DIY DEI Isn’t Failing—The Math Is Failing Us
Let’s call this what it is.
DIY DEI isn’t stalling because people aren’t passionate. It’s stalling because the math doesn’t work.
For DIY DEI leaders in small and midsize businesses, this is the conversation we need to have.
Here’s what’s on your plate:
- Culture transformation
- Systems change
- ERG support
- Performance accountability
👉 And here’s what you don’t have:
- The people
- The budget
- The time
- The tools
That’s where the gap starts.
This is the real cost:
- Burnout
- Tokenization
- Systemic fatigue
Let’s be clear: When DEI is treated as a business priority, it gets resourced like one. However, when it’s treated as a culture add-on, it’s the first thing to get cut.
If you’re leading DEI without full resourcing, you’re not failing. You’re being set up to struggle. This happens over and over again—especially to people with lived experience.
👉 You deserve a seat at the resource table—not just the values table.
Why This Matters
The Harvard Business Review names what we’ve seen: DEI efforts fail not because of the people, but because of the system. Underfunded, unsupported DEI work consistently collapses—and the fallout always lands on the practitioners doing it anyway.
This isn’t a passion problem. It’s a resourcing problem. Therefore, we need to stop pretending the math works.
That’s what we’re naming this week inside the Diversiology Practitioner Community.
We’re not here to talk about doing more. Instead, we’re here to talk about being honest about what it really takes.
In addition, we are shifting the conversation from survival to strategy.
Here’s Your Move
💡 Download the Mind the Gap Playbook — practical DEI tools that help you name the resource gap and lead the conversation with clarity.
💬 Where are you carrying the weight without enough support? Join the Diversiology Practitioner Community and let’s stop pretending the math works.
