DEI at a Crossroads

There’s been a growing backlash against DEI programs in recent years. But for meetings and events, diversity, equity, and inclusion is still important. 

For planners, the goal is to expose attendees to a wide range of viewpoints, and for everyone to feel connected – regardless of the political environment. 

“We’ve made DEI this big scary thing,” said Dr. Brandi Baldwin, an organizational and leadership psychologist and CEO of Millennial Ventures. “You don’t do DEI. Just be someone who honors differences. Be someone who is willing to show up as your authentic self and allow others to show up as their authentic self, even if they vote for a different political party than you do. That’s where I think the opportunity lies,” she said on the Skift Meetings podcast.

Some organizations are doing it better than others. “Some companies will say we’re all about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and it’s really a misrepresentation,” said Bea Boccalandro, who advises corporate boards and executives on social purpose issues. “And then there are other corporations that are less public about their DEI efforts but “are just full throttle ahead,” she said on the podcast.

Overall, progress has been made. Boccalandro cites a Bloomberg survey that reveals since the murder of George Floyd, over 80% of large U.S. have dramatically increased the number of black individuals they have hired. Another study states there has been an approximate 5% increase in the diversity of boards of directors. More companies are now releasing internal diversity data, and there is an increase in the number of employee resource groups companies have created.

“I do think that what happened in 2020 has had some positive impact, which tends to never get reported. I’ve noticed, of course, we are facing headwinds. There’s legal challenges, there’s anti-woke, all of that is happening,” says Boccalandro.

The conversation about DEI will continue at the Skift Meetings Forum in New York City on September 17 where Boccalandro and Baldwin are two featured speakers. 

Key Points

What’s in a Name? 

There are some groups that are shifting their focus from DEI to social inclusion. Others, like Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), are dropping terms. SHRM dropped the word equity from its inclusion, equity, and diversity focus. Its new acronym is now I&D which stands for inclusion and diversity. Baldwin and Boccalandro stress the importance of not getting caught up in terminology. 

Intention is Key

Baldwin explains that some corporations have found their DEI programs challenging because they were created due to external situations. 

Keep it Simple

DEI should not be daunting, said Baldwin. “Be someone who is willing to show up as your authentic self and allow others to show up as their authentic self, even if they vote for a different political party than you do. That’s where I think the opportunity lies.”

Everyone Has Bias 

“Bias is a part of who we are. It’s different lenses, different ways that we perceive things,” Baldwin said. The first step to creating a team where everyone feels equal is to acknowledge this. 

Episode Summary

Although there has been progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts since the George Floyd murder, there are challenges as well. 

The evolving nature of DEI is complex. The initial push for DEI programs was reactive to community events rather than corporate issues, leading to confusion in implementation. It is now becoming more strategic. 

Despite some companies being less vocal about DEI publicly, internal efforts continue.

There has been a focus shift in DEI programs. Not only is terminology changing in some instances, but so is the structure. Some companies are reevaluating DEI roles, rejiggering where the heads of the departments report.

Overall, companies are trying to navigate forward with DEI despite hurdles.