Today's employees and community stakeholders are increasingly diverse -- and savvy. Which means when an organization sets out to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, and then tell its story to its employees and communities, stakeholders expect more than earnest statements and splashy web pages. They expect organizational leaders to develop real and meaningful pathways for organizational change. To co-create solutions for lasting cultural transformation. To walk the talk. Not once, but every day, every month, every year.
When DEI initiatives and messages miss the mark or are undermined by internal sabotage, crises simmer and eventually erupt, undermining leadership credibility both in and outside of the organization. Fallout often goes viral, with legacy media seizing upon social media narratives and amplifying negative posts in today's 24-hour news cycle. An organization's image can nosedive overnight, causing reputational damage that can take months if not years to rebuild.
Fortunately, leaders can avoid unforced missteps by bringing Black, Indigenous and other PR experts of color to the DEI strategy table. Considering that 83.6% of PR professionals in the U.S. are White while only 9.9% are Black, 13.6% Latine, and 5.9% Asian (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019), integrating diverse voices from an organization's communities is critical to intentionally engaging your workforce, creating a vibrant work culture, and building authentic community relationships.
DEI Strategies, LLC complements the expertise of in-house DEI, People/HR, and Communications teams. Drawing on decades of strategic communications, racial and social justice advocacy, and engagement experience in the public, private, and nonprofit spheres, DEI Strategies, LLC is uniquely positioned to provide culturally-responsive strategy and leadership services that can help organizations meet today's ever-shifting challenges.
