing a child to hoard their toys for the first 4 years of their life before clueing them in that they are expected to share. They might react with resistance, kicking and screaming, “But I DON’T WANT TO SHARE. It’s not fair! These are MY toys!!!”

Sound familiar?

These leaders at the top (the ones outlawing DEI and rolling back workplace discrimination protections) are basically large toddlers who never learned to share. But instead of unwinding 4 years of precedent, we are trying to unwind hundreds of years.

There is nothing easy about this.

The field has been tipped in their favor for so long, that any attempt to level it is met with kicking and screaming. They shout, “It’s not fair!!!!” rather than realizing it should have been this way all along.

They are throwing an all-out tantrum in the middle of the grocery store. It’s maddening. But our job remains the same: Be the adult.

Remain calm and kind but firm and consistent.

When my kids were little they refused to eat their veggies at dinner. We didn’t give up though. We got creative. We snuck spinach and cucumber into their smoothies. We continued to reinforce WHY vegetables are important for their health and growth. We reframed “you must” into “How about an adventure bite?”

This calls for creativity too. We have some adjustments to make. Some strategizing to do. Some reframing to ensure we are speaking capitalism when talking to capitalists.

But their tantrum changes nothing.

DEI is here to stay, just like those vegetables at dinner.

It’s vital to the health and growth of our country, our companies, and our communities.

DEI is under attack because it is working. It’s having an impact. It’s getting results. People don’t get this hot over things they aren’t threatened by. Every change effort comes with setbacks — some more painful than others.

This one hurts.

But, our goals remain the same:

1) Justice. Becoming a country that lives up to our ideals of equality and justice. A country where our gender, socioeconomic status, or the color of our skin is not the biggest determinant of our access and future success.

2) Business Success. We know that businesses succeed more wildly when they recruit and hire a range of stellar talent from different backgrounds, expertise, and lived experiences (diversity). We know that employees stay longer and give more of their discretionary effort when they feel valued and respected in their workplace (inclusion). We know that folks are more engaged when they receive fair treatment, fair pay, and fair access to opportunities (equity). And, we know that ALL of this is good for business.

Let’s remember…

We still have power and agency.

We do not need permission to value these things or stay true to our commitment.

Nothing is stopping us from using our voices, influence, and leadership to prioritize these things within the places and spaces we occupy. Our businesses. Teams. Homes.

We may need to sneak it into their smoothies, but giving up isn’t an option.

Let’s not waste our precious energy on those who are immovable.

One way to a healthy garden is to pull the weeds (I don’t know about you, but I hate pulling weeds). Another way is to plant plants that thrive. Plants that take water, sunlight, and nutrients away from the weeds–eventually outcompeting and choking them out.

Let’s be thoughtful about how we tend this garden.

Many people don’t believe in this work anymore or never did. However, others continue to see it as vital to humanity and business growth.

These are the leaders we must focus on.

These are the leaders we must BE.