Book SummaryDEI Deconstructed, by Lily Zheng

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of DEI Deconstructed

Is your organization struggling to achieve a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment? Do members feel disenfranchised, mistreated, or underrepresented? In DEI Deconstructed (2022), Lily Zheng (they/them) champions diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at a time when many organizations are struggling to move beyond performative gestures and create meaningful change. Zheng presents a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to DEI work that focuses on measurable outcomes rather than just good intentions. Using research-backed insights and real-world case studies, Zheng challenges conventional wisdom about DEI initiatives and provides a framework to help organizations make lasting improvements.

Zheng is a DEI strategist and consultant who works with...

DEI Deconstructed Summary What Is DEI and Why Does It Matter?

To begin, let’s define what DEI is: DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In general, DEI refers to an organizational framework that promotes the fair treatment of everyone within the organization. Identity is a central concept of DEI because DEI initiatives aim to create environments where individuals of all identities feel valued, respected, and supported.

Zheng explains that the definitions organizations use for the terms “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion” are often vague and, importantly, focused on intentions rather than measurable outcomes. Zheng emphasizes that organizations should reframe these terms to focus on what they plan to achieve and how they plan to do it. A common understanding of the meaning of these key terms will help organizations and their members work productively to create meaningful change.

The Trouble With Terminology: The “Euphemism Treadmill”

Linguists suggest that the acronym “DEI” and its related terms have been subject to the “euphemism treadmill”—a process in which one term replaces another stigmatized term but...

DEI Deconstructed Summary Common Pitfalls in Current DEI Approaches

Zheng describes the pitfalls of some of the most common DEI initiatives, such as policies, training, and volunteerism. DEI policies (overarching statements about an organization’s goals) appear to be quick, easy solutions, but Zheng cites a study showing that these policies can mask discrimination by reducing advantaged groups’ perception of bias.

(Shortform note: The study Zheng cites offers some additional insights into how DEI policies can mask discrimination: The authors of the study suggest that this masking is the result of signaling, or what these policies communicate to the organization’s members, potential hires, or the public. Whether or not such a policy has succeeded in its stated goals, its mere presence signals that it has succeeded, so people interpret it as a description of how things are in the organization, rather than how they should be. In effect, these policies lead advantaged groups to believe that the organization already treats disadvantaged groups fairly.)

Zheng writes that DEI training (programs such as Unconscious Bias Training or Sensitivity Training) is...

DEI Deconstructed Summary Rethinking Identity

Identity plays a crucial role in DEI. Zheng explains that early approaches to DEI work focused on blaming privileged groups and reducing their prejudices to try to keep them from discriminating against marginalized groups. However, this resulted in the backlash effects mentioned earlier, often leading members of privileged groups to become even more prejudiced against marginalized groups.

(Shortform note: The backlash effects Zheng describes might result partially from feelings of defensiveness, as people from privileged groups often view challenges to the social hierarchy as personal attacks on their character. For example, in White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo describes several typical responses white people have when discussing racism: They may deny racist behavior, claim that their feelings have been hurt by being accused of racism, claim that the members of marginalized groups are being overly sensitive, or argue that the person bringing up racism is the true racist. DiAngelo argues that these aren’t just defense mechanisms, but rather a...

DEI Deconstructed Summary The Role of Power

Zheng explains that many individuals feel powerless to enact any change in their organizations. However, they point out that everyone has power in one form or another. They identify six types of power:

• Formal power: being in an official position that confers influence
• Reward power: being able to compensate others
• Coercive power: being able to punish others
• Expert power: having greater expertise than others
• Informational power: having more information than others
• Referent power: being able to influence others through charisma

Everyone can exercise at least one of these types of power to some extent, and some people have access to multiple types of power.

For example, a senior leader in a company has formal power, as their position confers the ability to ask others to do something. They may also have reward power if they have influence over pay or bonuses, and coercive power if they have any disciplinary authority or influence over firing decisions. Those without formal power can still exercise reward and coercive power—for instance, by rewarding others with praise or punishing organizations by drawing negative public attention to...

DEI Deconstructed Summary Individual Roles in Creating Change

Zheng emphasizes that proper DEI work needs everyone to come together to create meaningful change in an organization. This requires an understanding not only of power, but also of the specific roles each individual can play in working toward this change. Zheng describes seven such roles, all of which must be filled in order for a movement to be effective: the advocate, the educator, the organizer, the strategist, the backer, the builder, and the reformer. If any of these roles goes unfilled, the movement will fail.

(Shortform note: Research suggests that when everyone understands their role and the responsibilities that come with it, teams are more productive and face fewer conflicts. Teams also perform better when the route to accomplishing their objective isn’t set in stone, so framing your movement as one that will require some creative thinking can further enhance your movement’s success.)

To illustrate these roles, we’ll use the example of a company that’s beginning a movement to improve equity for disabled people in their organization. The company has a history of discriminating against disabled people in their...

DEI Deconstructed Summary How to Make It Work: Trust

There’s no one-size-fits-all practice for achieving DEI. Rather, Zheng explains that the process for carrying out effective DEI work in an organization depends on the level of trust in that organization. Trust refers to how much faith everyone involved in an organization has that the organization will follow through on its word. When employees share their experiences or participate in organizational initiatives, they’re spending trust, just like spending money. An organization can nurture and replenish that trust by treating its members with understanding, appreciation, and respect. However, if an organization retaliates against employees for sharing their experiences or fails to reward hard work, that trust dissipates.

(Shortform note: The reason organizational trust is so essential in doing good DEI work may be because it provides a sense of psychological safety. Psychological safety is the degree to which people feel it’s safe to take interpersonal risks such as communicating openly with each other, expressing ideas and concerns, and inviting feedback. Research shows that teams perform...

Shortform Exercise: What Role Will You Play in Creating Change?

According to Zheng, every individual has some power to create change in their organization, and successful DEI movements require people to fill seven essential roles: advocate, educator, organizer, strategist, backer, builder, and reformer. This exercise will help you identify which role(s) you’re best suited for based on your position, skills, and types of power.

Reflect on the six types of power Zheng describes (formal, reward, coercive, expert, informational, and referent). Which types of power do you currently have access to in your organization? Consider both obvious and subtle forms of power.