Lovingly Critical of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
I held the mirror up to myself and then turned it around for my colleagues to look at themselves. Some chaffed at my audacity.
Over the past five years, I have been lovingly critical of DEI.
My care and concern was a prospection of sorts.
I recognized the patterns that could lead to an attack on untethered principles, outdated paradigms, and unsustainable pathways (practices) of DEI and started signaling for a desperately needed shift.
Reconstructing Inclusion, my book, was a call for that adaptation. It wasn’t a change for so-called DEI practitioners alone.
In fact, the book was written for those who had, at best, an incomplete framing of diversity and inclusion (e.g., representation of “marginalized”/“underrepresented” group identities) and were interested in a more robust and durable framing that could influence thriving outcomes for people, culture, and business—for everyone.
This has not always been popular–especially with some practitioners (joined now by so-called anti-DEI activists) who have perpetuated approaches and rhetoric that I felt would land us in the muck and mire of contentiousness we are currently facing.
To use a James Baldwin quote that many social justice and anti-racism activists used in bundles the past five years:
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
Again, I write and speak with love.
I stood up, held up, and will continue to stand in front of the metaphorical mirror, which is essential to ensuring that inclusion can realize its transformational potential philosophically and pragmatically.
My pragmatism and concern for the future of this work have fuelled the evolution of The Emergent Inclusion Framework™.
I host regular live virtual events, providing a window into the framework and its reasons. Since the inception of this Substack, I have been sharing it in parts. Below is a brief overview of the framework at a glance, referencing posts, articles, and book excerpts from the past four years.
The Emergent Inclusion Framework at a Glance
In our rapidly evolving workplace landscape, I've developed what I call the Emergent Inclusion Framework—a comprehensive approach that moves beyond the reductionist lens often applied to DEI work. This framework consists of five interconnected components that work together to create accessible, actionable, and mission-aligned inclusion.
The framework promises to enable inclusion skills and capabilities that 1) Create the conditions for people and organizational thriving; 2) Build the capacity for antifragility; 3) Move organizations, HR, or other related professionals into a paradigm for inclusion and diversity (and by their nature, culture) that is accessible for everyone, actionable and thus unambiguously prioritized in the organizational mind, and aligned with the mission and purpose of the organizations where it is put into practice.
Below is a walkthrough of each part of the framework, sharing insights I've developed through years of research, practice, and real-world application. Each part of the framework has multiple components, so this overview is just a glimpse of the components that I have designed to be self-reinforcing, along with the durable skills and practices my firm Inclusion Wins uses when working with clients.
How did I get into DEI work?
1. The Mettle Mindset Maker™
Mettle means vigor or strength of temperament. Frederick Douglass said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
At the heart of creating what I call an inclusion system is building one’s mindset to a place of deeper discernment and capacity for seeing, being, and doing in a way that allows one not only to weather storms but also to steer the ship in the roughest of seas and come out more fit as a byproduct of the struggle.
The first set of skills and tools we use with organizations involves shifting beliefs about inclusion and diversity to create a mettle mindset about inclusion. We work to create a sense of discernment about outdated assumptions and frames for inclusion.
There is no need to defend DEI when your principles, paradigms, and practices are clear for most of the organization. The intent is for everyone to see how inclusion is of benefit. For some people, their preferences, traditions, or what is convenient will leave them fixated on a particular cluster of beliefs. This is ok, a defense is still not required.
“I am not trying to, nor have I ever tried to defend DEI. I have been committed to promoting the wise practice and principles of our work. I have been writing and speaking to bring broader perspectives about what DEI is and is not—sharing it with those willing to be influenced toward a perspective that sees the work beyond the reductionist lens that both pro and anti-DEI people can perpetuate.
That reductionist lens proposes that DEI is all about group identities, the grievances about mistreatment, and hiring these people as a result of their persistent complaints and threats. The anti-DEI people use the small percentage of practitioners who have become popular with this kind of work to represent what DEI is.
(By the way, I am not naive to the fact that there are people making a living on Boogeymanning (is that a word?) DEI. They are another manifestation of the Sinclair quote: “It’s hard for a man to understand something that his paycheck depends on him not understanding.
The anti-DEI "influencers" will ride the wave of the next several months or years, confronting companies on their DEI practices, demanding they stop them (or else...ooooh!). These people are challenging companies' rights to do whatever the Fuddruckers they want to.)
If companies are worried about the backlash from the public and the current U.S. administration, I implore you not to succumb to the same reductionist push that in part created the anti-DEI storm (i.e., not pushing back out of fear of being called racist or white supremacist against dumb or wrong-headed approaches that some who styled themselves DEI advocates, perpetuated).
Target is in limbo now because they reacted and didn't gauge the storm's direction. Stop DEI out of demands by a grifter, and he's got you in his grasp. It won't matter what you do next.
If you change your direction based on principles, the need for reconsideration, and staying out of the silliness crosshairs, you can move toward creating something durable. You can be the architect of your message to the marketplace versus individuals trying to make a career out of defining your intentions, in a manner that benefits them.”
2. The CQ P.E.A.K. Principles™
“The advantages of having high CQ Strategy and Action can close gaps for someone who has high levels of CQ Drive and Knowledge. As David Livermore states, "CQ strategy is the key link between our cultural understanding and behaving in ways that result in effective leadership." And "CQ action is primarily the outcome of our drive, knowledge, and strategy."
I like to use the example of a music producer. Music producers listen very closely. Before they start working with a musician, they begin to consider their current experience with the artist from past live performances, conversations about their musical vision, and many other areas. They think and then rethink what might be possible in co-creation with the artist. They try one arrangement, reflect on it with the artist, and then try again. Each time, the idea is that they seek to capture the perspectives of all those who will be interacting with the music—the artist(s), the audience, in some cases, the record label, and, of course, themselves. Every engagement is an opportunity to engage in bidirectional, multimodal, and multidimensional learning.”
3. The Relational Fitness Guide™
“Just as we maintain physical fitness, we must also develop our relational fitness. This guide helps you assess and strengthen your ability to create meaningful connections across differences. Consider these four essential areas:
Care: Do I care about my colleagues? How do I show them that I care?
Openness: Am I willing to be influenced by colleagues or employees with whom I disagree? Do I actively share information with others? Do people feel that I listen well?
Safety: Do I make teammates feel welcome and comfortable? What could I do to make them feel safer?
Trust: Do I keep my word? Do I understand and care about my colleagues' interests? Do I represent the interests of all my colleagues—even if they are not present?
These questions serve as both assessment and action items, helping you build stronger, more inclusive relationships with your colleagues.”
4. The Appreciative Approach to Strategy™
“Three reasons why we go big on the appreciative (want) vs. degenerative (don’t want):
Since the death of George Floyd, narratives of DEI have mainly consisted of deficit and a belief that all disparities when comparing an amorphous majority of “white” people and people of color, particularly those of African descent, are due to racism.
The creation of race and the tragedies that it has perpetuated need a historical archive. What they need less of is the persistent narrative that race and its inevitable traveling companion, racism, define the lived experience of all racialized people. Insisting that the reason why we need DEI and why DEI practitioners must serve as the harbingers of all that is potentially, marginally, or categorically racist leaves DEI and DEI practitioners in a light that is significantly reduced from the transformational potential of the space.
My partners and I are committed to creating conditions for people to thrive and organizations to be generative, adaptive, and antifragile.”
5. The Social Capital Creator™
“Contribute to the world, and be open to the contributions from those you are in community with, then step back. Any other mindset or beliefs won't lead you where you want to be. If you set an expectation, and then that expectation is not met, it often leads to resentment, even if unarticulated.
You cannot expect anything from your contributions to your colleagues or those in your community. You simply have to be in community, and being in and with community (by bond or by bridge) is what social capital is all about.
Developing social capital is not a quid pro quo transaction. That's not how it works. Some people think everyone operates on an economic basis, but that's just not a complete conclusion. Even if it is partially true, in building community, you must let go long enough to allow the return to come. The return on relationships is always a long-term investment, and the ROI is undoubtedly consistent. At least for me, it has been.
The notion of "social," when you think about being a social capitalist, is the obvious critical element. It's the social ties that matter—both strong and weak ties. Weak ties are often more beneficial because they allow you to reach out to places you wouldn't typically connect with just by proximity.
With close ties, you may start thinking like them. If you continue to take your in-group's general perspective and seek out others who think like them, you may end up with a monoculture. If you read Reconstructing Inclusion and my discussions about bananas, monocultures tend to become extinct.”
Moving Forward with the Framework
These five components work together to create what I call Emergent Inclusion—an approach that evolves organically from genuine understanding, authentic relationships, and strategic thinking rather than mandated compliance or performative actions.
The framework isn't about checking boxes or following a predetermined script. It's about developing the mindset, emergent skills, and strategies needed to create truly inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.
For deeper dives into each component of the Emergent Inclusion Framework, check out my other articles in the Reconstructing Inclusion. As well as my book by the same name.
Ready to transform inclusion from concept to action to being a cultural superpower?
When inclusion becomes "the way we do things around here," it transforms from initiative to being a key part of organizational identity.
Want to be part of this transformation? Join our free Emergent Inclusion Framework virtual event. Whether you're a skeptic or champion, your voice matters in this conversation.
I hope to see you there! Tell a friend 😊
I hope this was helpful. . . Make it a great day! ✌🏿
The mathametician Paul Erdos said "It is not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You should also have an open mind at the right time."
Thanks for holding up the mirror and encouraging us to consider that now is the right time for opening our minds and considering new perspectives.