How to talk about DEI: silence is not the answer

Amid all the noise around DEI, we’ve found some clarity from the compliance experts at the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), as well as the Harvard Business Review (HBR) and Fast Company, The latter stated, “It’s important to remind everyone that diversity, equity and inclusion work is completely legal.”

However, as both the SHRM and HBR point out, the legal landscape has changed. Our takeaway: actions that give preference to a protected group, or, in other words, base hiring or promotion on factors other than merit, or set quotas, are legally risky. Since we’re communicators and not lawyers, we encourage you to browse these articles for what the legal experts have to say. We’re going to focus on the communication aspect. 

Most Americans support DEI – especially when they know what it really means …

If you’re comfortable that you’re not saying anything that falls into that narrow area of legal risk, there’s no reason to stop talking about creating a culture and environment where diversity is celebrated, where unfair barriers to demonstrating merit are removed, and where everyone feels they belong. You’ll also find yourself aligned with the majority of Americans. Several pollsters have measured Americans’ sentiments toward DEI, and there’s a surprising consistency in the results: 60-61% have a favorable view of DEI. 

But here’s something even more telling: according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll, support for DEI rises to 69% when people are given more information about what DEI actually means. That aligns with good communication practices: be specific, talk about what you are doing, and how it ties to your values. In fact, if you rely on just the buzz word, you’re allowing others to define your DEI efforts. 

… but it’s your constituents that matter most

More important than any survey numbers are your constituents. Actively listen to them, using your front line managers, internal communication processes, your sales and client representatives, and social and media monitoring to understand how the people that matter most to your organization feel. Your team members, customers and clients, advocates, and community have all put their trust in what you say. If you back away from your commitments to them, you will lose their trust. And if people counted on you to have their back, they will feel betrayed. 

So, assess your messaging in light of the changing legal landscape, but stay true to your values and communicate them with consistency and specifics.

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