3 Reasons to Hang in There with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Brainz Magazine
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Written by Kathleen Johnson, Coach/Consultant/Educator
Kathleen Johnson is a well-known coach, consultant, and educator in corporate social responsibility in Canada. She is the founder of Kreativ Culture Strategies, a creative engagement and solutions firm, author of the book Thinking Outside the Boardroom: Creative Solutions in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-racism, speaker, and strategist.
Newer generations entering the workforce are accustomed to much more diversity than generations past, which has changed the workplace landscape. Data has been clear for decades on how far behind many groups are due to discriminatory policies and practices, despite gains over time. It is not just an American problem. Here in Canada, even with our stellar reputation globally, we have challenges with inequality.
Where did diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) come from?
Most Western democracies have a doctrine of freedom and equality as a consequence of learning from conflict. In Canada, since 1982, we have had the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, which states, “The Government of Canada recognizes the diversity of Canadians as regards race, nationality, or ethnic origin, colour, and religion as a fundamental characteristic of Canadian society” (Canada, 1988). DEI is not “new” but a workable configuration of long-held ideals into organizations, helping to mitigate risk, increase retention, profit, and performance.
2020 brought a new challenge altogether, with global unrest seismically shifting society. With a spotlight on policing, all of society’s systems and histories of those systems began to be observed in ways not seen since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to 1970s. People in workplaces were deeply affected due to seeing tragedy all over social media and were not leaving the conversation out of virtual work walls. DEI departments started springing up everywhere to help organizations navigate the issues HR departments were not equipped to handle.
War on “woke”
In the last few years, a misinformation campaign against DEI as “wokeism,” a term coopted by ultra-conservative movements from the call of Black Americans to each other to “stay woke” or stay safe since the 1920s. This term replaced “politically correct” but had no application or meaning to any other group but Black Americans or the diaspora. Opponents to DEI efforts say it is an imposed “equity of outcome” that runs counter to merit. This completely misses how systemic and embedded discrimination is to the point where merit and everyone just “getting along” would not solve anything today. Certain groups got a 400-year head start because of government policies, practices, subsidies, and social programs. Those who are positioned as the face of collecting benefits like welfare, unemployment, or homeowner initiatives are often not the biggest beneficiaries of those programs. For example, affirmative action in the United States benefited other groups more than it ever benefited African Americans, who became synonymous with the program.
Bootstraps or shoes that fit?
“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” is the motto of the Western world. It has been assumed that merit is what our systems are based on, but now it is coming into question more than ever as achievement gaps widen. Equality or “treating everyone the same” is what bootstraps theory describes, where opportunity is opened up, and people either apply themselves, or they don’t. Equality extended opportunity to a tolerable level of the establishment while leaving the roots of inequality untouched. Equity is like wearing shoes that fit rather than everyone being expected to wear the same size and style.
It would be unreasonable for a construction worker to wear high heels to the job site or for an office worker to wear construction boots. We don’t all need the same things even if we look the same. Every person will face obstacles or make choices that factor into success or failure, but societal inequality cannot be completely explained by individual merit and personal decisions. Equality is unattainable without equity, as it provides individuals and groups with what they need to be successful according to their own determination and with their input. When people feel respected and included in what affects them, they perform better, as this builds confidence and trust.
3 reasons to hang in there
1. Accountability is cool
Accountability provides psychological safety for everyone, not just minorities.
Critical thinking and fairness benefit the entire organization.
Consideration of how identity impacts performance makes an organization agile.
Strategic vulnerability and transparency are valuable currencies to younger generations.
2. Good business sense
Studies show that a sense of belonging increases retention.
Diverse teams make better decisions, and this mitigates risk.
Remaining agile makes your organization resilient.
The next social issue will come and present a major shift.
DEI is a verified business process by the international standard for Human Resources Management ISO 2021:30415 and should be treated accordingly.
Training and education are growth and risk mitigation strategies.
3. Millennials are bosses now
Ability to promote from within to fill roles Gen X and Boomers leave behind will be easier if you understand the needs of those raised with more diversity.
Flattening hierarchies as much as possible can lead to accessing fresh ideas not usually a part of decision-making processes, helping you to stay competitive and relevant.
Read more from Kathleen Johnson
Kathleen Johnson, Coach/Consultant/Educator
Kathleen Johnson is an award-winning thought leader and strategist focused on creative engagement in helping people from all backgrounds come together around social justice issues in a corporate setting. Experiencing racism and discrimination from a young age and seeing her immigrant parents build community instilled a deep sense of wanting to work towards more fairness in institutions. Kathleen is also a leader in healthcare, a sessional instructor with Simon Fraser University's Equity in Healthcare program, one of Canada's Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada for 2025, and a mother of 5 children with disabilities.
