A Sustainable Approach to DEIB

Ann Palmer

In this video, Ann explores the dangers that can threaten the success of DEIB efforts and the essential components of a sustainability model that helps organisations overcome those obstacles. She outlines how leadership commitment, clear action plans, data-driven strategies, inclusive policies, and employee involvement all work together to build a resilient DEIB culture. She also highlights the importance of long-term thinking and continuous learning, with examples that show how organisations can embed DEIB into their everyday practices and business goals for lasting impact.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Subscribe to watch

Access this and all of the content on our platform by signing up for a 7-day free trial.

A Sustainable Approach to DEIB

15 mins 33 secs

Key learning objectives:

Understand the potential obstacles and dangers to sustaining DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) models within organisations
Outline the essential components of a sustainable DEIB model
Understand why a sustainable model for DEIB is important for long-term organisational success

Overview:

Building a sustainable model for DEIB is essential for creating lasting change and resilience. DEIB work can be challenging, and without strong leadership, consistent implementation, sufficient resources, and open communication, progress can quickly stall. It's important to watch out for common pitfalls like resistance to change, short-term thinking, and a lack of measurable goals. A strong sustainability model includes leadership commitment, continuous education, data-driven strategies, inclusive policies, employee involvement, and a clear action plan with measurable outcomes. These components help embed DEIB into everyday organisational practices and culture, ensuring long-term impact. A sustainable approach not only supports inclusion and equity but also builds trust and creates space for continuous learning, improvement, and genuine belonging.

Subscribe to watch

Access this and all of the content on our platform by signing up for a 7-day free trial.

Summary

What are the potential obstacles and dangers to sustaining DEIB models within organisations?

Sustaining DEIB efforts can be challenging due to several common obstacles. Lack of leadership commitment can cause initiatives to lose momentum if DEIB isn’t prioritised consistently. Inconsistent implementation across departments creates confusion and weakens the overall impact. Insufficient resources, resistance to change, lack of measurable goals, short-term focus, failure to address systemic issues, and poor communication also undermine progress. To overcome these, it’s important to embed DEIB into leadership agendas, ensure organisation-wide consistency, allocate enough funding and time, openly address concerns, set clear targets, focus on deep equity issues, and maintain transparent communication with employees.

What are the essential components of a sustainable DEIB model?

A sustainable DEIB model relies on six key components. First, strong leadership commitment ensures DEIB is prioritised and modelled from the top, with accountability built in. Second, continuous education and training keep awareness high and help challenge biases. Third, data-driven strategies track progress and highlight areas for improvement. Fourth, inclusive policies and practices embed DEIB into daily operations, from recruitment to retention. Fifth, employee involvement encourages ownership through resource groups and open dialogue. Finally, a robust action plan with clear, measurable goals and responsibilities keeps the organisation accountable and drives momentum over time.

Why is a sustainable model for DEIB important for long-term organisational success?

A sustainable DEIB model ensures efforts are more than just short-term projects, embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into the organisation’s culture. This long-term approach fosters continuous improvement, adapts to new challenges, and helps build trust among employees by demonstrating genuine, consistent commitment. Without sustainability, progress stalls and inequalities can resurface. Ultimately, a sustainable DEIB model strengthens organisational resilience and success by creating an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute fully.

Subscribe to watch

Access this and all of the content on our platform by signing up for a 7-day free trial.

Ann Palmer

Ann Palmer is a renowned educator and entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience. She has partnered with schools, colleges, and universities globally and founded the RACE Charter Mark, an award for effective race equality strategies in education. She has also supported other sectors and organisations, such as the Association for BME Engineers UK. Ann is a facilitator, public speaker, and highly acclaimed in Diversity and Inclusion (DEI) and is a qualified Executive Coach. As an entrepreneur, she holds roles in several businesses, including being an Executive Director of Race Excellence, a consulting business offering personalised diversity training and accreditation. She is also a member of the Chartered College of Teaching's Ethics Committee, a Charity Trustee, and a Business Advisor for start-up businesses. She is a published author and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2010.

There are no available Videos from "Ann Palmer"