3 signs your org is ready for DEI + 3 signs you should run

It's undeniable, there is so much value in doing diversity, equity and inclusion work right, and having the opportunity and privilege to be an integral part of undoing systemic inequity in the workplace. But you need to know when it's not worth the heartache (especially marginalized people). 

Let’s do the heavy lifting for you and point out those clear red flags (and the green ones), so you can go into this work with clarity, autonomy and confidence. In this blog, we’ll be walking you through what to look for before jumping into DEI work, where we recommend jumping in enthusiastically, and when to seriously consider being deeply cautious about going forward. Although this article might feel most valuable to those who are new to an organization, or those who aren’t new but are considering joining a new equity initiative; it may also be useful to those who are already in the deep of it, but reconsidering.

When to go for it if:

You've been given a clear budget or at least have been tasked with building out the cost of this work

A sure way of facing failure in your DEI work, and causing burnout among staff, is allocating little to no resources. When we say resources, we mean time, labour, expertise and money. This may  involve ensuring those who are taking on this work with significant commitments are able to reorganize their general work deliverables. It may also look like a clear monetary budget given to this work that is significant and ideally carries on for longer than a year. Resourcing may also include the acknowledgement that those tasked with this work may require the support of properly compensated consultants (like us!). At the very least, you can still feel optimistic about the directions and success of this work if the organization and its leaders provide you with the autonomy to build out all of these resources for consideration and negotiation. 

There is an acknowledgement of systemic inequity (racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, etc)

This might seem strange because ideally an organization that has a DEI body or plan would acknowledge the existence of systemic oppression. However, the last few years has placed organizations who are afraid of public shaming in a moment of reckoning: They either make meaningful change…or at least pretend to make meaningful change. This is an already complicated discourse because doing equity work for the sake of correcting historical justice is a lot more productive than doing it for the fear of public shaming.

That being said, look out for the language used in describing the purpose and outcomes of this work by those with decision making power. Concise and unapologetic acknowledgements of justice is what you should be looking for. Language that is vague, doesn’t address injustice against specific groups and prioritizes the status quo is always a red flag.

All the work isn't on the shoulders of one or two mostly junior folks with other work

This might be a green flag that is difficult to find. However, if there is room to make changes, this can also  be promising. When the work of radically transforming an organization by addressing past inequity and building to avoid future inequity is placed on the shoulders of one or very few, it almost guarantees burnout and unsustainability. There is an added level of trauma and oppression when this work is unduly placed on the shoulders of marginalized people.  

It is often assumed that one person doing this work by the side of their desk is necessary when resources are scarce. However, it’s important to challenge this notion by exploring options like  QuakeCare, reducing existing workload, and or brining in more team members and expertise. 

When to think twice:

Unnecessary urgency is places on you to get it done

It has taken hundreds of years to create the violent and oppressive systems that govern our communities, workplaces, homes and general society. It may also take some time to undo these systems.

An organization that expects you to create and implement systematic solutions to systematic  problems in small amounts of time is unreasonable and assumes this organization does not  intend on making this long term and robust. 

An artificial sense of urgency is also a colonial concept that prioritizes speed and productivity over trust building, community relationships and repairing harm. If this is what you find in the DEI exercises, this may not be work you can expect to avoid harm, tokenization and burnout. 

Push back on any proposed way forward with little to no explanation

Equity work is often described as uncomfortable. However, some folks assume that discomfort is from coming face to face with the ugliness of oppression. What they forget is that the discomfort also comes from relinquishing power and privilege. 

This is essentially the bulk of equity work, establishing where power has been concentrated, and redistributing this power. If you are finding constant push back with no explanation, this work may not be as successful or have the impact you’re hoping for.

Assumption that you are an expert by virtue of being racialized, part of the LGBTQS2 community, disabled or some other group 

We’ve all seen this before; people of colour, LGBTQ2S folks, and disabled folks pushed into carrying the majority of equity work. The explicit or implicit message is that marginalized people  have some sort of equity expertise by virtue of their identity. In some scenarios, marginalized folks aren’t pushed into this work, but they find no other team members stepping up. 

This is incredibly problematic because it assumes this work doesn’t require any kind of expertise, method or research but merely requires lived experience. Moreover, it sets up marginalized people for failure in what is described as a glass cliff. The glass cliffs put the burden of change on people who aren’t responsible for creating the conditions of oppression, then blaming them for any failure caused by lack of support, knowledge and resources. 

Let’s be clear about something - at the end of the day, the choice to engage in equity work within your workplace is yours and yours alone. At QuakeLab, we believe that autonomy is a critical part of equity, having the information you need to make informed, autonomous decisions is central to equity. This article is meant to give you a light, short roadmap to making this decisions. If you have been tasked with doing this work and are looking for additional support, shoot us a message and let's see how we can help!