In this episode of FARSIGHT Chats, host Farah Bala engages in a conversation with global DEI experts Rohini Anand and William Rolack to discuss the nuances of equity and inclusion across different global contexts. The discussion covers the importance of integrating DEI into core business strategies, and the necessity of both lead and lag indicators for accountability. Various challenges and successes from around the world are compared, emphasizing the need for a global, yet locally adaptable approach. They highlight that DEI strategies must be adapted to local socio-political and cultural conditions, with examples from Europe, China, and India. The episode concludes with a call to consider intersectionality and inclusive practices in measurable ways, even in contexts with restrictive data collection laws like France.

| KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED |

UNDERSTANDING DEI GLOBALLY

• No one-size-fits-all approach: Equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI) practices vary significantly by country and culture.
• U.S.-centric language and frameworks often don’t translate globally; inclusion efforts must reflect local histories, legal systems, and cultural values.

CONTEXT MATTERS

• Race is central in the U.S., but in other countries, other dimensions dominate (e.g., caste in India, religion in Europe, socioeconomic status in France).
• France bans race-based data collection, affecting how inclusion is measured; socioeconomic and generational data are sometimes used as proxies.

STRATEGIES THAT WORK

• Transversal approach is best: Combines global strategy with local adaptability.
• Top-down universal strategies can backfire when not culturally sensitive (e.g., pride badges in countries where LGBTQ+ identities are criminalized).

EMERGING IDENTITIES & INTERSECTIONALITY

• Cultural identities are increasingly complex, especially among multiracial or multicultural individuals.
• New cultures are forming rapidly as global mixing increases, making a rigid identity framework obsolete.

ACCOUNTABILITY & METRICS

• Use both lag and lead indicators: Track outcomes (like promotions) and behaviors (like mentorship or ERG participation).
• Link DEI goals to business strategy and executive performance reviews to ensure commitment and progress.

BUSINESS INTEGRATION

• DEI must be embedded in all business areas: talent, marketing, supplier diversity, sustainability, and customer engagement.
• Companies like Sodexo and Kroll use DEI as a business enabler, driving innovation, market access, and client relationships.

TOTAL INCLUSION MODEL

• Move beyond identity-based ERGs to include everyone (e.g., cisgender white men, multiracial individuals) through innovation teams and hybrid models.
• DEI should be altruistic and purpose-driven, not only compliance-based or reactive.

WHAT CAN THE U.S. LEARN

• Europe leads in areas like disability inclusion and women on boards, often due to quotas.
• Other cultures value family and community differently, which can inform talent strategy (e.g., engaging families in Asia as part of retention).

| SHOW NOTES |

00:00 Welcome to FARSIGHT Chats

00:29 Introduction to Today's Episode

03:29 Meet the Experts: Rohini Anand and William Rolack

05:21 Understanding Global DEI Perspectives

08:21 Challenges and Strategies in Global DEI

16:14 Local Contexts and Global Frameworks

34:46 Accountability and Metrics in DEI

40:57 Addressing Inclusion for All

48:36 Conclusion and Call to Action

| WORKS CITED |

In this episode of FARSIGHT Chats, hosted by Farah Bala, founder and CEO of FARSIGHT, the conversation centers around promoting mental health in the workplace. Farah is joined by Stephanie Forbes of Commerce Tools, and Eva Rüger from OpenUp, hosted by Nicole Hayworth, as they discuss the complexities of mental health at work. The discussion, part of Commerce Tools' Toolbox series for Mental Health Awareness Month (May 2025), explores the balance between personal and employer responsibilities, the impact of diverse identities and neurodivergence on mental health needs, and the importance of psychological safety. The conversation emphasizes the roles of feedback, autonomy, and consistent support in fostering a healthy and productive work environment. The episode concludes with insights on the future of workplace mental health support, underscoring the necessity of curiosity, proactive planning, and human-centered leadership. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their workplace support systems and personal self-care practices.

| KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED |

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE: MYTHS & REALITIES

• Access ≠ Safety: Offering mental health resources is not enough if the culture discourages their use due to stigma.
• Support ≠ Diagnosis: Employees don’t need a diagnosis to deserve support; mental health exists on a spectrum.
• Cultural Norms Evolve: Outdated workplace models (e.g., 9-to-5, 5-day work week) no longer serve today's diverse and tech-driven workforce.

RESPONSIBILITY: EMPLOYER VS. EMPLOYEE

• Backpack Analogy (Farah Bala): Everyone carries personal experiences ("backpacks"); individuals are responsible for unpacking theirs, while companies should acknowledge and support employees without owning their personal burdens.
• Balance of Responsibility:
• Employer: Provide tools, normalize mental health, offer psychological safety.
• Employee: Practice self-awareness, self-regulation, and engage in self-care.

EQUITY, DEI, & MENTAL HEALTH

• Mental health is a DEI issue, not just a wellness concern.
• Support must be tailored: Uniform solutions don’t work across identities. Cultural context and ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) are key to inclusivity.
• Managers should be trained in inclusive leadership and coaching skills.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY VS. SAFETY

• Psychological safety = courage to speak up, authenticity, and growth.
• Safety = comfort zone, avoidance, passivity.
• Effective leaders create conditions for psychological safety, not passive comfort.

PREVENTING OVER-DEPENDENCE

• Resources should empower, not enable.
• Managers should avoid becoming pseudo-therapists—listen, coach, refer to professional support systems.

COMMUNICATION & ACCOUNTABILITY

• Regular, informal feedback loops create psychological safety and reinforce accountability.
• Cascading communications from leaders, ERGs, and HR are essential to increase awareness and usage of mental health offerings.

LOOKING HEAD: FUTURE OF WORK

• Neurodiversity and Gen Z expectations require adaptive strategies.
• One-size-fits-all won’t work—employers need to lead with curiosity and co-design support systems with employees.
• AI & Wellbeing: Technology should spark ideas, not replace human empathy.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Embed mental health into leadership development and company-wide strategy.
• Invest in training managers as coaches, not just task managers.
• Build infrastructure for agility and foresight—anticipate, don’t react.

| SHOW NOTES |

00:00 Introduction to...

In this episode of FARSIGHT Chats, host Farah Bala engages with Lily Zheng, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategist. They discuss addressing fatigue and achieving meaningful change on the road to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-oppression. Lily shares their background, emphasizing the importance of leadership consulting and DEI survey assessments to ground DEI work in real data. They explain the motivations behind their work, rooted in personal experiences and the desire to create effective, inclusive workplaces. The conversation tackles issues like performative DEI, ineffective initiatives causing burnout, and the importance of grounding work in actionable data. They critique ineffective DEI efforts, such as unfulfilled promises and exploitative volunteerism within ERGs, and advocate for systemic solutions and communal approaches to healing from burnout. Lily argues that DEI work must be strategically aligned with genuine problem-solving and emphasize inclusive, long-term solutions. This episode highlights the importance of impactful, data-backed initiatives and collaboration within organizations to avoid superficial efforts and truly advance equity.

| KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED |

UNDERSTANDING THE DEI WORK

• DEI = Problem Solving: DEI isn’t just events or training—it’s systemic problem-solving aimed at measurable outcomes in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Efficacy over Optics: DEI efforts must be tied to real, data-driven impact—not feel-good interventions or buzzwords.

FATIGUE & BURNOUT

• Root Cause of Fatigue: Fatigue stems from a lack of impact—not just workload. When DEI efforts don’t lead to change, burnout increases.
• Action Fatigue > Survey Fatigue: People aren’t tired of giving feedback—they’re tired of seeing no action taken afterward.

PERFORMATIVE DEI & STRUCTURAL HARM

• Performative DEI = Ineffective DEI: Any initiative that doesn’t drive outcomes is, by definition, performative—regardless of intent.
• Setting Up DEI for Failure: Hiring DEI heads without power, budget, or support ensures burnout and erodes trust in the work.

ERGs & VOLUNTEERISM

• Unpaid Labor = Exploitation: Expecting ERGs or marginalized employees to solve systemic issues without resources leads to harm and burnout.
• Purpose Clarity is Key: ERGs must have defined goals (e.g., community vs. change-making) to avoid scope creep and exhaustion.

ALLYSHIP & ADVOCACY FATIGUE

• Micro-actions Aren’t Enough: Allyship isn’t about isolated gestures—it requires sustained, systemic collaboration for change.
• Diverse Forms of Advocacy: Everyone can contribute differently. There's no one “right” way to show up.

HARM, REPAIR & HEALING

• Repair Requires Systems Change: Individual self-care can’t fix systemic burnout. Collective and organizational repair is essential.
• Restorative & Transformative Justice: Healing must address interpersonal harm and the structural root causes that enable it.

ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY

• No Such Thing as ‘Water Under the Bridge’: Organizations must own past harm and prioritize ongoing repair.
• Outcomes Over Org Charts: Whether DEI reports to HR or not matters less than whether the work is effective.

| SHOW NOTES |

00:00 Welcome to FARSIGHT Chats

00:29 Introducing Today's Topic and Guest

03:25 Lily Zheng's Background and Approach

06:28 The Challenges of DEI Work

09:59 The Importance of Effective DEI Interventions

20:05 The Impact of Performative DEI

24:57 Diversity Fatigue and Its Consequences

30:03 The Role of ERGs and Volunteer...