🤥Fake Inclusion: When DEI is Just a PowerPoint 🤥

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are more than buzzwords—they’re meant to be values in action. But in too many workplaces, DEI has become a box to check, a line in a mission statement, or worse—a colorful PowerPoint with no follow-through.

This isn’t real inclusion. It’s performative, or “fake”, inclusion. And it’s doing more harm than leaders realize.

What Is Performative Inclusion?

Performative inclusion, fake inclusion, happens when a workplace claims to value diversity, but doesn’t back it up with consistent behavior, policies, or accountability. It’s the difference between what's said in public—and what happens behind closed doors.

It’s when leadership hosts a DEI month panel, but stays silent when employees face discrimination.
It’s when a “diverse” photo is on the company website, but promotion data tells a different story.
It’s when harm is minimized in the name of “keeping the peace.”

Signs You’re Experiencing It:

🚩 Grand DEI statements—followed by… nothing.
🚩 “Inclusive” language from leaders who disappear when conflict hits.
🚩 Committees made up of the same few (often unpaid) voices, offering feedback that never gets implemented.
🚩 Celebrating culture months without addressing bias, pay gaps, or psychological safety.

Why It’s Harmful

  • It erodes trust. Empty gestures feel like gaslighting.
  • It silences real feedback. If all criticism is “too negative,” problems get buried.
  • It isolates marginalized employees. They’re often used as symbols of inclusion, but unsupported in practice.
  • It reinforces toxicity. When people see there's no accountability, the culture doesn’t just stagnate—it rots.

SHIELD Strategies to Respond with Power & Poise

🔹 S – Stay Calm and Composed

Calling out performative behavior is emotional—but your power is in your poise. Speak clearly, not defensively.

💬 Try this:

“I want to name that these DEI efforts feel symbolic without structural support. Can we discuss the actual impact measures?”

🔹 H – Hold Boundaries Firmly

You don’t have to be the DEI fix-it person just because you’re affected. You can opt out without guilt.

💬 Try this:

“I’m setting limits on unpaid emotional labor. I’ll support change—but I can’t lead it solo without resources or support.”

🔹 E – Echo and Document

Summarize your concerns in writing. Paper trails protect your perspective and force accountability.

💬 Try this (email follow-up):

“Following up to clarify the DEI points raised in our meeting. I’d like to ensure there’s a plan to address them beyond acknowledgment.”

🔹 D – Disengage and Redirect

Not every fake initiative deserves your time or energy. Redirect to solutions—or walk away professionally.

💬 Try this:

“This feels more like optics than action. I’m happy to re-engage when there’s a commitment to implementation.”

Final Thought

Inclusion isn’t something you say. It’s something you show.
SHIELD Warriors know when to engage—and when to name the gap between language and leadership.

If it’s just a slide deck, it’s not DEI—it’s a distraction.  Experienced fake inclusion?  Let's chat: https://calendly.com/theshieldsystem/welcome-call

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