Reimagining DE&I: How being engaged can bring us back to our purpose
Jan 30, 2025Wesley GeeThought Leadership
It is an unusual and challenging time to lead a corporate communications and advisory agency. Although diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) commitments have played a critical role in advancing how we live and work, many organizations are scaling back their policies, goals and partnerships. Instead of collectively advancing toward more engaged and resilient cultures, some companies have retreated from bold and authentic statements. Others face mounting pressure from political and corporate forces to follow suit or risk navigating an uncertain future.
Opposition to DE&I policies and programs is not new, but recent developments at the highest levels of government in the U.S. have intensified the debate. Executive orders from the Oval Office now aim to phase out DE&I-related roles and departments, mandate recognition of only two sexes in official documents such as passports, and label DE&I as akin to “racism.” Institutionally, some have criticized the creation of “DEI bureaucracies in thousands of …universities [and] corporations…whose employees [enforce] all kinds of intrusive orthodoxies that tried to dictate not only how other employees or students were supposed to act, but also how they were supposed to think and speak.”1 As with another polarizing acronym, ESG (environmental, social and governance), a wave of anxiety has led some corporate leaders to question whether they have overcommitted to DE&I at the expense of their strategic priorities and fiduciary duties.
Consequently, influential corporations, including Meta, McDonald’s, Walmart and Ford, have reduced or eliminated their DE&I initiatives.2 Meanwhile, prominent investors like Bill Ackman argue that current efforts hinder true diversity, advocating instead for approaches focusing more on individual merit and equal opportunity than mandated outcomes.3
There is both a moral imperative and a compelling business case for organizations to champion DE&I,4 but as I read in a recent Harvard Business Review article from Lily Zheng, what they focus on and how programs are delivered need a reset.
“People want more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces, but the initiatives and approaches common to mainstream DEI are far from the only way to achieve them.”
Lily Zheng, FAIR Strategist and Consultant
These current challenges should serve as a call to action for thoughtful organizations, well-intentioned professionals and engaged community members to re-engage, recalibrate and reinforce a forward-looking perspective on DE&I, to adopt Zheng’s “FAIR” framework that emphasizes outcomes that are tied to fairness, access, inclusion and representation.5 By doing so, well-intentioned experts and leaders can better focus on what matters by embracing a welcoming and inquisitive stance to DE&I, creating psychologically safe organizations, and understanding the risks and opportunities associated with this recent regressive shift.
A company’s purpose and vision are enduring, but the material topics they prioritize – such as DE&I – and their relevance, change over time. Too often, organizations fail to engage and adapt and have become disconnected from their wider world – leaning on benchmarks, best practices, awards, media and global ratings without listening to their communities and stakeholders.
We’ve learned from other critical issues, such as climate change, that meaningful progress requires genuine dialogue and a deep understanding of the changing landscape.
As a result, many companies should reassess what DE&I means and why it matters in today’s context, recognizing that this truth will evolve – in some cases, with multiple truths being possible at one time.
Armed with this deeper understanding, companies can recalibrate their approach, by acknowledging shifting beliefs and current realities – such as the importance of neurodiversity and economic diversity – and empowering their people to re-establish priorities. These updated, outcomes-based priorities can strengthen innovation, boost reputation and improve empathy. By reconnecting with their organizational truth, companies can reinforce their support for DE&I by updating commitments, goals and plans, and by investing meaningfully in actions that serve those who matter most. Certifications, standards and reports can then act as tools that support outcomes and enhance transparency, rather than drive the agenda.
Fortunately, even amid mounting pressures, many courageous individuals and forward-thinking organizations continue to demonstrate the value of investing in DE&I. Companies with long-standing commitments to DE&I, such as IBM – which appointed its first equal opportunity officer in 1953 – and Johnson & Johnson – which introduced women’s leadership programs in the 1980s – have shown that sustained efforts yield lasting benefits. More recently, companies like Costco, Uber, Microsoft and Apple have doubled down on their commitments based on how DE&I delivers value for their organizations (e.g., accessing wide-ranging talent to enhance innovation and tying DE&I performance to executive compensation).6,7
“We think that building an employment group that is diverse, that is global, that thinks about all aspects of the business, that’s positive, that’s just good business.”
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, Uber
In the spirit of belonging, I hope that organizations continue to work toward achieving FAIR outcomes to set a better example for society. To build a better future, we need to understand why current narratives around DE&I fall short for some, and how what we learn, say and do can better serve others and help us achieve our purpose. Let’s recommit to this journey and ensure that fairness, access, inclusion and representation remain central pillars of how we envision success and societal progress.
Wes is our Chief Sustainability Officer. When he’s not advising clients on strategy, reporting and communications, he enjoys being a Sunday afternoon chef, world traveller, fitness enthusiast and corny dad.
