Is DNI Woke?

ubahn vienna barriers © ian beckett

Diversity and Inclusion (DNI) strategies are adopted by businesses with the same enthusiasm as Enviromental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies — officially to augment shareholder value and facilitate the deployment of organisation transformation services to global businesses.

This is essential if the business is to avoid the fate predicted by McKinsey of a corporate life expectancy of fewer than 18 years by 2027.

The right-wing backlash against transformation by industry dinosaurs and politicians has usurped the term “woke” as a weapon.

The word “woke” once meant something, kind of. But now it’s just an empty, all-purpose insult hurled by conservative propagandists, anti-vaccine fabulists, lazy journalists, and people who don’t want to know our history.

What’s wrong with any of that? To “stay woke” was to stay involved with issues of public concern. It meant being an active citizen and insisting that one’s voice be heard. In its original sense or senses, wokeness was clearly a good thing.

DNI and ESG strategies should deliver bottom-line value if executed by a committed executive team — lip service will not work and sadly as all businesses tend to rise and fall as per McKinsey’s assessment, this results in commitment avoidance.