How Can DEI Practitioners Hold Themselves Accountable?

To many, the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) seems like the Wild West. Virtually anyone can enter the space as an expert, practitioner or consultant and there isn’t a standard code of conduct or a uniform set of guidelines that must be adhered to. Unlike other industries like law and medicine, DEI doesn’t require a particular license or certification that every practitioner must maintain. The advantage to this lack of standardization in the field is that each DEI practitioner has free reign to adopt programs and implement interventions that they deem necessary. The downside to this lack of standardization is few accountability measures for DEI practitioners. DEI practitioners are expected to lead workplaces to the proverbial promised land; but how are they holding themselves accountable and checking their own biases and shortcomings? This article highlights four ways that DEI practitioners can hold themselves accountable and explores accountability measures for the DEI practitioners brought in to organizations.

1. Education. When corporations bring in external practitioners to aid with their DEI efforts, employees routinely view these practitioners are experts. The problem with this notion is that it fails to acknowledge that DEI practitioners are human and make mistakes too. We all have our own deficiencies when it comes to our knowledge and understanding. An interesting question to ask DEI practitioners that are brought into the organization is how they hold themselves accountable. What specific actions are being taken to learn more about communities outside of your own? How are you reckoning with your own internalized oppression? You can have a particular expertise in a specific domain but no one person knows everything about every community. If you are vetting DEI practitioners, uncover what actions they are taking to expand their own knowledge and awareness about communities outside of their own. As a DEI practitioner reading this, ask yourself what specific steps you are taking to constantly learn about the DEI space and best practices? How are you learning more about marginalized communities? What are you doing to continue and advance your learning?

2. DEI Metrics. When DEI practitioners partner with workplaces, there should be a set of goals and objectives that are developed along with specific metrics to assess these goals and objectives. Sometimes, there is a lack of accountability because there is ambiguity regarding why a DEI practitioner is being hired in the first place and what specific issues they are expected to focus on. Rather than bringing someone in just for the sake of it and because you saw company XYZ doing it, figure out the purpose of bringing in a DEI practitioner. DEI practitioners should also have a clear set of metrics they use to evaluate their own work. What is success to you and how do you know when it is reached within the organization and institutions you work with? What is your purpose behind doing this work and what value are bringing into workplaces? As a DEI practitioner, explore your skillsets and determine what markers can be used to evaluate your impact in the workplaces you partner with.

3. Client Feedback. It’s important to garner feedback from the clients you work with as a DEI practitioner. Getting on the same page regarding what the goals and objectives are that you are working towards will help you understand how effective you’ve been at helping the organization achieve these goals. Feedback should be based on the goals and objectives that are set. If you feel like a DEI practitioner you’ve worked with has not been successful or hasn’t been a “good fit” for your organization, ask yourself why. Why were they not able to help us work towards our specific goals? Be aware: it is not always the fault of the DEI practitioner. Oftentimes, the environments within organizations and institutions make it difficult for DEI practitioners to be successful or effective in their role. To assess client feedback, organizations and institutions could speak with former clients who can serve as a reference, to better understand how a DEI practitioner has impacted the environments they’ve worked within. Feedback is a vital piece of how DEI practitioners can hold themselves accountable. As a DEI practitioner, it’s important to ask current and former clients about their perceptions of your partnership with them, what has worked and what isn’t working.

4. Community. A crucial part of how DEI practitioners can consistently hold themselves accountable is through their communities. DEI work cannot and should not be done in silos or isolation. No one person will dismantle and eradicate inequitable systems—it will take a group effort. DEI practitioners should put themselves in positions to be in community with others doing similar work. This will allow you to share ideas and understand best practices. The competition mindset that is prevalent within capitalist societies makes people believe in a scarcity model that suggests that there is a limited number of resources for everyone. Understand this: No company is perfect. Every workplace has DEI-related issues that need remedying. DEI practitioners are not in competition with one another. Each DEI practitioner brings something unique to the table and their skills are valuable. As a DEI practitioner, let go of the mindset that you must do the work alone. Thrust yourself into situations where you can be around other DEI practitioners. It is in these conversations that the opportunities to gain new insights are most plentiful. Understand that an essential way to grow, thrive, and develop as a person and as a practitioner is through community.