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Reviews
DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right by Lily Zheng
skelton12's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
Great information to think of DEI from different perspectives. I loved the analogy to think about it a through the lense of a language we’re all trying to learn to better communicate with each other.
brianlarson's review against another edition
4.0
Lily is clearly an expert in the DEI field (hint, hint: there’s not many DEI experts regardless of what your Google searches return).
I think what makes Lily an expert is their intersectionality and lived experiences. They don’t say this outright, but… you can’t be a cis-hetero white dude AND be a DEI expert. BUT, there is space at the table if you do fall into this category. For example, you can be an executive that triumphs DEI-focused change within an organization, but please leave the teaching and coaching to those with the lived toolkits.
I found a lot of “DEI” to take a middle of the road approach to said topic. I understand that we shouldn’t try to further entrench DEI skeptics in their beliefs, but it’s 2022, and talent has a plethora of options outside of companies that don’t see the value of DEI. Our job isn’t to educate DEI naysayers, it’s to push them out (IF a firm is truly sincere in its DEI efforts).
Lily is a thought-leading voice on LinkedIn and I was hoping they would have more intriguing and creative ideas on how best to push for and reward DEI initiatives. For example, they broach the topic of compensating ERG leaders for their work but fall short of actually imploring businesses to think of the double burden of ERG leadership and provide monetary compensation to said burden-holders. Sure, we want equity and equal pay, but if we don’t think bigger than this, how will we ever really push the envelope beyond the demands listed in Dolly’s “9 to 5”?
Lily’s inclusion of the historical context around DEI (from Reagan to present day) is a great addition. They guide readers seamlessly through the days where “multi-culturalism” and “color blindness” (race denial) were seen as innovative “diversity” initiatives. Lily shows readers that these days are not that far in our rear view mirror and, perhaps, vestiges still haunt our present day thinking. I found the few chapters focused on the different forms of power and the different roles of DEI proponents to be the most tedious in the book. They teach these in MBA classes; they’re really just another McKinsey framework gimmick. The inclusion of a case study in each chapter would have really nailed home each chapter’s message. Unfortunately, there’s only a couple of use cases.
In all, this a great beginners guide to DEI. However, it doesn’t push the needle enough to be considered the innovative and provocative work of a DEI change maker (and maybe Lily didn’t want it to be and that’s totally ok).
“Treat candidates like valued stakeholders rather than hot commodities. A common recommendation is for recruiters to note the demographic representation their organization lacks and look for identity-based communities with that representation. For example, if an organization lacks Black employees, disabled employees, and LGBTQ+ employees, a recruiter might be advised to look for candidates at HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities), disability-focused professional communities, and LGBTQ+ community centers. While this isn't necessarily bad advice, recruiters often wrongly assume that reaching communities alone will solve their problems when the more pressing challenge is that of trust. Building trust might look like engaging with prospective candidates where they gather, like colleges, professional
communities, and community colleges.”
I think what makes Lily an expert is their intersectionality and lived experiences. They don’t say this outright, but… you can’t be a cis-hetero white dude AND be a DEI expert. BUT, there is space at the table if you do fall into this category. For example, you can be an executive that triumphs DEI-focused change within an organization, but please leave the teaching and coaching to those with the lived toolkits.
I found a lot of “DEI” to take a middle of the road approach to said topic. I understand that we shouldn’t try to further entrench DEI skeptics in their beliefs, but it’s 2022, and talent has a plethora of options outside of companies that don’t see the value of DEI. Our job isn’t to educate DEI naysayers, it’s to push them out (IF a firm is truly sincere in its DEI efforts).
Lily is a thought-leading voice on LinkedIn and I was hoping they would have more intriguing and creative ideas on how best to push for and reward DEI initiatives. For example, they broach the topic of compensating ERG leaders for their work but fall short of actually imploring businesses to think of the double burden of ERG leadership and provide monetary compensation to said burden-holders. Sure, we want equity and equal pay, but if we don’t think bigger than this, how will we ever really push the envelope beyond the demands listed in Dolly’s “9 to 5”?
Lily’s inclusion of the historical context around DEI (from Reagan to present day) is a great addition. They guide readers seamlessly through the days where “multi-culturalism” and “color blindness” (race denial) were seen as innovative “diversity” initiatives. Lily shows readers that these days are not that far in our rear view mirror and, perhaps, vestiges still haunt our present day thinking. I found the few chapters focused on the different forms of power and the different roles of DEI proponents to be the most tedious in the book. They teach these in MBA classes; they’re really just another McKinsey framework gimmick. The inclusion of a case study in each chapter would have really nailed home each chapter’s message. Unfortunately, there’s only a couple of use cases.
In all, this a great beginners guide to DEI. However, it doesn’t push the needle enough to be considered the innovative and provocative work of a DEI change maker (and maybe Lily didn’t want it to be and that’s totally ok).
“Treat candidates like valued stakeholders rather than hot commodities. A common recommendation is for recruiters to note the demographic representation their organization lacks and look for identity-based communities with that representation. For example, if an organization lacks Black employees, disabled employees, and LGBTQ+ employees, a recruiter might be advised to look for candidates at HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities), disability-focused professional communities, and LGBTQ+ community centers. While this isn't necessarily bad advice, recruiters often wrongly assume that reaching communities alone will solve their problems when the more pressing challenge is that of trust. Building trust might look like engaging with prospective candidates where they gather, like colleges, professional
communities, and community colleges.”
emilielewis's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic breakdown of what common problems organizations face and how to overcome them and move toward a more equitable future. Zheng writes with frank honesty and actionable insights. I love the questions and solutions offered at the end of each chapter and their belief in an always-learning approach.