Several prominent companies have publicly, and in today’s political climate, bravely reinforced their commitment to their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Costco and Chase are among them. Others have dropped DEI efforts, also publicly—some behaving as if a yoke has been removed from around their financial necks, some because they feared brand and reputational damage.

The remainder are likely confused about how to proceed in today’s charged climate. Stephen Paskoff, Chair and founder of ELI, Inc., has been working in this arena for more than forty years.

The situation

Despite the current dismissal of DEI, Paskoff reminds us that its aims are laudatory.

• Every organization wants the best talent. Looking for it in diverse pools helps us find it.
• We need equity, if structured lawfully, to have a fair and motivating workplace.
• Success is advanced by everyone at work feeling included, so they will contribute their best talents.

In other words, DEI is good. Yet, as we all know, President Trump has issued multiple Executive Orders to dismantle DEI/DEIA Programs at Federal Agencies and to stop federal funding for private and local government sector organizations that use them. The federal stance is new, but, according to Paskoff, since the mid-90s, as workplace diversity has taken greater focus, so have concerns about how it is achieved.

The root cause problem

A 1996 article of his, published in Training Magazine, backs up this claim. In “Ending the Diversity Wars,” he wrote: “Many of today’s diversity efforts are not only a waste of valuable time that could be spent more productively; they actually exacerbate the very problems they are meant to address.”

Unfortunately, this pattern remains. Some diversity programs, Paskoff says, unintentionally reinforce stereotypes and foster unequal treatment, which can be divisive or even unlawful. “You don’t unite by dividing,” he states, “and too often that is what some of the DEI approaches have done.”

For example, DEI programs that focus on social justice versus organizational performance are a mistake. By making stereotypical assumptions about others based on sex or race, they foster adversarial tensions in the workplace. They hurt business results rather than help them.

Even if formal DEI programs are going away, the challenges they were trying to fix still remain. In fact, Inc. Magazine reported on October 14, 2025, that workplace incivility is skyrocketing, according to an analysis recently published by Security Executive Council, a corporate security research and advisory firm. The study uses Society of Human Resource Management data that finds U.S. employees were subject to 208 million acts of daily workplace incivility during the first quarter of 2025, a 21.5 percent increase over the same period in 2024.

Steve points out that these acts of incivility are costly in terms of lost productivity and damaged teamwork. Studies say 74% of workers experience them, and 40% of HR leaders fear incivility will worsen. If you’ve ever been a recipient of incivility in the workplace, you know how long it takes to get your focus back. And it’s hard to work effectively with people who have maligned you. Exposed enough, you quit.

So, how should companies proceed?

ELI’s approach is focused on reducing legal compliance risks and improving workplace environments by advancing civility. ELI succeeds by activating organizational values like mutual respect. Doing so, says Paskoff, leads to increased productivity and improved operational and financial performance.

Paskoff recommends all organizations do something similar. They should establish a few core standards of behavior built around core values. These core standards must be supported by simple and clear enforcement processes that ensure team members speak up and get help if needed. And the effort needs to be sustained through leaders’ reinforcement, not the commonplace one-time “check-the-box” activity.

“Focusing on core standards helps emphasize commonalities rather than differences, and establishes standards of behavior for all employees,” says Paskoff. “We all have differences, but we can focus on commonalities that bring people together.” A good visual Steve offers is the All-Star games, where players in different uniforms all work together to advance their league’s success.

The result

“Emphasizing respect not only improves the everyday working environment,” he says, “but also prevents disruptive and disrespectful behaviors, as well as actions and practices that can cause irrevocable harm — from permanent distrust to legal liability.” Imagine an iceberg. Legal cases are the tip of the iceberg, but beneath the ocean surface are the distrust and disengagement that stifle success.

Costco, Chase, and others who are retaining the DEI programs are likely following ELI’s lead. They are building cultures that are civil, compliant with Civil Rights laws, and thriving. You can as well.