After a decade on the lips of every business leader from Silicon Valley to the City of London, “DEI”—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—has suddenly turned to corporate kryptonite.
Its mere mention sends shivers down investors’ spines, portending share-price routs, activist protests, and perhaps even political retribution.
For many veteran DEI communicators, it must seem as if the bottom has fallen out of their FSC-certified coffee cups. Despite my 25 years in the field, however, I see it a little differently. To me, the sudden death of DEI is not a problem. It’s an opportunity.
Shibboleths and alienation
You see, the real issue with DEI was never one of its substance. In fact, the business case for acting responsibly and maintaining a diverse workplace has never been stronger.
The problem is not values but jargon. Shibboleths like DEI (and its pinstriped cousin, ESG) might comfort those within the field, but they alienate those outside it. And when the non-specialists you need as partners tune out, progress stalls.
This is why Simon Mundy, editor of the Financial Times’ Moral Money section, recently noted that the idea of a “mass corporate retreat from DEI” is an oversimplification. Instead, many companies are adapting their language: Moving away from the abbreviation, not the intention.
Now is the perfect time to take a step back, refocus, and reframe your company’s efforts in this space.
Honestly consider the following questions:
- What outcomes are you trying to achieve?
- What values do your stakeholders care about?
- Perhaps most importantly: Can people outside your immediate bubble understand what you’re saying?
Realigning your message
You don’t need to abandon DEI. But you do need to realign how you talk about it. This might mean shifting your messaging to reflect both internal values and external context.
A few years ago, we worked with a wonderful organisation looking to attract international investors. They had a great story, but their messaging wasn’t landing. It was technical, complex, and misaligned with what their stakeholders cared about. With a few strategic changes—grounded in storytelling, clarity, and credible language—they saw renewed interest and new opportunities.
Read the case study →
So yes: We absolutely need to talk about the substance of DEI. But let’s talk about it in a way that resonates in today’s context.