Article 9: Addressing the Resistance to DEI and EII: Engaging the Skeptics  

Achieving Unity Success Formula – Encouraging, Inspiring and Including others in Action  

Do the words “Diversity, Equity, and Including others” carry weight, sometimes hope, and sometimes hesitation?  

Over the past few years, it seems that DEI initiatives have taken center stage in workplaces, schools, and communities with limited fact and too many rumors. The rise, because of the confusion, has caused a wave of concern, confusion, and even resistance.  

This is where today’s article meets us: not in the celebration of DEI progress, but in the questions that still remain.  

Let us acknowledge something important, resistance is not always rooted in anger or hate. Sometimes people are skeptics because of fear, fatigue, and/or frustration.   

People may worry about being excluded from the conversation, or unsure how DEI affects them, or impacts them, personally. Some have seen, or possibly experienced, poorly implemented efforts that felt more like checkboxes than real change or any improvements. And for others, these conversations may challenge deeply held beliefs or lived experiences.  

What can we do to start listening and stop labeling? When someone asks, “Why does DEI matter to me?” they are not always shutting the door. Sometimes, they are cracking the door open, hoping for an answer that feels real and respectful. They are looking for a few facts and not rumors or Facebook hearsay.  

Shifting the Focus: From Division to Connection  

This is where EII, Encouraging, Inspiring, and Including others, offers a new way forward.   

While DEI often focuses on systems, policies, and group dynamics (and maybe rightly so), EII focuses on people, person to person, moment by moment.  

• Encouraging meets people where they are and offers hope that change is possible, without shame, leading to a lifetime of improvement with little to no effort. 

• Inspiring ignites action, not out of obligation, but out of a desire to build or be part of something better. Buy-in to a working focus is a very viable investment. 

• Including others ensures no one is left behind, not even those who feel unsure or skeptical at first. Knowledge builds friendships, partnerships and understanding.  

When we lead with EII, we are not ignoring the challenges of DEI, we are making the challenges more approachable and sustainable.  

Common Concerns, and Constructive Ways to Engage  

Let us take a look at a few common concerns and how the Achieving Unity Success Formula can help reframe the conversation:  

1. “DEI makes me feel like I am part of the problem.” 
   → Encouraging: EII reminds us that change does not require perfection; it asks only for participation. Everyone has something to offer, and we all grow at our own pace. 

1. “I don’t want to be judged for what I believe or how I grew up.” 
   → Including others: No one’s background is dismissed in EII. Instead, we build understanding by sharing, not silencing. Diverse views become the soil where connection can grow. 

1. “These efforts feel forced or performative.” 
   → Inspiring: Real change does not come from policies alone; it comes from people who care. EII invites each of us to take ownership of the culture we helped create. 

1. “I’m afraid of saying the wrong thing.” 
   → Encouraging: Mistakes happen. EII creates “space for grace,” where learning is welcome and progress matters more than perfection.  
   
   

Moving the Conversation Forward  

Rather than pushing harder against resistance, we can invite dialogue that builds trust. EII creates an open door for reflection, relationship, and responsibility. Leaders who engage skeptics with EII do not shy away from truth, but they deliver it with caring. And that care makes all the difference.  

People are more likely to listen, and change, when they feel heard, valued, and safe. By bringing the Achieving Unity Success Formula into our DEI conversations, we create bridges instead of barriers.  

A Simple Step You Can Take Today  

If you have ever struggled to connect across a line of difference, whether cultural, generational, or ideological, start by encouraging someone. Listen fully, without crafting a sharp reply. Find common ground. Let your actions inspire trust. And include others in conversations that matter, not just those who already agree with you.  

EII helps DEI grow roots that last. To make DEI stick, the formula is not complexity, it is consistency. EII turns policy into practice, supports measurable progress, anchors work in leadership, and allows DEI to evolve with real-time feedback. That is how DEI grows roots that can dig deep and last forever.  

Let us keep building, Achieving Unity, together.  

Coming Next: Article 10 – EII as a Continuous Journey  
In our final article, we will explore how Encouraging, Inspiring, and Including others can be practiced daily to sustain DEI work for the long run. It is not about checking off boxes, it is about building real momentum, real relationships, and a legacy of unity.  

We can keep learning, leading, and lifting together with a benefit for all; yes, you, me, our family, our friends, the people we work with and everyone we know or they know!  

Unity is truly all of us.  

In our last article in this series, we will explore more aspects of EII and its powerful role as we continue the journey. In article 10, we will share constructive ways to engage those who may feel skeptical and then close with how we can sustain DEI efforts in the long run through EII.  

10. EII as a Continuous Journey: Sustaining DEI efforts for the long term.  

As we conclude this critical discussion on addressing resistance to DEI and EII in two weeks, aren’t we reminded that every conversation, challenge, and breakthrough brings us one step closer to genuine transformation.   

But the journey does not end. we will explore how to keep the momentum alive, how to anchor Encouraging, Inspiring, and Including others into the fabric of daily leadership so that DEI is not lost because of political drama but it becomes more than a program, it becomes a way of life through EII.  

The final article will talk about building enduring habits, creating inclusive systems, and leading with a mindset that sustains change across seasons, roles, and generations.  

Today is the time to reflect, engage, and recommit. I invite you to share your experiences, questions, or challenges, because your voice helps illuminate the path forward for us all. Your story might be the spark that empowers someone else to take that first courageous step.   

Let us continue to lead with intention, and together, build a future shaped not by resistance, but by resolve.  

Stay tuned for our next and final article that will be published on July 3rd, 2025. Let us finish strong, and carry EII forward as a lifelong mission.  

Thank you for reading my articles as your insights and experiences matter deeply. I invite you to share your reflections and stories with me as each perspective enriches our collective journey.  

Your contributions may inspire others in upcoming articles, helping us all learn and progress. We grow stronger with every story shared so please feel welcome to reach out. With your permission, I may be able to use your insight in a future article. Contact me today.  

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