MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Building Resilience in Diversity and Inclusion Programs

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) programs are essential for building resilient workforces and organizations, particularly in response to racial violence, yet these programs are often taken for granted. In recent years, D&I professionals have become the “first responders” for racial trauma and other crises. At the same time, D&I is often among the first initiatives on the chopping block during times of great upheaval. As a result, the question remains: How can organizations create sustainable initiatives that can weather disruptions while also supporting employees — particularly women of color — to help them avoid burnout?

In this article, we examine how, in order to build resilience in organizational and individual D&I initiatives, companies must invest in and formalize programming that supports employees.

About the Author

Melissa V. Abad (@melissa_v_abad) is a research associate at the Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab, where she builds upon the institute’s engagement with intersectionality scholarship and leads its intersectional leadership research agenda. Alison Wynn (@alisontwynn) is a research associate at the Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab.