Many organisations have tried to create change on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Some have succeeded. Most have inched rather than leapt forward, and some do not progress at all, leading to disillusionment and a mistaken belief that EDI initiatives “do not work”.
Below are three common reasons EDI initiatives fail, and how to avoid them.
1 Lack of expertise
If you were facing a financial crisis, would you do an open call to staff asking who might be interested in helping you fix things (expertise optional)? Yet this is exactly what many organisations do on EDI.
Creating systemic change needs people who know how to achieve it.
Fun fact: HR professionals’ qualifications do not include mandatory competencies on EDI, yet these are the very people organisations often turn to on EDI.
And/or organisations ask people with lived experience of minoritized characteristics for solutions. The lived experience of minoritized people within your organisation is crucial data, and such people will have useful solutions to suggest. However, lived experience is not enough.
I am Bengali. Born in London with heritage from West Bengal (which stayed in India after partition), Hindu, middle class, and both parents university educated professionals. I have very little in common with a Bengali born in Bangladesh, who is Muslim, working class and for whom English is their second or third language. How would solutions that work for me, work for them?
EDI is an area of expertise, just like finance or IT or marketing. Either buy in external EDI expertise, invest in equipping those you are asking to lead EDI initiatives or borrow expertise from a sister organisation.
2 Underestimating barriers to change
Barriers to EDI progress include fear, lack of resources (e.g. time, money, expertise), competing views on where to start and failed attempts at change in the past which have created mistrust. Other common barriers are:
· Inconsistent standards of management/leadership (if they are ineffective managers/leaders they will not have the foundational competencies to own and drive change on EDI)
· People underestimating their own biases. (Years of poor unconscious bias training has meant while many people have a conceptual understanding of unconscious bias, they are unaware of the specific ones they themselves have and how those might be negatively affecting those around them.)
Map the obstacles to change, and decide how to minimise them BEFORE you start taking action.
3 Overestimating what can be achieved in a given timescale
When people get enthused about EDI it is a joy to behold, but enthusiasm often leads to utopian dreams of what can be achieved. It is not rare organisations to expect deep transformational change to happen in six months. When has anything which involves systematic culture and behaviour change ever been accomplished in six months?
Solution? Overestimate the time needed to achieve your EDI goals. Build in clear milestones along the way, and regularly communicate and involve those around you to keep up enthusiasm. If you have little choice about the specific timescale you are working to, underestimate what you think is realistically achievable.
You will gain trust and momentum if you under promise and over deliver. The danger lies in overpromising and under delivering.
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Have a fabulous Friday.
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FAQs
According to Zheng, there are three reasons DEI efforts fail, these include employee fatigue and backlash with DEI initiatives as well as the denial of inequality. Often employees will try to improve DEI in their organization by starting an employee resource group, speaking to managers, or starting a DEI council.
What are the three reasons why diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts fail? ›
According to Zheng, there are three reasons DEI efforts fail, these include employee fatigue and backlash with DEI initiatives as well as the denial of inequality. Often employees will try to improve DEI in their organization by starting an employee resource group, speaking to managers, or starting a DEI council.
Why does EDI fail? ›
EDI errors can be anything from incorrectly formatted data, meaning the syntax of the message is incorrect to business data within these messages. Both result in a delay or inaccurate data being sent to your trading partner.
What are EDI initiatives? ›
Equality, diversity and inclusion. Promoting and delivering EDI in the workplace is an essential aspect of good people management. It's about creating working environments and cultures where every individual can feel safe, experience a sense of belonging, and is empowered to achieve their full potential.
What are the criticisms of EDI? ›
EDI is accused of being a 'woke washing' marketing device, wasting money, being ideological and making work to validate further HR or EDI investment.
What are the 3 common barriers to equality diversity and inclusion? ›
Unconscious bias, a lack of representation in high-level positions, and inaction can all cause EDI obstacles.
How do you prevent diversity initiatives from failing? ›
Leaders must do more than nod to DEI initiatives; they must be actively involved. This involvement entails dedicating required resources, establishing tangible objectives, and maintaining organizational accountability.
What is EDI issues? ›
race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins) religion or belief (including lack of belief) sex. sexual orientation.
What are EDI errors? ›
What are EDI routing errors? EDI routing errors occur when the incorrect EDI sender/receiver configurations are present. For example, a message may become stuck due to erroneous UNB sender/receiver IDs in the case of EDIFACT.
What are the risks of EDI? ›
Data breaches: EDI transactions pose security risks due to potential data breaches, which can result in financial losses, reputation damage, and compliance fines, disrupting business processes.
Components of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
- Standard document format.
- Translation and mapping.
- Preferred communication method, and.
- Communication network to send and receive documents.
What are the key EDI principles? ›
EDI Key Principles
- Inclusive Work Culture: ...
- Legal Obligations. ...
- Moral and Ethical Obligations. ...
- A Diverse Workforce. ...
- Inclusive Practices. ...
- Community Engagement.
What are EDI solutions? ›
What is an EDI System? An Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system is a computer-based program used by trading partners to send and receive critical business messages (such as purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices, etc.) automatically.
What is EDI and its disadvantages? ›
Disadvantages of Electronic Data Interchange(EDI)
Protection of Electronic Systems: EDI also requires significant investments in computer networks and protection mechanisms for maximum security. Any deployed EDI system would need to be secured against cyber threats, including viruses, malware, and hacking.
Why are people against EDI? ›
Deep-wired Beliefs: Often it can be so difficult to rewire our brains when they have been so deeply wired into thinking one way. Those with traditional beliefs often find it hard to keep up with new beliefs and ways of thinking, therefore they often resist EDI training as it is far from their own truths.
What are the obstacles to Internet EDI? ›
Let's talk about some common challenges:
- Technical Compatibility. EDI relies on standardized formats and protocols for data exchange. ...
- Implementation and Integration. ...
- Data Quality and Validation. ...
- Security and Privacy. ...
- Communication and Collaboration. ...
- Scalability and Flexibility. ...
- Training and Skills.
What are the 3 issues involving cultural diversity? ›
Challenges associated with culturally diverse workplace
- negative stereotypes can interfere in the integration of multicultural teams,
- professional communication can be misunderstood or misinterpreted across cultures and languages.
- professional etiquette can vary across cultures.
- conflicting working styles across teams.
What are the issues with diversity equity and inclusion? ›
Stereotypes and Prejudice
Additionally, some team members may have particular views on religion, race, culture, or even practice. This can also lead to ineffective team communication, isolation, and disjointedness in teams.
Why do diversity programs often fail? ›
Diversity initiatives often fail when they're not inclusive.
Rather than telling managers or employees that they are the problem, it's important to clearly communicate that all employees are invited to be part of the solution.
What hinders inclusion and diversity? ›
Unconscious Biases
One of the most significant barriers to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace is unconscious bias. These are the subtle, often unexamined attitudes and stereotypes that we hold about particular individuals and groups of people.