Disruption is the word of the week/month/year. Organizations are facing significant shifts societally, politically, and financially. This disruption has not been more pronounced than in the areas within and touching diversity, equity and inclusion. DE&I as a concept has become radioactive, and what was recently considered a significant asset that differentiated exceptional organizations has seemingly become a liability, where legal and reputational risk has rooted itself in both courts, including the legal system and the much fickler “court of public opinion.”

Of course, disruptions to organizations are nothing new, and there are many disruptions such as technological advances that have helped organizations become more competitive and successful. However, the disruptions around DEI are in many ways regressive, forcing organizations to adopt policies and actions that would seemingly wipe away decades of progress and investment.

“Adopting a broader “fairness framework”
allows organizations to look more holistically
at how they are promoting many of the most sound
and ethical DE&I principles, but now for the whole organization.” -Dr. Steve Rumery

So, what can decent, credible organizations do to avoid the “regressive trap” and move forward? The answer lies in part with taking a wider view towards fairness, opportunity and ownership. Adopting a broader “fairness framework” allows organizations to look more holistically at how they are promoting many of the most sound and ethical DE&I principles, but now for the whole organization. A recent HBR online article by Lily Zheng, “What comes after DEI,” makes a strong argument that organizations should focus on initiatives “that measurably improve outcomes for all” and that focuses on the principles of being outcomes-based, systems-focused, coalition-driven, and a win-win for all stakeholders.

In the spirit of providing a holistic approach to fairness, Leadership Research Institute (LRI) has developed the VIBES^TM fairness framework. VIBES^TM is built on the idea that organizations give off vibrations that individuals either love (good vibes) or hate (bad vibes). LRI’s research suggests that these vibes can be particularly strong when organizations hit five critical “strings,” which include: feeling valued, invested in, a sense of belonging, being engaged, and successful.

Here is a deeper breakdown of the five critical strings that give “great vibes” to employees:

Valued. The first string is feeling valued by the organization. People vibe the most with organizations that see them, hear them, and treat them with respect. The fundamental question for employees is, “does this organization want me to be here?” If the answer is “Yes,” then employees are feeling the valued vibe.

Invested In. The second string is feeling invested in, which means managers, team members, and the organization are devoting time, effort, and other resources to help employees be successful now and in the future. The kinds of investments that can be made typically fall into three buckets, including: investments in my career development (for example, training), investments in my ability to balance work and personal commitments (e.g., policies related to work-life flexibility), and investments in the tools, systems, and processes that allow me to do my best work. The underlying question for employees is, “does the organization make me feel like I am worth investing in?” If the answer is “Yes,” then employees are feeling the invested in vibe.

Belonging. The third string is feeling a sense of belonging. Having this sense of “belonging” means you can be yourself at work, you share a sense of camaraderie with your team, and you identify with being part of the larger organization and community. The underlying question for employees is, “do I belong here?” If the answer is “Yes,” then people are feeling the belonging vibe.

Engaged. The fourth string is feeling “engaged,” which means gaining a sense of meaning and purpose in the work and developing a strong sense of emotional investment in the team and organization. We can also examine the sustainability of the engagement, which is critical for employees to last through the challenges and disruptions that are so common in the workplace today. The underlying question for employees is, “do I feel energized here, and do I feel I can sustain my engagement for the long term?” If the answer is “Yes,” then people are feeling the engagement vibe.

Successful. The fifth and final string is feeling successful, which can be examined as an individual, as a team, and as an organization. Success can be measured in several ways, including the achievement of personal and organization goals, enhancement of the external reputation of the individual and the organization, and the impact of individuals and the organization on customers, communities, and the world. The underlying question for employees is, “after everything is said and done, am I feeling successful?” If the answer is “Yes,” then people are feeling the success vibe.

The VIBES^TM framework helps organizations move forward while avoiding the “regressive trap” in four ways:

• The VIBES^TM framework is easy to use and communicate within and outside the organization, and people intuitively understand the idea of “feeling the vibes.”
• The five strings that make up VIBES^TM are relevant to all employees, and each string captures a critical facet of the employee experience.
• The VIBES^TM framework and measures help an organization’s fairness initiatives be more outcomes-based, systems-focused, coalition-driven, and a win-win for all stakeholders.
• VIBES^TM improves the exceptional FAIR framework by adding elements of engagement and success.

If you are interested in learning more about the VIBES^TM fairness framework for extraordinary organizations, click below to take the very short and fun VibesQuiz^TM self-assessment.

https://LRI.checkboxonline.com/VQ

References

Zheng, L. (2025). What comes after DEI. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2025/01/what-comes-after-dei

Disclaimer
The text in this article was not AI-generated.