Stop Buying DEI Training. Start Building DEI Systems.

I'm going to tell you something that might cost me business.

Last month, I got a call from an ED who'd just sat through their organization's third diversity training in two years. "We keep doing these workshops," she said, exhausted. "People cry, they share, they commit to doing better. And then six weeks later, we're right back where we started. What are we doing wrong?"

I took a breath. "You're not doing anything wrong. The training isn't designed to create the change you're asking it to create."

She went quiet. Then: "So what do we do?"

That's the conversation I've been having more and more over the past decade. And honestly? I'm tired of watching organizations waste money on interventions that don't work.

DEI training alone doesn't work.

I know this because I've been facilitating equity and inclusion workshops since 2015. I've seen organizations invest tens of thousands of dollars bringing their entire staff together for difficult conversations, watching people leave feeling inspired and committed—only to find that absolutely nothing has shifted six months later.

The worst part? The research backs this up.

The Training Trap: Why Diversity Workshops Don't Create Change

Here's the pattern I see over and over:

Something happens. Maybe it's a crisis—public controversy, an internal complaint, staff leaving and citing culture problems in their exit interviews. Or maybe leadership just decides it's finally time to "do something" about diversity and inclusion.

The response? Book a DEI training.

I get why. Training feels productive. You can point to a date on the calendar and say, "Look, we're addressing this." Leadership can report back to the board: "We brought in experts." Staff attendance gets tracked. Boxes get checked.

But here's what the research actually shows:

Mandatory diversity training can make bias worse.

Harvard Business Review analyzed decades of diversity program data. Organizational sociologists Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev found that "decades of social science research point to a simple truth: You won't get managers on board by blaming and shaming them with rules and reeducation. The positive effects of diversity training rarely last beyond a day or two, and a number of studies suggest that it can activate bias or spark a backlash."

I've seen it happen. I facilitated a session a few years back where a white manager spent the entire debrief defending himself against things no one had accused him of. He'd gone into the training feeling like a good person committed to equity. He left feeling attacked and resentful. Two months later, he was blocking a promotion for a Black employee, telling HR she "wasn't ready yet" despite her clear qualifications.

Why? Because compliance-based approaches trigger psychological reactance—the more you tell people they have to think or feel a certain way, the harder they push back. And when training isn't connected to actual organizational change—when policies stay the same, when leadership doesn't model anything different—people learn fast that this is all performance.

What the Research Actually Shows About Effective DEI Training

I'm not saying training has zero value. I'm saying training by itself rarely creates lasting change.

Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, the Stanford psychologist who won a MacArthur "Genius" grant for her research on bias, explains it this way: bias operates at two levels. Individual and structural. We need interventions that address both. Awareness training helps individuals recognize their own biases. But if you don't also redesign the systems that allow bias to flourish—hiring processes, promotion criteria, who gets access to leadership—nothing fundamentally changes.

Ibram X. Kendi puts it even more bluntly in How to Be an Antiracist: the question isn't "Am I racist?" The question is "What racist policies am I supporting?" Because antiracism isn't about your feelings. It's about power and policy.

Dolly Chugh, who teaches organizational behavior at NYU Stern, talks about the difference between "believers" and "builders." Believers think having good intentions is enough. Builders understand you have to actually construct something different.

Training can help people understand why equity matters. But it doesn't make them builders. That requires a completely different kind of investment.

When I've Actually Seen DEI Training Work

I've been doing this for ten years, and I can tell you exactly when I've seen training create real change: when it was part of something much bigger.

OnPoint Community Credit Union didn't hire me for a one-day workshop. They committed to a year-long training series. We met quarterly—four times over twelve months. Between sessions, their leadership reinforced what we'd covered in team meetings. They used the frameworks I introduced to actually redesign member services and examine their lending practices through an equity lens.

Staff weren't just learning—they were applying, practicing, getting feedback, trying again. That's when people actually change how they show up.

What made the difference? Training was one ingredient in a comprehensive recipe that included assessment, leadership commitment, structural change, accountability, and sustained practice over time.

Not a workshop. A strategy.

What Works Better Than DEI Training: 5 Evidence-Based Strategies

If standalone training doesn't work, what does? Here's what I've seen create real change:

1. Start with Assessment, Not Diversity Training

You can't fix what you don't understand. Before any training, you need:

• Culture surveys and listening sessions to understand what's really happening

• Equity audits of policies and practices to find structural barriers

• Retention and demographic data analysis to see who's leaving and who's staying

• Leadership self-assessment to gauge readiness

Assessment shows you root causes, not just symptoms. I worked with a nonprofit convinced they had a "pipeline problem." The assessment revealed they were hiring diverse staff fine—they were losing them within eighteen months because the culture was toxic and leadership was conflict-avoidant. No amount of recruiting training was going to fix that.

2. Get Real Leadership Commitment (Not Just Buy-In)

Real commitment looks like:

• Participating in learning alongside staff, not exempting themselves

• Modeling vulnerability and admitting what they don't know

• Allocating actual resources—time, money, people

• Making decisions through an equity lens

• Holding themselves accountable with metrics and consequences

When leadership treats DEI as "an HR thing" or delegates it to a committee, everyone learns this isn't actually a priority. Culture change happens when the people with power change how they use that power.

3. Redesign Your Structures and Processes

Good intentions don't override bad systems. Organizations that create real change examine and redesign:

• Hiring practices: Who reviews resumes? What does "culture fit" really mean?

• Promotion processes: Are pathways clear or all informal relationships?

• Compensation: Are you paying equitably across race and gender?

• Decision-making: Who's in the room when choices get made?

• Resource allocation: Where is money going and who benefits?

Training can help people recognize bias in these systems. But then you have to actually change the systems.

4. Build Real Accountability Into Your DEI Strategy

What gets measured gets managed. Organizations serious about equity:

• Track meaningful metrics (retention, promotion, compensation by demographic)

• Report progress transparently to staff, board, and community

• Tie accountability to performance evaluations

• Create protected systems for feedback

Without accountability, equity work becomes expensive wallpaper.

5. Invest in Ongoing Practice, Not One-Time Training

Skill development requires repetition. You don't learn to navigate difficult conversations about race from a single workshop. You learn by:

• Practicing in lower-stakes environments

• Getting feedback and coaching

• Applying what you learned in real situations

• Building muscle memory over time

This is why our most successful partnerships involve quarterly sessions over a full year, leadership coaching alongside team training, and follow-up support during implementation. Behavior change is a process, not an event.

The Right Question Isn't "Should We Do DEI Training?"

The question is: "What does our organization need to create sustainable, equitable change—and where does training fit in that strategy?"

Maybe you need an equity audit to understand where bias is embedded in your systems.

Maybe you need executive coaching to help leadership develop the skills to actually lead this work.

Maybe you need strategic planning that centers equity in your organizational direction and resources.

Maybe you need fractional leadership support to guide culture transformation while you build internal capacity.

Maybe you need a facilitated retreat where leadership can address the unspoken tensions getting in everyone's way.

Maybe you need team development that helps people practice inclusive collaboration with real scenarios.

And yes, maybe you need training—but as part of a broader strategy, not as a substitute for one.

What This Means If You're Trying to Figure This Out

If you're leading an organization or working in HR trying to move toward something more equitable, here's what I want you to know:

There is no quick fix. Stop looking for one.

DEI is not a compliance issue. It's a culture issue and a systems issue.

You can't outsource this entirely. Bring in expertise, but you can't hand someone a check and expect them to "fix" your culture while you keep operating the same way.

Start with honest assessment. Start with your leadership. Start with your structures. Build in accountability. And yes, invest in training—but only as one piece of a multi-year commitment.

The Work That Actually Sticks

I still do training. I believe in it. But I don't do standalone workshops anymore without understanding the broader context.

When someone calls asking for a half-day diversity training, I ask questions: What are you hoping this will accomplish? What's driving this request? What happens the day after? What structural changes are you prepared to make?

Sometimes they realize they need something different—an equity audit, strategic planning, leadership coaching, a retreat to address what they've been avoiding, or ongoing partnership through implementation.

Sometimes they're not ready. They want the appearance of action without the discomfort of change. And honestly? I tell them training won't give them that.

But when organizations are ready—when leadership is willing to examine their own practices, when there's real appetite for structural change, when they want sustained partnership—that's when this work becomes transformational.

If You're Ready to Move Beyond Training

I work with nonprofits, government agencies, and social impact organizations at critical moments—when you're scaling so fast your systems are breaking, when you're rebuilding after crisis, or when you're done with the gap between your equity values and your reality.

I provide coaching, strategic support, equity audits, leadership development, and yes, training—but only as part of comprehensive approaches to transformation.

Want to explore what your organization actually needs? Download our complete guide: "Beyond Training: Building DEI Systems That Last" or schedule a discovery call.

Because the future you're trying to build isn't going to come from a workshop. It's going to come from sustained commitment, structural change, and the courage to do the hard work that actually moves the needle.

Frequently Asked Questions About DEI Training

How much does DEI training cost?

DEI training costs vary from $2,000 for a single workshop to $50,000+ for year-long programs. But cost matters less than ROI. A $5,000 standalone workshop that creates temporary awareness is expensive. A $30,000 investment in assessment, strategic planning, and sustained skill-building that actually shifts culture pays for itself in retention and performance. The question isn't "How much does training cost?" It's "What will it cost us to keep operating this way?"

How long does DEI training take?

A single session runs 90 minutes to a full day. Real transformation takes 6-24 months minimum. One session creates awareness. A series over time builds skills. Sustained partnership with accountability creates culture change. If someone's promising significant transformation from a half-day workshop, they don't understand how behavior change works.

Is DEI training required by law?

In some cases—certain states require harassment prevention training. But legal compliance and culture change are different things. Compliance training checks a box. Culture change requires voluntary commitment, structural redesign, and sustained practice. If you're only doing DEI work because you're legally required to, your people know it.

What should I look for in a DEI consultant or trainer?

Ask: Do they ask about your systems and structures, or just offer workshops? Do they have a theory of change? What happens after the training? Can they show evidence of impact—not just testimonials, but organizational outcomes? Do they understand your context? The best consultants don't just train—they assess, strategize, coach, facilitate, and partner over time.

What's the difference between diversity training and equity training?

Diversity training focuses on representation—increasing variety of identities. Equity training focuses on fairness—dismantling systems creating unequal outcomes. Inclusion training focuses on belonging—making sure people can be themselves and thrive. You need all three. The best work integrates everything.

How do I know if my organization is ready for DEI work?

You're ready if: leadership will examine their own behavior, you'll allocate real resources, you're open to uncomfortable truths, you're willing to make structural changes, you can handle the tension. You're not ready if: you're responding to external pressure without believing change is necessary, you want appearance without discomfort, leadership plans to exempt themselves, or you're hoping training will "fix" people without changing systems.

Can DEI training be done virtually or does it need to be in person?

Both work. Virtual is accessible—no travel, reaches distributed teams. In-person builds connection faster. I've facilitated powerful virtual sessions and mediocre in-person ones. Format matters less than design, facilitator skill, and organizational commitment. For initial skill-building, virtual works great. For deeper relational work—retreats, conflict resolution, rebuilding trust—in-person is usually more effective.

What happens if our DEI training goes badly?

Training can go sideways when someone says something harmful and it's not addressed, participants feel attacked, marginalized people are asked to educate, conflict surfaces without a plan to work through it, or leadership visibly checks out. This is why facilitation skill matters. Good facilitators hold tension, navigate conflict, and keep people engaged when uncomfortable. Training should come with a plan for when things get messy. If your facilitator doesn't talk about that upfront, that's a red flag.

Alexis Braly James
Founder & CEO, Construct the Present
Certified B Corporation | COBID Certified WBE/MBE/ESB