A January 4, 2016 Harvard Business Review article entitled “Diversity Policies Rarely Make Companies Fairer, and They Feel Threatening to White Men” (1) continues to cause discomfort among diversity professionals. As the title implies, the authors argue that diversity policies often increase fear among white men that they will be treated unfairly while not convincing people from underrepresented groups that they will be treated more fairly. Additionally, sensitivity training, a staple of most diversity initiatives, often creates more problems than it solves.

Sad, but not surprising, for adapting to change is often difficult, especially when people believe that they have no control of what’s happening to them. So it’s more than understandable why both white males and people from underrepresented groups view diversity efforts with jaded eyes. Most diversity training reinforces this cynicism by insisting that everyone take part in what amounts to sensitivity preaching.

Thanks in large part to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s efforts to work with others to harness what he called “divine dissatisfaction,” most of those in charge of organizations now understand the power of diversity. But they are less clear about what needs to happen to leverage significant differences to benefit employees, customers, and other stakeholders.

As we in the United States celebrate another holiday honoring Dr. King, I wonder what we diversity champions could learn from his ministry.

Dr. King understood the opportunities and threats around him. He identified the problems that needed to be addressed and a positive way to address them. He and his supporters brought people of all backgrounds together to work on these issues. He modeled the nonviolent behavior in which he wanted others to engage. He didn’t insist that people who disagreed with him attend his speeches, trusting that his nonviolent approach, coupled with the overreaction of those in power, would change hearts and minds.

Diversity champions, take note. Let’s tailor our approach to the threats and opportunities around us. Let’s support managers to connect diversity with their business goals. Let’s assist work teams to address the conflicts that inevitably emerge when people from diverse backgrounds come together to work towards a common goal, remembering that people don’t have to be best buddies to be successful team players. Let’s support managers to model behaviors that create cultures that are more diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI). Let’s remember that change can be both invigorating and frustrating. Let’s keep sensitivity preaching to a minimum, bearing in mind that others, like us, don’t want someone they don’t trust to tell them what to do.

Happy birthday, Dr. King. Your light still shines.

(1) https://hbr.org/2016/01/diversity-policies-dont-help-women-or-minorities-and-they-make-white-men-feel-threatened