MIT Sloan Management Review on How a Values-Based Approach Advances DEI

Many business leaders see diversity, equity, and inclusion as a way to revitalize their organizations. They understand that diversity drives innovation, and they see the potential for engaging the entire workforce in transforming their companies. But they also find that the results of their DEI efforts sometimes fall short of expectations.

Perhaps these efforts are clumsy due to unclear objectives or a lack of know-how. Business leaders may not approach DEI with the same ambition, creativity, and energy that they bring to launching new products or pioneering new markets. Furthermore, some people may not consider a lack of DEI to be holding the organization back — or, if they do, they think it’s not their problem to solve. Meanwhile, experts propose interventions that purport to offer quick fixes to workplaces that have been shaped over decades. No wonder leaders become fatigued: They are uncertain about what to do, and it can be difficult to cut through the noise.

About the Author

Anselm A. Beach is Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army — Equity and Inclusion Agency, with the United States Department of the Army. Albert H. Segars is the PNC Distinguished Professor with the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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