Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies have existed for decades. However, the influx of instances of discrimination and hate crimes has not only raised expectations for these important programs but has also intensified their emotional impact. However, the challenges of companies are changing and there are times when diversity fatigue may set in.
In this blog, we explain diversity fatigue, its causes, some symptoms of this dreadful condition, and present ideas of how your organization can overcome it.
Diversity Fatigue Definition
Diversity fatigue is a term used to describe stress associated with attempting to diversify a workforce through recruiting and hiring. It includes feelings of frustration or exhaustion associated with creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Whether it’s caused by emotions, resistance to change, or overwhelming expectations, it can have prolonged effects on your DEI efforts. Complacency, exhaustion, and burnout are all very real consequences of this ongoing fatigue.
Ultimately, diversity fatigue can be a result of the many challenges that organizations face, such as:
- Lack of time or resources to address DEI challenges.
- Difficulty sticking to long-term goals in DEI programs.
- Discouragement or intimidation from management or senior team members who are frustrated with the slow progress of these programs.
- Lack of interest in participating in initiatives
What Are the Symptoms of Diversity Fatigue?
If you notice any of these common signs or symptoms of diversity fatigue, it could indicate that someone is suffering from it.
- Dodging conversations about race or gender
- Resentment toward colleagues who are vocal about DEI
- Decreased engagement with DEI programs or events
- Reduced productivity
- Feelings of being overwhelmed by the amount of work to achieve these important goals
- Increased turnover
All of these are potential consequences that a team may face when diversity fatigue sets in. However, you can combat diversity fatigue and next, we’ll discuss tips and strategies on how to successfully work through it.
How Do You Fight Diversity Fatigue?
It’s not uncommon for people to become disheartened or even disappointed about the progress of DEI programs at work. That’s why encouraging your staff to have a growth mindset, where you don’t see failure as a negative but as a way to develop skills and abilities, and to grow both individually and as an organization, is essential. It’s not uncommon that once employees feel this way, it can stall the progress you have on your DEI strategy.
However, by fostering an inclusive culture that prioritizes well-being and offers resources for support, you can create a space where open dialogue feels safe and accepted. This can significantly affect how your staff feels about these programs and the success behind them, no matter how slow they may be at times.
Tips For Overcoming Diversity Fatigue
Here are three valuable tips that you can use to help your team overcome this challenging issue:
- Set realistic expectations: There is no way to solve every issue that your company may face in the future, so realistic expectations help manage that stress.
- Measure progress: By having easy ways to measure success, you can pinpoint problem areas to address. Long-term change requires pushing through these struggles and being able to measure results over time. Without this, it is easy for a team to grow more and more frustrated.
- Be clear about DEI efforts to all employees and potential candidates: It’s crucial that you’re communicating these efforts to individuals who potentially may work for you. This means they are prepared to participate in these initiatives and will feel valued about your transparency.
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Reframing the Narrative
Let’s face it – diversity isn’t a burden that we face, but an opportunity for both growth and learning. Research shows that diverse organizations outperform their competitors 35% of the time. This means investing in DEI programs and initiatives is valuable for any business in any industry. Diverse teams are also more likely to come up with innovative ideas and are more productive collaboratively.
Remember that this is a long-term commitment. So, recognizing the signs of this fatigue and being proactive to help keep your team energized and committed to specific goals is important.
Sustaining Momentum
Ultimately, both as a colleague and as a human, it’s important that you continuously grow and are willing to adapt to be fully committed to DEI programs in your workplace. It’s important that you keep reflecting and evaluating strategies and adjusting things as needed to ensure that this diversity fatigue doesn’t take over your organization.
Embracing change isn’t just about the methods or procedures associated with diversity and inclusion, but also about building a workplace for diversity that flourishes and creates a sense of belonging for all team members.
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