Dan Lococo

Helping Organizations Move from Performative to Structural Inclusion

DEI? How about DE and TQM

Written by

Dan Lococo, PhD

July is a month for celebrating the founding of our nation and our commitment to liberty and justice for all. I have included a commentary on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. It is a follow up to last month’s story, Searching for Liberty and Justice. This commentary stands alone but it follows directly from last month’s post.

You may have noticed I have been focusing more directly on “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in my writing and in the gatherings I facilitate lately. I feel compelled to clearly articulate my values and my appreciation for the rich diversity of people who populate this nation of immigrants. It is ironic that talking about the words of our nation’s founding fathers is seen as being patriotic, or not, depending on your perspective.

Comments and sharing are always welcome.

Note: These posts regularly form the basis for roundtable conversations I host. If you would like to be a part of these conversations, please let me know

In this post:

 

Story: Diversity Equity and Inclusion? How about DE&TQM

My early career path took me through such roles as finance manager, systems manager, and project manager. Parallel to my day job, my wife and I got involved in supporting engaged couples preparing for marriage. The progression of my experiences drew me to the dynamics of how we relate to one another as we go through the world. My role as a coach in Milwaukee’s Mosaic Partnership program provided insights on experiences of people of color and white people in the same place. My work designing and facilitating roundtable conversations around the philosophy known as Servant Leadership has allowed me to shepherd groups of individuals as they explore (sometimes) challenging topics. These activities, along with my Doctoral studies, have allowed me to explore the impact leadership, learning, and service can have on the inclusion of disenfranchised populations.

For a time, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) accurately described the focus of my work. I thought the principles of DEI provided a convenient framework for my interests and experience. A well-defined framework almost shouts, “All’s what you have to do is…”

DEI programs recognize diversity of people (race, beliefs, gender, sexuality, etc.) with a focus on inclusion as an approach to achieving equity. A high-quality DEI program will lead the participants to an understanding of their own biases and provide suggestions on how to avoid being unconsciously offensive in diverse environments. These programs can be uncomfortable for some. The general assumption behind many DEI programs is that by acknowledging our unconscious biases, we will be more accepting of diversity and more likely to achieve equity. While I like the promise of DEI, I am skeptical of its ability to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs regularly include claims that DEI programs are designed to indoctrinate people or somehow make people feel bad for being who they are. Critics of DEI programs promote meritocracy as a response to DEI. Meritocracy places emphasis on individual abilities, skills, talents, and efforts as the primary basis for success and advancement. It suggests that those who demonstrate superior performance or competence should be rewarded accordingly. Embedded in (overly simplified) arguments for meritocracy as an alternative to diversity, equity and inclusion programs is that equity is a given and that diversity is irrelevant. This is a compelling argument. The only problem: facts. The assumption of equity is not supported by available data.

Sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis provide economic data grouped by geography, industry, race, gender, educational attainment, etc. These data indicate that neither DEI nor meritocracy have had a significant impact on the achievement of equity.

BTW: According to me, “Equity is the ability to engage, as an equal participant, in addressing barriers to access to resources and outcomes with those who have the ability to affect the impact of those barriers.” (February 2022)

 

The middle way

Instead of looking at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and meritocracy as opposing views, a focus on equity first could bring DEI and meritocracy together. An initiative grounded in the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) would be a powerful instrument of change that brings DEI and meritocracy together. “TQM can be summarized as a management system for a customer-focused organization that involves all employees in continual improvement.” ASQ, 2023 TQM also lends itself to qualitative and quantitative measures of progress. An equity focused program could include the guiding principle, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” U.S. Archives A focus on equity, with the goal of closing the gap among economic and social indicators of diversity, shifts inclusion from being the primary strategy to a component of equity achievement. This approach allows inclusion and meritocracy to be peers rather than opponents: “All’s what you have to do is…” is replaced by “How’s that working?”

If we value equity, and use data to measure our performance, we can avoid going down rabbit holes. “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” James Baldwin

 

References

 

 

Get these posts in your inbox

You can get these posts in your inbox. Click here to join my mailing list.

For more information

Leave a comment