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Hundreds of books have been written, terabytes of videos have been uploaded and thousands of hours have been presented on the topic of diversity training in the workplace—more specifically, diversity, equity and inclusion, or “DEI”. The one thing all these types of programs have in common is the money made on the material.

There’s nothing wrong with a product or service making money so long as it legitimately solves a problem, and a company gets what it paid for. But many of these programs are ever-changing, with something new every year. One has to ask: if these concepts keep changing and being constantly revised, was there ever a solid foundation for them in the first place?

But sometimes, these fuzzy ideas do more harm than good when there was no problem at all to begin with. It really is a game of semantics. And for some, it truly is a game to say one thing and yet allow some to think they mean something else. Consider it marketing, a trick of the mind, or just plain propaganda.

Whatever you call it, it’s not necessarily the whole truth. Whatever the team looks like, there is never quite enough diversity, equity or inclusion. It’s a game of “heads I win, tails you lose.” There are a lot of hypersensitive trainers and resource managers out there who actually do more harm than good.

In 2021, Christopher Rufo, a writer for the City Journal, exposed training for a prominent American defense contractor. In his article, Rufo highlights how a handbook entitled Stronger Together contains a list of what to say, what not to say, and how to identify one’s own biases. But this pessimistic view assumes all people are critically flawed.

And that’s not a one-off experience. Another contractor held a “re-education camp” for white males so they may expose their culture as a privilege. An entertainment company “challenges” its employees to fill out a checklist of private and uncomfortable questions. And a beverage company provided online training which tells its employees to “be less white.”

I’m not opposed to diversity training in and of itself. After all, I conduct workshops on the topic. It’s just one portion of my team-building curriculum, though.

Of course there should be diversity! A team which is diverse in age, culture and viewpoints is better equipped for success, because any challenge which may arise is no longer viewed from just one perspective. This true diversity almost ensures the inspiration of new techniques and systems. It spawns synergy.

Differences need not be viewed as obstacles, but rather as untapped resources. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina once said, “The highest calling of leadership is to unlock the potential in others.” Find what is unique about each member of a team that could be used as an advantage.

Of course there should be equity! If by that term, we mean providing fair opportunities for each employee to progress. Sadly, even this word has been compromised. Pundits have latched onto “equity” to mean something quite the opposite of what is discussed here.

There is often confusion between the terms equality and equity. They certainly sound alike. Many times, these words are used almost interchangeably, but they are not synonymous. One describes sameness, while the other describes what is fair or just. It is better for a business owner or manager to invest in the personal excellence of the individuals.

Excellence is not perfection; rather, it is the achievement of individual greatness. It is when someone is doing the very best he or she can do. And how many times have we seen someone not even try to live up to their best? That’s where a good leader can come into play.

Vince Lombardi famously stated, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” Considered to be one of the best football coaches in history, Lombardi knew how to get the most out of his men. He understood each athlete’s talents as well as his limitations. He had confidence in his players, and they trusted him.

Of course there should be inclusion! Inclusiveness is a main function of management. Every employee should feel safe, respected and welcome. And trust is a very big part of inclusion.

Diversity brings us innovation, or the pursuit of new ideas. Equity brings us excellence or high performance. But inclusion brings us collaboration. Collaboration is the process of people working together to achieve a common goal. It’s teamwork. Innovation and personal excellence mean nothing if they are not brought together.

However, the recent corporate training of diversity, equity and inclusion can do more damage than good to an organization. The words sound nice, but what is actually being taught? In some cases, the curriculum fosters division and creates resentment among employees.

When such training is not facilitated correctly, some employees can feel as though they are under a microscope, or tokenized. Meanwhile, others could feel marginalized or pushed out simply because they showed up to work that day. This division is hardly what could be called “team building.”

A wise man once said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Martin Luther King Jr. knew there was more that united people than separated them. Perhaps it’s time we get back to that ideal. Let’s stop pigeonholing people into categories and just accept them for who they are.