We Can Do Better with DEI

It seems like “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” has become an overly controversial phrase in certain circles of society. Some want to connect these three words with the “woke” culture, suggesting that somehow emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in the workplace, or in places like schools, is a bad thing.

The Harvard Business Review published an article last month titled “Why DEI Leaders Are Burning Out – and How Organizations Can Help.” The article focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion professionals and human resource professionals doing significant DEI work in their roles. The article begins,

“Emotional labor – the regulation and modification of emotion – is common in many work roles. Most research on the topic has focused on externally-facing customer service employees who are under pressure to provide smiling, friendly service despite unpleasant customer behavior. Recent research, however, suggest that people who engage with coworkers and other internal stakeholders may also experience emotional labor.”

“To extend that research, we explored the experiences of a unique group of internally-facing employees: diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals and human resource (HR) professionals doing significant DEI work in their roles. DEI-specific roles have more than doubled in the last decade, with greater increases after George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Nearly half of U.S.-based Fortune 500 companies have a chief diversity officer or executive specifically responsible for DEI. Numerous organizations have also significantly increased accountability for DEI among their HR professionals. Still, despite being high-status, well-compensated jobs, those doing DEI work endure extensive burnout, resulting in high turnover, and have an average tenure of only three years.”

“Why is this occurring? Our in-depth interviews with 23 HR and DEI professionals across various industries in the United States offered evidence that the mantle of DEI work is emotionally taxing. These professionals shared vivid accounts of stress and frustration and expressed the need for near-constant emotional regulation in the face of others’ apathy and negativity about their roles. ‘My emotions are a roller coaster, with lots of highs and lots of lows, and that’s okay,’ one Black male diversity officer told us. ‘But…also, my emotions are oftentimes stifled, and that’s not okay,’ he elaborated. A Black female diversity officer shared, ‘I can’t tell you how many times in training, somebody will say something, and I have to keep on my game face. I just nod, and I go hmmm… Because I focus so much with my associates on neutrality. I have to model that…I have a very expressive face, and I work really hard at work not to let my face show my emotions.’”

“One type of behavior, known as surface acting, is common and arguably one of the most damaging ways DEI and HR professionals must manage their emotions. Surface acting occurs when people try to fabricate positive emotions when they do not genuinely feel positively and suppress negative emotions when they feel them.”

“These feelings are exacerbated by display rules – implicit or explicit rules that dictate appropriate expression and suppression of emotions in the workplace. For example, organizations often expect the expression of positive and suppression of negative emotions. Further, societal stereotypes can interfere with the perceptions of how specific demographic groups of employees should express emotions. Since employees in DEI roles are most often racial minorities and/or women, they may feel especially confined to more rigid scripts for emotional expression because of ingrained stereotypes.”

…

“With all this emotional labor and surface acting, it’s no wonder DEI leaders are burning out so quickly. ‘This work is very exhausting…Your frustration comes from people just not understanding. And you get tired of educating. You get tired of explaining. You get tired of selling people on your value, and you just get tired of ignorance sometimes,’ a Black female diversity officer said. ‘And I’m not that old, so if I’m tired, that means gosh, you know maybe, I should take a step back.’”

“So, what can organizations do to help? Our research recpmmends focusing on the way DEI efforts are designed, valued, and supported.”

…

“…So, how might organizations shift toward a learning and effectiveness paradigm to support HR and DEI professionals and their DEI work? We suggest several steps:

Conduct regular DEI climate assessments.

Integrate DEI programs and policies throughout the organization.

Assess and improve HR policies to ensure equity.

Top management must demonstrate consistent, enthusiastic DEI support.

Institutionalize DEI roles with the power and resources to effect change.

Provide resources for social support when emotional regulation is necessary.

Most K-12 schools, like most organizations today, struggle with establishing strong diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices. Some schools, even though they are supposed to endorse DEI behaviors, ignore their importance. Regrettably, too many campuses allow small pockets of parents and community members to criticize and sometimes extinguish altogether DEI practices.

I worked in a large, diverse, urban school district all of my career. When I was a regional superintendent, I supervised a high school whose students spoke 46 different languages. My schools always reflected a rich diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, and cultural background.

But my schools always struggled with equity and inclusion. In fact, most of the schools I worked in, and most of the schools I supervised, were inequitable places – especially for those who were black, brown, or poor. Grading, class selection, teacher assignment, discipline, awards – they all were impacted by an inequitable approach to achieving the goal of making all kids smarter and stronger.

And these schools struggled with inclusive practices, especially when it came to black, brown, and poor kids and their families. Many schools labeled themselves “successful,” even though many students, and their families, were ignored regarding their needs or their lack of achievement. Only when these groups negatively impacted a school’s accountability status did it seem leadership began to pay attention to their needs.

There are lots of reasons why we need to create a new learning system for kids, but maybe the most important is to give all of us the chance to create a place where diversity, equity, and inclusion are embraced for their importance in creating a learning environment that respects and honors young learners – no matter their skin color or their family income.

Til tomorrow. SVB