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 Labor

34:53 Addressing DEI Perceptions and Self-Assessment

35:27 Advocacy and Allyship Fatigue

35:57 The Limits of Micro Behaviors in Allyship

38:28 The Role of Social Media in Advocacy

44:03 Challenges of Marginalized Identity Advocacy

45:57 The Importance of Collective Allyship

50:26 Repairing Burnout and Harm in Communities

58:36 Setting Up Sustainable DEI Groups

01:00:56 The Relationship Between HR and DEI

01:02:51 Conclusion and Future Conversations

| WORKS CITED |

DEI deconstructed. Lily Zheng. Book. 2022.

What Comes After DEI. Lily Zheng. Research Article. Harvard Business Review. 2025.

Why Diversity Programs Fail And What Works Better. Frank Dobbin & Alexandra Kalev. Research Article. Harvard Business Review. 2016.

Connect with our guests:

• Lily Zheng | Author. DEI Consultant, Zheng Consulting.

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