The White guy in the room: 6 life lessons in 6 months of working in DEI

By Bob Batchelor

“Umm…wait a second, you’re doing what?”

After 16 years of college teaching and a lifetime of writing books, this was the reaction 99.9% of the time when I told friends and colleagues that I was joining The Diversity Movement — a little shock, a bit of wonder, and a lot of implied “why would a middle-aged White guy do this?”

Perhaps not a natural step for most people, but as I explain what we do and how important it is, listeners usually move from quizzical to supportive. Their frowns and glassy-eyed looks turn positive once they get it. And I fully understand why. Several years ago, if someone had told me a similar story, I probably would have reacted the same way.

Let’s move past the first issue…can a middle-aged White guy be an ally and work in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? A wholehearted “yes” here, particularly if diversity is expanded to its full meaning beyond a catch-all term for race. Yes, I am a White guy in DEI. I don’t need anyone to throw roses at my feet as I pass by. It’s a great job that fulfills the same do-gooder instincts I had while teaching but allows me to reach exponentially more people.

My personal beliefs align with my organization’s principles. If there is a thought to sum up today’s world, look no further than the eminent writer/philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who said: “Things do not change; we change.” This is where the rubber meets the road. We all have the power to create a better world, even when those around us don’t understand our choices.

Have I learned a few things? It’s only been six months, but there are some lessons that I think others who are contemplating the DEI journey in contemporary America will find beneficial. Here are six:

1. Learning never stops

What makes humans unique is the ability to think — and to think about what we are thinking. Yet, that skill is only as useful as a person wants it to be. I have a doctorate and have spent my life working as a cultural historian and author, but each day, I learn something new or uncover a hole in my education.

For me, it’s about context. Like a great jambalaya, there are lots of ingredients that can be thrown into the pot, simmered together, and wind up tasting great. I ask myself how I might pull in new information to expand my own worldview and create perspectives that better enable me to see and feel this work. Constant learning necessitates constant openness, even when the topics get emotional, personal and challenging.

2. Meet people where they are

The amazing thing about studying critical thinking is (a) learning that most people have no idea what the term really means, and (b) finding that the majority of people create their belief systems as early teenagers and NEVER really deviate far from their teenage worldview. However, the best way to think about applying critical thinking is to view it as being critical of one’s own thinking.

In other words, acting critical is not what critical thinking is all about. Instead, it is the willingness to reassess your own views. While most people think they are strong critical thinkers, their self-assessment may be based on an illconceived definition of that term.

As such, it’s important to realize that DEI campaigns and culture change initiatives task employees with questioning many of the fundamental beliefs they have cemented over lifetimes. The work may have a transformational consequence, but it cannot happen all at once. Changing a person’s worldview takes time, persistence, and understanding that the journey isn’t uniform and may not even be sequential or straightforward, despite the mostly-agreedupon end goal of a more just and equitable workplace and society.

3. The joy of teamwork and teammates

Another aspect of my learning trajectory is engaging withteammates who have life experiences and expertise in areasdifferent than mine. For example, I’ve learned more aboutleadership (in DEI and generally) from actively listening toour CEO, Donald Thompson, than in the dozens of books orthousands of articles and essays I’ve read. I’ve learned moreabout being an empathetic leader from watching how JackieFerguson manages our team better than I could have everimagined.

The joy in these experiences is that I’m open to ingesting thelessons — truly open — and not just paying lip service to newideas (especially at an age when most White men like me [intheir heart of hearts] are pretty closed off). My teammates andI don’t know everything or even pretend to know a lot, but welearn from one another every day, and I am a stronger thinkerand ally because of the knowledge they are willing to sharewith me.

4. Pushing beyond the checkbox

Perhaps more than ever before, people demand authenticity.What does “authentic” mean for organizations in thisheightened environment? The answer in terms of DEI is thatwords, images, and actions must equal reality. Employees,customers, prospects, and other stakeholders are not goingto blindly fall in line with what organizations project externallyif there aren’t also meaningful efforts behind the chatter.

In other words, people are watching! If a company createsa bunch of commercials featuring Black or Asian actorsusing their products, but the leadership team isn’t diverse,stakeholders take notice. The effort must be meaningfulbecause people are finely tuned to sniffing out when the workis being done merely for compliance.

5. “Diversity fatigue” is real — and harrowing

By nature, I am a realistic optimist — someone whoanticipates better days ahead but has been kicked aroundenough to know that a brighter future requires collective hardwork. In today’s “us vs. them” world, the issues the mediapays attention to are inevitably divisive and (seemingly)showcased to increase discord. DEI is one of those mediafootballs (see the coverage of everything from George Floydstatues being defaced to portrayals of Critical Race Theory).

At the same time, people are blasted with tens of thousands of new images, ideas, and impulses every day. Even topics as critical as DEI eventually face backlash as people throw up their hands. My hope is that diversity fatigue is being triggered by backlash against controversy (our self-perception as futuristic, problem-solvers), not a cynical indication that people are inherently self-consumed or hateful.

The important idea here is that we’re not even in the first microsecond of an era that has DEI at its center. If there is fatigue, it must be countered with inclusive leadership at every level that champions its significance in organizations, communities, families, and neighborhoods.

6. Building workplace excellence

A key takeaway for me over the last six months is that diversity is so much more than race, although this is clearly not what most people think of when they hear the word. Recognizing that diversity stretches to include so many additional factors — from economic inequality to gender rights, ageism, and disability, for example — gives us a better way to conceptualize diversity’s role in what The Diversity Movement calls workplace excellence.

From this perspective, DEI initiatives benefit organizations not only by increasing brand reach, loyalty, and profits, but also by creating more just and equitable internal and external cultures. People working in stronger cultures are universally more productive, creative, and eager for the organization’s long-term success because they are physically and emotionally invested. Thus, a culture shift that utilizes DEI as a tool to unlock personal and team greatness leads to a better — more excellent — workplace.

These are only some of the lessons I’ve learned in my first six months in the DEI space. I’m excited and humbled to think of what the next six months and years will teach me. As a person who is committed to lifelong learning, understanding the context and practice of DEI — especially considering the historical moment we’re in — has been a strenuous learning curve, but also greatly satisfying. DEI isn’t only about people or profits. It’s also about unlocking potential.

Bob Batchelor (he/him) is an award-winning communications strategist with an extensive background in executive communications and content creation.