By Diane Streleckis - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is the next transformation of business. As with so many water-cooler words, people make assumptions about their meaning. But what happens when those assumptions don’t match others’ meanings? Or if an assumption is off the mark?

Kim Clark, author, internal communication expert, and founder of communication consultancy Kim Clark Communications, is dedicated to helping communication professionals get to that true meaning. “Learning what diversity, equity and inclusion actually is allows communicators to tell an accurate, compelling story that doesn’t cut out anyone,” she said.

Clark outlined some key points communication professionals can keep in mind—and share with their organization’s executives—to crystallize DEI’s meaning.

DEI Defined

DEI is More Than an HR Thing

When Clark began including diversity, equity, and inclusion in her communication strategies, she got pushback that DEI was an HR function, not a communication concern. She vehemently disagreed.

“I started embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in my communication strategies long before it was cool,” “I saw the value of it, the necessity of it from a cultural perspective, a trust and integrity perspective, a workplace safety perspective,” Clark said.

“Inclusion is a verb,” Clark noted. She stressed that inclusion is not something you can just trot out in a corporate statement during a tragedy or highlight during a certain month. “It’s an ongoing, all day, everyday practice,” she said.

If You Say You Stand, You Must Withstand

It’s become common for companies to put out statements of sympathy or solidarity during headline-capturing events. But Clark cautioned that corporate leaders unaware of a situation’s nuances could be doing more harm than good.

One such example, which inspired her to co-author the book, The Conscious Communicator, was the response to George Floyd’s murder. “So many brands began posting solidarity statements in black squares on social media. I wanted to figure out a way to go, ‘No, stop. You don’t know what you’re saying,’” she said.

Clark worried that many posters didn’t grasp the work it took to live up to the lines being shared. She urged leaders to be ready for the negative responses as much as the accolades. “If you say you stand with a community, then you have to withstand the pressure and the pushback,” Clark said.

Be That Wise Counsel For Your Executive Team

Clark pointed out that, until recently, DEI was not a part of most executives’ professional development plans.

“Many in the demographics of leaders in power positions don’t have personal lived experience of bias, oppression, marginalization, being forced to assimilate, or code-switching,” she said. “They don’t know what they’re solving for.”

Meanwhile, employees, stakeholders, and the general public look to them to act in these tumultuous times. This is where communication professionals can really make a difference. “We can put together our skills and strengths, including our resourcing, channel distribution, and platforms.”

Executives might want to ease up on DEI efforts. Clark noted the volume of recent layoffs that have hit employees in DEI departments. “Executives might say [DEI efforts are] hard, they’re expensive. We hear that as the end of a conversation when it’s actually the beginning of a conversation. We need to turn around and say, ‘What is too much for you? I want to learn more,” she said.

Communication professionals also know how to listen and help others do so too. “When we don’t have lived experience, we need to be led by those who do,” Clark said.

That goes as much for communication professionals as for the executives they counsel. “We can’t go to [people in marginalized groups] and say, ‘Here are the quotes we want you to say because we’re putting the annual report together.’ We don’t cut out the discrimination they might have experienced. We have to allow them to tell their stories as they are,” Clark said.

Put Your Budget Where Your Mouth Is

When funding for events is provided, take your cue from the community you’re aiming to support.

“If I’ve got a budget for Pride Month that Corporate or Marketing or HR has given me, I’m not going to buy wristbands that say, ‘Love is love.’ I’m going to the Pride employee resource group and say, ‘Tell me what you need,’” Clark said.

Celebrations are nice, but they’re not enough

“Thank you for the rainbows, the parades, and the parties. But you can’t stop there,” Clark said. “Most organizations do it because they get goodwill. But you can’t just make a profit off marginalized communities and then abandon them when you get some headwinds.” She cited Target and Bud Light as two brands that in 2023 backed off of campaigns to reach out to LGBTQ+ communities after far-right protests.

Being Inclusive Means Including Everybody, Not Only Marginalized Communities

Clark noted that people resistant to the messages of inclusion have to be included, too. Otherwise, they will continue to sabotage efforts. “What can we do to listen to folks who are [protesting diversity efforts, at times even violently],” Clark asked.

“They can actually offer some things within DEI. We have to help them articulate those things productively because there’s a lot of anger around feeling left out that we’re seeing. We all want to be seen, heard, and valued. We have to go the high road and not allow DEI work to recreate marginalization. It defeats the purpose. As my mentor says, what needs to be healed will be revealed, which is what we’re experiencing now. The ugliness was an undercurrent and now it’s exposed. Our character is defined by moments and movements like this.” she said.

Be the Visionaries

As Clark pointed out, “We’ve never had a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace before. That’s where we kick in our imaginations.”

Diane Streleckis is a writer and content strategist dedicated to using the power of words for good. Understanding what makes people tick and then sharing practical ideas to help support their needs and concerns is Diane’s mission. She’s applied this mission mindset across industries for more than 30 years.