Recently there has been an uptick in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership and team member transitions within organizations. These transitions in DEI leadership have highlighted the fact that the strategy, responsibility, and implementation of DEI cannot be dependent on just one leader or member of the team. This lack of collaborative strategic planning often leads to a negative impact on the organization and its people. As time has passed since the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery in 2020, many DEI initiatives have decreased both in number and priority.

DEI should be treated as a core business function, such as accounting, human resources, or marketing, and integrated into the organization's overall strategy. To ensure continuity during leadership or team member transitions, it’s essential for the organization to develop and maintain sustainable plans and implementation processes. As a consultant, I often see that when an important individual or group leaves, the void left is even more significant because of a lack of structure and continued development. If DEI had been prioritized as a core business function, such as HR, there would have been more attention paid to it and its value.

How can you ensure that there are core structures in place before you need them? Steps can be taken during the onboarding process, as maintenance while someone is in the role, and after a transition is announced. By taking these critical actions proactively, the organization can ensure that continuity is maintained during DEI leadership or team member transitions. Let’s look closer at each one of these and examine some steps your organization can take. 

In order to effectively onboard new DEI professionals and members of the DEI team, it is important to establish and utilize standard operating procedures (SOPs). These SOPs should document all responsibilities, initiatives, and events that are a function of the role. For example, this could include core calendar dates, committed deliverables, annual reports, a list of affinity groups and their leaders, key organizational stakeholders, meeting cadence, and other key pieces of information.

The SOPs should be compiled by the organization and housed in an online information hub for easy access. It is also recommended to schedule quarterly reviews of the SOPs to update any changes in processes, procedures, roles, or reporting structures. Creating and regularly updating these resources will also promote greater organizational continuity for DEI initiatives and faster onboarding for both planned and unexpected transitions.

In addition to creating SOPs, I recommend that the leader or team responsible for the organization’s DEI functions prepare an annual report to document the progress of DEI initiatives and programs. By preparing an annual report, the organization can track progress over time, identify areas for improvement, and understand the impact of each leader's contributions. This will foster continuity and act as a tool to drive DEI momentum, even as leadership roles change.