Progress Is Too Often a Decoy. Diversity Needs a Do-Over

“Thank you for your feedback,” the email began. My eyes swiveled away from the Macbook to the blue skies beyond my window. We were limping to the finish line of launching a new diversity initiative, and the delays were getting harder to explain. The email continued, “But I don’t think we’re quite ready for that yet ... ” The message marched on to explain how the DEI plan would essentially stay as is, even though it ignored critical inputs from the very people it vowed to support: Black employees. So we'd offer stock images of multiethnic models but no actions to address current discrimination complaints. We'd educate about inclusion but do nothing for employees being excluded. Leaders would produce sizzle videos to celebrate the idea of diversity without actually diversifying leadership. Women would learn "personal branding;" people of color would learn “executive presence.” There would be more information about using hashtags than how to stop hate in our workplace. The plan did meet one requirement: It made our white leaders comfortable. Diversity had become a decoy. Marketing Believes It Is More Inclusive Than Other Industries Two dimensions of diversity From my first marketing internship in 1998 to the racial reckoning of 2020, I’ve witnessed an industry do as little as possible to make Black professionals feel safe, seen or supported. Today, a small group of mostly white executives still subsidize campaigns by mostly white creative agencies. These agencies still work with fixed groups of mostly white production companies. And we still buy ads from mostly white-owned media. Though progress is slow, a new breed of outliers is emerging. In my work as a marketing leader and brand advisor, I’ve observed two dimensions that have an overwhelming impact on diversity efforts. Real change requires both longevity of commitments and sincerity of actions. Where is your organization on its DEI journey? Start by answering these two simple questions: Are you accountable for long-term DEI commitments at every leadership level?Does your DEI work remove actual disparity and replace it with economic opportunities? Often, the responses point to common conditions worth diagnosing. Diversity denied Many of these organizations are less diverse now than two years ago. Equality is assumed, not pursued, so people of color learn to conform for career survival. Nepotism among white leaders continues unchecked, and DEI work has become an annoying homework assignment. The consistent lack of progress has become a fatherless crisis, orphaned from the same accountability required in every other area of business. Diversity as a decoy Most destructive are companies that commit to sincere allyship only to produce symbolic actions. The focus is positive journalism, not justice. Flawed performance measures become targets as projects are optimized for consumer clicks and industry compliance. These organizations fuel the $8 billion diversity programming industry with certifications, conferences and even awards for companies that aren’t diverse. Diversity derailed Unlike decoys, these organizations were almost courageous. They made the hires, leveled the playing field and took ownership of their lack of diversity. Then came the pushback. Good intentions were met with skepticism, then resistance, then outright sabotage as the cost of change became too steep for some. Diverse by design Companies with integrated, long-term commitments to actual equity work are diverse by design, not by accident. These companies aren’t smarter or better funded: They are awkwardly courageous. Awkwardly courageous leaders remove sources of injustice while building inclusive teams. Awkwardly courageous teams deliberately hire from a diverse talent pool, intentionally nurturing potential employees. Awkwardly courageous employees talk freely about injustice in their industry and are incentivized to build contagious, anti-racist solutions. It’s messy. They make mistakes. But they’re not constrained by chasing consensus from all-white or all-male leaders. How to start a do-over If you’re working or leading at a company in need of a diversity do-over, it can be daunting to face reality. But the opposite of courage isn’t fear, it’s conformity. This is the time to lean into the discomforts of change and design a better future. Diversity, equity and inclusion are management solutions that benefit your business, not merely marketing solutions to build a brand. There is one thing you can do today, this week, this month to jumpstart a courageous journey: Create your own diversity diagnostic of where you are today. Here’s how. Take note Don’t ask for approvals and don’t include any marketing KPIs like awareness, reach, conversion or media placements. Instead, gather six data points for your direct team, business unit or company, focusing on what you can easily access: Leadership employee diversity.Team employee diversity.Agency employee diversity.Multicultural advertising spend.Multicultural community donations.Multicultural vendor spend. Take aim Once you drop these numbers into a simple spreadsheet, calculate the corresponding percentages against the total people and investment figures. Invite your team, leaders and partners to have an honest conversation about this current-state snapshot. Remind them it’s a diagnostic tool, not a moral scorecard. Start with these questions: Who is underrepresented?Why are they underserved or excluded?What practices or policies may unintentionally reproduce this?Where can we remove them and repair the damage?How can we redistribute resources or decision-making so it doesn’t happen again?How can I do more? Take action After admitting where you are and getting feedback from partners, use the diagnostic to commit to specific actions, timelines, targets and budgets. Focus on solutions over symbols. If this process feels eerily similar to how you operationalize other business priorities, that’s because it is. Ultimately, DEI is a starting point, not a finish line. A senior leader at a courageous company recently confessed to me, “I’ve never had to convene a diversity task force.” Why? He was too busy doing the nervous, awkward and clumsy work of being courageous. I hope you will too. Even if it means starting with an awkward do-over. New Study Shows Americans Want CEOs to Take Action on Systemic Racism