What We Do Now (February 2025 edition): practical strategies for sticking to your values
We’re all reeling from the chaos in the federal government, some of which is directed against “DEI” specifically, and all of which threatens both the free flow of information and the resources that our communities need to survive.
This is unprecedented in some ways, and in many other ways it’s not. The aggressive policing of immigrants and activists, the institutional bullying of trans people in schools and healthcare, the defunding of critical services for poor and disabled people, the repression of speech and organizing – these all have long histories in the U.S. We have tools to fight them, and to continue working for a better world. Some of those tools will need to grow and adapt to meet this moment, but we’re not starting from scratch. We can do this, and we need to do it together.
It’s particularly hard to know what will happen with attacks on “DEI,” because DEI doesn’t have one clear definition. It’s a catch phrase for a wide range of practices that include both powerful, transformative tools for justice and disingenuous marketing ploys meant to make organizations look good without really doing any good. The term may be new, but the practices are not, and they didn’t start because of government support but rather in spite of it. Many of the practices that get called DEI – such as compensation equity work, transparent decision-making, and some kinds of training – come from social justice movements that span decades. When these practices get incorporated by employers as “DEI,” they often get watered down – a pattern we at Think Again are constantly striving against.
DEI practices also get combined with ordinary organizational processes like recruitment, retention, supervision, and so on. A “DEI initiative” is never just about DEI – it’s about making organizations more effective. When you seek to recruit a diverse hiring pool, it doesn’t have to be because of “DEI” – it’s just part of ensuring you reach all the qualified workers who should be applying for your open positions. When you pay attention to employees' needs, and set expectations that they treat each other kindly, it’s not just because of “DEI” – it’s because employees who are treated well do better work and stay in their jobs longer.
What now?
We need to remember to pause before we react. Disorganized urgency adds to the chaos and whiplash that these rapid-fire policies are meant to cause. Organizations should prioritize acting thoughtfully, and seeking and following values-aligned experts whose job it is to help organizations understand the impacts and strategies.
We all need to be actively connecting with other organizations, sharing strategies and resources, and joining together to resist harmful changes both locally and nationally.
Communication and transparency are key. As leaders, we have to make sure that our employees know what’s informing our decisions, how we’re using staff input, and as much as possible about how things will change and when. Even when no decisions have been made, it’s helpful to let staff know that we’re following the issue and will update them as soon as possible. Silence from leadership can contribute to staff members’ anxiety, diminishing trust and engagement when they’re needed most. Our staff are our partners, and it is the responsibility of leadership to make sure they have the information they need to make decisions for themselves and their families.
For some organizations, it may be strategic to pause talking publicly about DEI in so many words – but not to stop doing the practices that we know work to promote a healthy, fair workplace.
Some organizations will need to bring back creative workarounds like those we have used in the past under other repressive policy regimes. (For example, reproductive healthcare providers had a long-standing practice of keeping federal funds separate from the rest of the organization’s budget – even to the point of having separate office supplies – in order to avoid accidentally using a federally funded sticky note to conduct a federally defunded activity such as educating people about safer sex.)
We need to avoid “complying in advance.” Don’t halt a program or initiative because you’re afraid it might be banned. Keep doing everything you can do for as long as you can possibly do it. Many organizations, officials, and communities are already fighting back, and it would be a waste to cancel programs in response to executive orders that may be reversed anyway.
While it may seem difficult, creating opportunities for moments of joy and connection in the workplace is also really critical. People are feeling scared and isolated, and work is often the place we spend most of our time each week. As employers, we should prioritize listening to staff about how to best provide this and make it a consistent offering, whether it’s as small as co-working Wednesdays or as big as a staff day out.
We all need to stay committed to acting on our values, and work together to cultivate the skills and relationships we need to create the world we want to live in.
