Why Effective DEIB Strategies Are Tightly Connected to Organizational Purpose

2020 was relentless. And under-served and under-represented communities suffered the most due to a global environment that lacked the engagement and understanding needed to provide them with sufficient support and resources.

Whether it's a governing body, an organization or an individual, we all have a role to play to better support those communities.

And while many organizations are making an effort to address the systemic shortcomings that keep racial, gender, economic and other inequalities pervasive, there is still work to do. The opportunity for organizations to get their diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategies right has never been greater.

The question is how can you best align your organization's strategy and activities to its reasons for focusing on DEIB?

It’s a question that needs to be answered. Because the truth is, for all the public statements from organizations to re(commit) to DEIB, the actual public isn't buying it. Almost three out of every four Americans (69 percent) believe pressure from others—not a genuine concern—has contributed "a great deal" to companies making these statements about racism. And 71 percent of people believe business leaders are incapable of recognizing racism around them. Yikes.

The people don't have faith in corporations to do the right thing for them. To address this belief, organizations must recommit to DEIB and build more effective connections between their organizational strategy and purpose.

When diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging practices are tightly connected to organizational purpose, it not only demonstrates how organizations are following through on these commitments, it embeds that commitment within your culture and aligns accountability to actions.

Right now, it may feel like many organizations are just waiting for someone else to figure DEIB out so they can copy them. But there isn’t one answer for every organization. The hardest part is personalizing a DEIB strategy to your diverse organization.

To start building a DEIB strategy that aligns with your workforce, it’s crucial to create a strategy aligned to the specific needs of your organization and align the "why" behind your DEIB strategy to how your leaders and people will drive positive outcomes. No one organization should have the same strategy as another because each organization has a unique diversity fingerprint.

If you’re interested in learning how to create a holistic approach to your DEIB strategy, I invite you to join me and Stacia Garr, principal analyst with RedThread Research, for our February 25th webinar, How to plan a comprehensive DEI & B strategy for 2021 and beyond.

You’ll learn how taking this holistic approach will help your organization more effectively define, plan and integrate your DEIB strategy with other key priorities of your business. I hope you’ll join us.