At Incluu, LLC, we create brave spaces for life. To some, this concept may sound dreamy, ambitious, and a little 'millennial,' but our work in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space at the intersection of human, tech, and civil rights has continued to expose the pitfalls organizations face when they do not fully embrace and commit to their DEI initiatives.
The murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the global Black Lives Matter protests that followed forced organizations to explore the concept of breaking down barriers in their peoples, practices, and products. In doing so, many sought and are seeking to transform. But transformation is hard. And many organizations are failing.
The Five Barriers
1. Surface-Level Commitment
Organizations that treat DEI as a checkbox rather than a fundamental value will never achieve transformative change. Hiring a diversity consultant isn't the same as changing your culture. Posting a black square on Instagram isn't the same as examining your hiring practices. Saying 'we stand with Black lives' isn't the same as paying Black employees equitably.
Transformation requires going beyond optics. It means examining every process, every policy, every practice. It means asking hard questions and being willing to change the answers. It means treating DEI not as an add-on but as fundamental to how you do business.
2. Lack of Accountability
Without clear metrics, ownership, and consequences, DEI initiatives stall. Who is responsible for these outcomes? How will you measure progress? What happens when you fall short? If there's no accountability, there's no change.
Accountability means setting specific, measurable goals. It means tying executive compensation to DEI outcomes. It means regular public reporting on progress. It means consequences when goals aren't met—not excuses.
3. Resistance from Leadership
Change requires champions at the top. When executives aren't fully committed—when they delegate DEI to HR and never think about it again—the message is clear: this isn't really a priority. And employees notice.
Leadership commitment means more than signing off on initiatives. It means personal investment. It means showing up, doing the work, modeling the behavior you want to see. It means making difficult decisions that prioritize equity over short-term profit or comfort.
4. One-Time Training
A single workshop won't undo years of ingrained practices. Transformation requires ongoing learning, dialogue, and iteration. It requires creating spaces for difficult conversations, not just checking a training box.
Effective DEI work is continuous. It adapts. It responds to feedback. It goes deeper over time. A one-time unconscious bias training might raise awareness, but it won't change behavior. That requires sustained effort, practice, and reflection.
5. Centering Comfort Over Growth
Real change is uncomfortable. It requires examining privilege, confronting bias, and ceding power. Organizations that prioritize the comfort of the majority over the needs of the marginalized will stay stuck.
Growth happens at the edge of comfort. If your DEI work never makes anyone uncomfortable, you're not going deep enough. The goal isn't to make everyone feel good—it's to create genuine equity. And that requires being willing to sit with discomfort.
The Path Forward
Transformation is possible—but only for organizations willing to do the hard work. It requires commitment that goes beyond optics, accountability with teeth, leadership that leads, ongoing learning, and courage to be uncomfortable. The organizations that get this right will build better cultures, better products, and better futures. The ones that don't will be left behind.