Dr. Katherine Penn
Attacks on DEI work in organizations all stem from one core belief: Diversity is a problem to be managed. Rarely do leaders view DEI as a force multiplier or differentiator—an asset to be harnessed and utilized to their advantage. Instead, they see conflict and change that can be uncomfortable and difficult to navigate. With other disruptors, such as technological change, leaders understand the need to adapt, upskill and embrace the discomfort of learning new ways of operating. Unlike tech disruptions, demographic shifts are met with hesitation rather than innovation, and DEI practitioners are asked to make the discomfort go away.
Demographic shifts are not a problem. They are a market reality of our rapidly expanding world and an asset if managed effectively. Removing DEI offices in hopes of “getting rid” of a focus on identity is like closing the IT department and thinking that technological advancement will slow down. Your organization will simply be less prepared and equipped to handle the effects as they arise.
It is easy to succumb to the notion that if diversity is a problem to be addressed, then the job of DEI practitioners is to fix it. Many of us are conditioned to care for others and respond to their needs. However, this leads us to measure our value by the number of problems solved, rather than the capacity built. If the practitioner’s role shifts from problem solver to coach or facilitator, key members of the organization are supported as they develop their skills and abilities to adapt and innovate. To achieve this, we need to be partners across all lines of business, helping to drive the organization's goals, rather than being fixers with limited impact.
Further curtailing our impact is the belief that DEI work benefits specific populations, not everyone in the organization. Focusing our attention on specific groups is flawed. Organizations are not separate from the people in them; they are shaped by them. Organizations are not a collection of individuals operating in isolation. Organizations are the result of the combined efforts of individuals working towards a common goal. The real work of DEI practitioners is to help the organization flex, not the people. If you focus on the people and encourage them to either assimilate or bring their “whole selves,” you put the responsibility on the people, not the organization. Instead, we must foster environments where authenticity and belonging are balanced. Our work is about creating an environment where everyone can bring their full skills and talents, not identity, into the space. That requires compromise from everyone in the organization, and the organization itself to adapt and shift.
Finally, and perhaps most destructive, is the assumption that diversity work is about shame and blame. Seeing diversity as a problem contributes to the belief that diversity work only points out how people are failing and punishes those who say or do the “wrong things.” This approach creates resistance and undermines our efforts. The real work of DEI practitioners is to enable growth and learning, rather than shaming and blaming people into acting in a certain way.
When done effectively, DEI work uses abrasions and challenges as opportunities for growth, not moments for discipline. Accountability is rooted in compassion, not punishment. When diversity is a source of strength and potential, we take more appreciative approaches. We seek places where diversity has a positive impact on the organization and work to enable more of those behaviors. We empower teams to adapt and shift, hearing more voices and getting the most from team members, regardless of their identity. This focus on thriving is a more effective way to cultivate inclusive excellence, rather than policing people’s behavior.
It is never comfortable to challenge our beliefs, especially those that seem so foundational. We need courage to reflect on our role in sustaining these beliefs and strength of character to resist when others define our roles or our work.
Diversity is not a problem. Diversity is an asset. Diversity practitioners are not fixers; they’re capacity builders. Diversity efforts are not only for some; they benefit all. Diversity goals are not about leveling shame and blame; they’re about building empathy and empowerment.
We need to be more grounded in who we are and the role we play, rather than allowing misguided perceptions of our work. We keep these limiting beliefs alive if we allow others to define us as problem-solvers, fixers, saviors, mystics or miracle workers. However, if we reimagine DEI practitioners as the innovators, partners, coaches, educators and advisors our organizations need to face the future, diversity becomes a catalyst to unlock the full potential of everyone in the organization - empowering institutions to thrive amidst the complexity.
________
Dr. Katherine Penn is Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Bentley University in Waltham, MA.
