10/14/2022

Why Middle Managers Struggle to Implement DE&I Strategies

Build a narrative that connects the big picture to the implementation

Tasked with applying a broad strategic vision to the realities in front of them, middle managers are key agents of organizational change — and DEI efforts are no exception. In fact, employees’ experiences with their managers have a big impact on whether they view their organization as inclusive or not. And yet, middle managers are rarely included in the development of DE&I strategy.

In our executive education sessions, we've witnessed many middle managers complain that either they hear a generic plea to support DE&I without any concrete guidance or that they're asked to implement diversity policies that don't match the realities of their day-to-day life.

More than 70 percent of organizational changes fail, for various reasons, such as the failure to allocate sufficient resources or to get endorsement from the leadership team. In our experience, not only does DE&I-related organizational change present the same challenges, it also must operate in parallel to, and often compete with, existing business initiatives.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Harvard Business Review.