The Art of the DEI-Rollback Memo: Working Capital

Analyzing trends in leadership, management and the art of career building.

Did you get the memo?

Another day, another DEI-rollback memo. While every management team has its own way of communicating decisions to retire programs or goals tied to diversity, equity and inclusion — Google, for example, styled its employee memo as a Q&A with its chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi — commonalities are emerging.

Almost all of the communiques have some sort of disclaimer, often in bold, like: Everyone is welcomed here. Everyone belongs. (Subtext: We’re just not going to talk about race or gender in public anymore.)

“We want ...