This is the second in a series of articles on this topic. Read the first, third, and fourth articles here.

A large part of my work involves having conversations with members of diverse and intersecting communities. These dialogues are typically part of a larger process aimed at helping organizations design and develop diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) interventions in ways that are meaningful and relevant to their stakeholders.

One time, I had a chat with a community member who was not at all shy about sharing her opinions. As she sat down across from me, she said with a smile, “It’s about time. I have a lot to say!” So, it only seemed appropriate to honour her willingness to speak by having her open up the conversation. Her first question: “Why?”

Why DEI, why engage us, and why now?

With this provocative but simple question, she provided a wealth of insight about perceptions of the organization that brought us together, as well as its DEI initiatives. It was an important question that suggested that there was a lot at stake — depending on the response, the organization could foster trust or feed into distrust, build relationships or break them down, create partnerships or operate in siloes. The fact that she would start with “why?” revealed to me that although she was curious about the organization’s motivations, she was still on the fence.

Step 1: Know your “why”

In doing this work, I often refer to thought leader Simon Sinek, who famously suggested that we “Start With Why?” Although he orients his advice toward inspirational leadership, there are critical implications for those of us in this field. To be fair, a lot of DEI practice involves motivating people to do things that might not be comfortable, such as reflecting on our privilege, challenging our conscious and unconscious biases, and using our power to create space for those on the margins. It’s natural then that by starting with why, organizations can root their DEI work in shared purpose and shared goals.

Starting with your “why” can lead to 4 major gains that will lay a strong foundation for long-term DEI implementation:

1. It provides direction: Identifying your “why” helps to focus your organization’s DEI and gives your strategy structure and scope. This approach also creates a big picture goal, such that each individual intervention contributes to a larger whole.

2. It creates excitement: Having a clear and compelling “why” binds stakeholders around a common unifying story for why DEI is important and invites others who have similar visions and motivations to also take up the mantle. This allows people to see themselves reflected in the work, creating a deeper connection to DEI and a greater sense of ownership.

3. It fosters buy-in: Knowing your “why” helps your organization generate the internal buy-in necessary to bring ideation to implementation and encourage stakeholders to stick with it even when DEI-related changes can be difficult. This is because they understand the master plan and they’re motivated to see it through.

4. It supports engagement: Your “why” provides an organizational response as to why DEI is a priority. When people don’t have clarity on the “why” (or if there’s an absence of information about it), they are less likely to believe in it, and more likely to depend on past experiences or assumptions to fill the gaps. This can be prevented by openly sharing the reason for your commitment and being consistent — this is the basis for building trust.

All that said, your why must be meaningful to the communities you seek to engage. Marginalized communities often remain on the periphery until they are called to the centre. In this context, it is unsurprising that DEI efforts might initially be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism – and this is certainly true where there have been histories of oppression and harm. If the goal is in fact to address the needs of diverse communities and provide appropriate and relevant supports, your actions must align with your why.

This is also a good opportunity to offer the gentle reminder that building trust takes time. It means building a mutually beneficial relationship grounded on the articulation (and at times, repeated articulation) of your why, with steady follow-through and solid accountability.

Step 2: Connect the dots to mission, vision and values

When I first meet with organizations, I’m always intrigued by their why. Usually what I find is that there are multiple narratives at play, both vertically and horizontally across the organization, about why DEI is important. A typical kick-off meeting with internal stakeholders will commonly yield a number of reasons for embarking on this work. Some people might focus on recruitment, while others might stress stakeholder experiences, for instance.

While all these reasons are valid and indeed important, having many competing messages can create obstacles to DEI implementation. We know that nonprofits are typically stretched for resources, whether human, time, or financial. When staff are simply trying to keep up with day-to-day expectations, adding new activities or changing existing ones can be overwhelming. If the argument for adopting new approaches is confusing, not compelling, or not tied to the core work, resistance can set in. In these instances, the why is either not resonating or it’s just not seen as relevant.

For this reason, I suggest connecting your why to your organizational mission, vision and values. We are in a time where, across all sectors, the ability to do purpose-driven work is important for attracting and retaining staff. People want to be a part of something larger than them, that makes a difference. By connecting DEI to an ambitious mandate and a strong set of guiding principles, organizations can make a case for DEI that aligns with staff’s intrinsic motivations, while repositioning DEI as a driver of success.

When this happens, DEI ceases to be an add-on to one’s workload, and becomes a shared accountability across all staff. Just as importantly, when you are able to connect the dots between the why and organizational mission, vision and values, DEI becomes a way of doing, rather than a thing we do. It becomes part of the fabric. And once this occurs, the opportunities can be endless!

See you again next month when I’ll be writing about thinking inclusion first. If you have any questions or want to get in touch, please contact me at christina@boldlyinclusive.co.

Until next time!

Christina Sackeyfio is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Boldly Inclusive. She is a Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional, who worked for over a decade on social impact and innovation projects as a nonprofit leader, capacity builder, community engagement specialist. She sees inclusion as a lens for everything from strategy to program design and delivery, and believes that if we stretch our thinking about DEI, it can be a way of doing rather than a thing we do.