Yes, We Should Speak Up!

A defense of DEI and other issues

It’s been a tumultuous few weeks, fueled in large part by inflammatory rhetoric and baseless accusations. Such matters have been a feature of the American political scene for a while now. You’ll recall Vivek Ramaswamy, for example, calling climate change a hoax in a Republican debate (and no one correcting him).

But with the new administration officially in place, they’ve turned the dial way up. One target is DEI. They blame DEI for everything from allegedly misappropriated funds to the tragic plane crash that took 67 lives last week.

I’m not an expert on diversity programs. I even had some challenges overseeing such initiatives when I was a CEO. And I don’t object to conversations about how DEI programs can be improved. But I do believe we should speak up when valuable initiatives like DEI programs are recklessly attacked. In my experience, well-led DEI initiatives lead to better organizational outcomes, period.

How?

I saw firsthand at my organization how increasing the pool of candidates for every position improved our talent. Likewise, more diverse teams made us better at problem-solving. We did our jobs better because we could draw on different perspectives and ideas. Morale and external relations with key allies around the world also improved. All of these important and positive outcomes were obvious.

There’s pressure on CEOs right now to scuttle DEI programs. But I’m not the only one who finds value in them. Take a look at Costco. Some dissident shareholder recently attacked the company’s DEI program. The CEO didn’t flinch. He said the program was essential to the company’s values and success. Over 98% (!) of shareholders agreed and rejected the proposal to dismantle the programs. No one disputes that Costco is a big success story. Its management knows what it’s doing. Bravo Costco!

DEI won’t be the only target of today’s misinformation cacophony. The headlines flip so quickly, they give you whiplash. That’s part of the strategy. It’s designed so opponents can barely get a word in before the subject changes.

But we don’t have to acquiesce with our silence. Let’s keep correcting the record.

And, as we speak truth to demagoguery, let’s do so respectfully. There is nothing really gained by reducing ourselves to the coarse level of today’s loudest voices. Let’s model a better way.

Onward,