Linda Wiley Bing, PhD, CDE, CRS (she/her/hers)’s Post

If you're a leader who works in or cares about #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion, let the one thing you read today be my latest piece for the Harvard Business Review: What Needs to Change About DEI—and What Doesn't. Link in the comments. In the past few months, I've worked with dozens of leaders to navigate the most recent wave of anti-DEI backlash and misinformation. The same tough questions come up: "How do I keep my commitment to DEI alive without getting bogged down in controversy?" "Should I change how my organization does DEI in response to this moment, and if so, how?" This article sums up the guidance I've given to these leaders, and I'm sharing it with all of you in the hopes it will help your organizations meet the moment as well. DEI needs to change, but not in the way its loudest detractors think. ⚡ What Needs to Change ⚡ ❌ Clumsy, Jargon-Heavy Communication Drop the buzzwords. Diversity efforts build workforces that reflect the communities they serve by giving everyone a fair chance to enter and rise through each level of our organizations. Equity efforts design organizational systems and processes that prevent discrimination and equip everyone with the resources they need to succeed. Inclusion efforts create working environments where everyone is treated respectfully and is valued for their unique contributions and backgrounds. When we don't communicate clearly about our own work, misinformation fills that void—to everyone's detriment. ❌ Disconnected and Decoupled DEI Goals and Programs Stop with the endless stream of programmatic events. Integrated DEI strategy beyond "food, fun, and flags" looks like embedding inclusive leadership competencies into promotion and performance evaluation criteria, establishing respectful communication norms, setting department-specific inclusion and equity goals, implementing pay equity audits, expanding employee benefits, and investing in accessibility throughout the product design process. ❌ Nonexistent or Vanity DEI Measurement We've spent decades asking "how much our workshop attendees enjoyed the experience," and yet systemic racism, sexism, and inequity is still alive and well. I want to see us pre- and post- testing our interventions. Using demographic analysis to identify inequities throughout our organizations. Setting target outcomes for our DEI strategy. A/B testing the initiatives we roll out. Holding department leaders responsible and accountable for the DEI outcomes under their watch. ⛰️ What Shouldn't Change ⛰️ 🌱 Responsiveness to Broader Society 🌱 Commitment to Healthy Organizations 🌱 The Belief That We Can Be Better DEI can and should evolve. So long as leaders maintain our commitment to healthy organizations above all else and stay strong in our belief that we can achieve a better world for all of us in our future—rather than deluding ourselves into thinking it existed in the past—we can continue making impact with our heads held high.

If you're a leader who works in or cares about #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion, let the one thing you read today be my latest piece for the Harvard Business Review: What Needs to Change About DEI—and What Doesn't. Link in the comments. In the past few months, I've worked with dozens of leaders to navigate the most recent wave of anti-DEI backlash and misinformation. The same tough questions come up: "How do I keep my commitment to DEI alive without getting bogged down in controversy?" "Should I change how my organization does DEI in response to this moment, and if so, how?" This article sums up the guidance I've given to these leaders, and I'm sharing it with all of you in the hopes it will help your organizations meet the moment as well. DEI needs to change, but not in the way its loudest detractors think. ⚡ What Needs to Change ⚡ ❌ Clumsy, Jargon-Heavy Communication Drop the buzzwords. Diversity efforts build workforces that reflect the communities they serve by giving everyone a fair chance to enter and rise through each level of our organizations. Equity efforts design organizational systems and processes that prevent discrimination and equip everyone with the resources they need to succeed. Inclusion efforts create working environments where everyone is treated respectfully and is valued for their unique contributions and backgrounds. When we don't communicate clearly about our own work, misinformation fills that void—to everyone's detriment. ❌ Disconnected and Decoupled DEI Goals and Programs Stop with the endless stream of programmatic events. Integrated DEI strategy beyond "food, fun, and flags" looks like embedding inclusive leadership competencies into promotion and performance evaluation criteria, establishing respectful communication norms, setting department-specific inclusion and equity goals, implementing pay equity audits, expanding employee benefits, and investing in accessibility throughout the product design process. ❌ Nonexistent or Vanity DEI Measurement We've spent decades asking "how much our workshop attendees enjoyed the experience," and yet systemic racism, sexism, and inequity is still alive and well. I want to see us pre- and post- testing our interventions. Using demographic analysis to identify inequities throughout our organizations. Setting target outcomes for our DEI strategy. A/B testing the initiatives we roll out. Holding department leaders responsible and accountable for the DEI outcomes under their watch. ⛰️ What Shouldn't Change ⛰️ 🌱 Responsiveness to Broader Society 🌱 Commitment to Healthy Organizations 🌱 The Belief That We Can Be Better DEI can and should evolve. So long as leaders maintain our commitment to healthy organizations above all else and stay strong in our belief that we can achieve a better world for all of us in our future—rather than deluding ourselves into thinking it existed in the past—we can continue making impact with our heads held high.

If you're a leader who works in or cares about #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion, let the one thing you read today be my latest piece for the Harvard Business Review: What Needs to Change About DEI—and What Doesn't. Link in the comments. In the past few months, I've worked with dozens of leaders to navigate the most recent wave of anti-DEI backlash and misinformation. The same tough questions come up: "How do I keep my commitment to DEI alive without getting bogged down in controversy?" "Should I change how my organization does DEI in response to this moment, and if so, how?" This article sums up the guidance I've given to these leaders, and I'm sharing it with all of you in the hopes it will help your organizations meet the moment as well. DEI needs to change, but not in the way its loudest detractors think. ⚡ What Needs to Change ⚡ ❌ Clumsy, Jargon-Heavy Communication Drop the buzzwords. Diversity efforts build workforces that reflect the communities they serve by giving everyone a fair chance to enter and rise through each level of our organizations. Equity efforts design organizational systems and processes that prevent discrimination and equip everyone with the resources they need to succeed. Inclusion efforts create working environments where everyone is treated respectfully and is valued for their unique contributions and backgrounds. When we don't communicate clearly about our own work, misinformation fills that void—to everyone's detriment. ❌ Disconnected and Decoupled DEI Goals and Programs Stop with the endless stream of programmatic events. Integrated DEI strategy beyond "food, fun, and flags" looks like embedding inclusive leadership competencies into promotion and performance evaluation criteria, establishing respectful communication norms, setting department-specific inclusion and equity goals, implementing pay equity audits, expanding employee benefits, and investing in accessibility throughout the product design process. ❌ Nonexistent or Vanity DEI Measurement We've spent decades asking "how much our workshop attendees enjoyed the experience," and yet systemic racism, sexism, and inequity is still alive and well. I want to see us pre- and post- testing our interventions. Using demographic analysis to identify inequities throughout our organizations. Setting target outcomes for our DEI strategy. A/B testing the initiatives we roll out. Holding department leaders responsible and accountable for the DEI outcomes under their watch. ⛰️ What Shouldn't Change ⛰️ 🌱 Responsiveness to Broader Society 🌱 Commitment to Healthy Organizations 🌱 The Belief That We Can Be Better DEI can and should evolve. So long as leaders maintain our commitment to healthy organizations above all else and stay strong in our belief that we can achieve a better world for all of us in our future—rather than deluding ourselves into thinking it existed in the past—we can continue making impact with our heads held high.

If you're a leader who works in or cares about #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion, let the one thing you read today be my latest piece for the Harvard Business Review: What Needs to Change About DEI—and What Doesn't. Link in the comments. In the past few months, I've worked with dozens of leaders to navigate the most recent wave of anti-DEI backlash and misinformation. The same tough questions come up: "How do I keep my commitment to DEI alive without getting bogged down in controversy?" "Should I change how my organization does DEI in response to this moment, and if so, how?" This article sums up the guidance I've given to these leaders, and I'm sharing it with all of you in the hopes it will help your organizations meet the moment as well. DEI needs to change, but not in the way its loudest detractors think. ⚡ What Needs to Change ⚡ ❌ Clumsy, Jargon-Heavy Communication Drop the buzzwords. Diversity efforts build workforces that reflect the communities they serve by giving everyone a fair chance to enter and rise through each level of our organizations. Equity efforts design organizational systems and processes that prevent discrimination and equip everyone with the resources they need to succeed. Inclusion efforts create working environments where everyone is treated respectfully and is valued for their unique contributions and backgrounds. When we don't communicate clearly about our own work, misinformation fills that void—to everyone's detriment. ❌ Disconnected and Decoupled DEI Goals and Programs Stop with the endless stream of programmatic events. Integrated DEI strategy beyond "food, fun, and flags" looks like embedding inclusive leadership competencies into promotion and performance evaluation criteria, establishing respectful communication norms, setting department-specific inclusion and equity goals, implementing pay equity audits, expanding employee benefits, and investing in accessibility throughout the product design process. ❌ Nonexistent or Vanity DEI Measurement We've spent decades asking "how much our workshop attendees enjoyed the experience," and yet systemic racism, sexism, and inequity is still alive and well. I want to see us pre- and post- testing our interventions. Using demographic analysis to identify inequities throughout our organizations. Setting target outcomes for our DEI strategy. A/B testing the initiatives we roll out. Holding department leaders responsible and accountable for the DEI outcomes under their watch. ⛰️ What Shouldn't Change ⛰️ 🌱 Responsiveness to Broader Society 🌱 Commitment to Healthy Organizations 🌱 The Belief That We Can Be Better DEI can and should evolve. So long as leaders maintain our commitment to healthy organizations above all else and stay strong in our belief that we can achieve a better world for all of us in our future—rather than deluding ourselves into thinking it existed in the past—we can continue making impact with our heads held high.