This highlight video is from January 31, 2025 session Strategic DEI Reimagined: From Employee Groups to Business Impact in 2025 and Beyond

"High performing teams focus on the 'I' of DEI—Inclusion." - Suzanne Sherry

This quote, shared by Suzanne during our recent roundtable discussion, underscores the critical shift needed to transform Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives into strategic drivers of business success. The session provided a comprehensive exploration of that very topic, offering talent leaders actionable strategies for crafting impactful programs.

Here are three key takeaways from the discussion:

Strategic Integration of DEI:

• DEI as Business Strategy: Moving DEI beyond resource groups and into strategic business units capable of driving measurable impact. This shift requires embedding DEI initiatives within the core strategic plans, ensuring they contribute directly to business outcomes.
• Practical Action: Develop a framework for integrating DEI into business strategy discussions and decision-making processes. Ensure that DEI objectives are aligned with overall business goals and have clear metrics for tracking success.

Importance of Inclusion:

• Cultivating High-Performing Teams: As Suzanne Sherry highlighted, focusing on inclusion within DEI efforts is essential for fostering high-performing teams. This involves not just assembling diverse teams but actively working to include various perspectives in decision-making processes.
• Practical Action: Implement inclusion training for all managerial levels, focusing on practical skills for facilitating inclusive meetings and leveraging diverse viewpoints for innovation.

Empowering Leadership:

• Role of Executive Sponsors: Enhance the impact of DEI by empowering leaders, especially executive sponsors, to champion these initiatives. This includes providing them with the tools and support needed to advocate effectively for DEI within the organization.
• Practical Action: Create a leadership development program specifically for executive sponsors of DEI initiatives, focusing on strategies for influencing peers and embedding DEI in corporate culture.

This roundtable wasn't just discussion—it was action. Participants collaboratively developed strategic playbooks to transform current DEI practices into robust strategies driving innovation and competitive advantage.

Looking ahead to 2025, HR leaders must reimagine DEI not as a separate initiative, but as a core business driver. By prioritizing inclusion and empowering leaders, organizations can cultivate a more engaged, innovative, and committed workforce, positioning themselves for future success. These strategies enable senior HR talent leaders to not only adapt to evolving demographics and expectations, but to lead the way in building truly inclusive, high-performing workplaces.