Escaping the echo chamber of D&I lingo

Joanne Lockwood speaks with Greg McCaw about how DEI work can get stuck in an echo chamber of familiar phrases that sound positive but aren’t always explained in a way that helps non-specialists take action. They explore common terms such as “bring your authentic self to work,” “allyship,” “intersectionality,” and “psychological safety,” and why organisations need to translate these into clear expectations, behaviours, and measurable signals.

They discuss how culture change happens through everyday decisions rather than one-off training, and why DEI efforts can become performative if external statements and campaigns aren’t backed up by employees’ lived workplace realities. Greg argues for focusing on business outcomes, testing and learning, and building reinforcement mechanisms across the employee lifecycle so progress is sustained.

The conversation also covers using data and engagement insights responsibly: breaking results down across different groups to spot experience gaps, asking uncomfortable questions, and using real-time feedback loops to enable managers and leaders to respond quickly. They close by reflecting on hybrid working and the opportunity to redesign culture and employee experience so remote and in-office colleagues have equitable access to opportunity and connection.