For Better Or (Often) Worse, DEI Training Has To Play Ball With Middle-Aged White Guys

The Resentment Problem.

I think most of us realize that there are several inherent problems with conventional diversity training inside companies. Some that immediately pop:

• If handled internally, these trainings are normally done by HR. Anything by HR is almost universally-ignored by other divisions.
• If done externally, it’s often a POC leading the training, and the model being used often opens with focusing on privilege and ways in which certain people get ahead more easily. While this is completely true and valid and corporate America especially is f’n littered with guys born on second base, the thing is that most of those guys don’t believe in privilege. They believe they got there via hard work and cunning acumen around deals. They aren’t going to change their life narrative and identity structure because someone they view as “another Kamala” is speaking to them in a room.
• Most executives don’t care, and often visibly don’t care, and that attitude trickles down to everyone else.
• The whole thing can unfortunately feel performative.