Your team is your most important asset. Who they are matters – DEI matters. Many employers are simply blasting on social media that they care about DEI – but a great leader knows how to truly implement and stand by their DEI policy.

DEI has had somewhat of an undulating presence in the corporate sphere, waxing and waning as the political winds shift. However, leaders should ignore the noise and focus instead on its effective implementation.

To do that, we must first understand DEI.

  • Diversity – Your employees should be drawn from a wide net of different social, cultural, political, and experiential pools.
  • Equity – No one group should get preferential treatment at the expense of another. Decisions should be made on the basis of ability, not social or cultural opinions.
  • Inclusion – Every team member should feel that they are valued and appreciated. Toxic bullying behavior should be swiftly identified and eradicated.

Learn these terms and revisit them before you make a DEI-related decision.

When applying DEI, consider these 5 points.

1. Explain its necessity

Policies often fail because their importance isn’t clearly and adequately conveyed to team members, particularly managers. Don’t falter at the very first step – explain to every team member the importance of DEI and the value it brings to the organization.

2. DEI as a core value

One of the most common mistakes managers make is to relegate DEI to the peripheral pile of optional initiatives. If you want to make DEI work for you, make it a key part of everyday operations at your company. Invoke what it stands for and celebrate key DEI milestones. Ensure that your DEI team is included in key decisions.

3. Address bias

One of the most insidious aspects of prejudice is that it is so common and accepted in certain respects that we don’t even know that we are a part of it. Make a conscious effort to recognize instances of anti-DEI actions and decisions in your own role, then make a real effort to overcome those shortcomings.

4. Pervasive DEI

It is not enough to assume that your responsibilities towards DEI end once you have a DEI team in place. We all have a continuous and ongoing individual role to play in the long run. Make sure that this message reaches the entire leadership team and is put into practice by them, too.

5. Set tangible goals

Commitments towards DEI and a willingness to talk about it are a good start. However, we often falter when there is a lack of definite goals we can aspire to. Change that by using metrics that measure your progress towards the ultimate goal of actual DEI throughout the organization. This can be in the form of hires, the makeup of management teams, and the payroll.

Organizational DEI is a work in constant progress, no matter the organization. We have seen that proven time and again with the world’s biggest corporations. Perhaps smaller organizations such as yours can lead the way so that those larger companies will learn to follow. Reach out today to get started.