As more companies scale back or quietly reframe diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, many leaders are facing a new reality: the challenges those initiatives were meant to address haven’t gone away.
Workplace culture hasn’t simplified—it’s become more complex.
Conversations around identity, communication, and belonging are still happening every day, often without the structure or language organizations once relied on. For teams already navigating change, that absence can create uncertainty, hesitation, and, in some cases, disengagement.
Ryan Virden, author and founder of Lir Cultural Coaching, says this moment is less about the loss of DEI and more about what happens when organizations haven’t built the skills to sustain the work beyond formal programs.
“Pulling back on DEI doesn’t remove the dynamics,” Virden explains. “It just removes the framework people were using to talk about them.”
When Initiatives Fade, Relationships Take Center Stage
For years, many organizations approached DEI through structured initiatives, such as trainings, statements, and internal campaigns. While those efforts raised awareness, they often stopped short of changing how people actually engage with one another day to day.
Now, as those initiatives fade in some environments, underlying tensions don’t disappear, they become harder to address.
Leaders may feel unsure how to facilitate conversations. Employees may be less willing to speak up. Teams may avoid difficult topics altogether, leading to misalignment and reduced trust.
“What’s being exposed right now is that culture has always lived in relationships, not programs,” Virden says.
A Shift Toward Practical, Relationship-Based Work
Through his work with organizations across sectors, Virden focuses on helping leaders move beyond surface-level approaches and into the real-world dynamics that shape workplace culture.
Lir Cultural Coaching partners with nonprofits, schools, corporations, and government agencies—each navigating different pressures but facing similar challenges when it comes to communication and connection.
For example, organizations in the nonprofit sector often operate with strong mission alignment externally, while internally navigating complex team dynamics. Through its nonprofit services, Lir Cultural Coaching works with leadership teams to strengthen communication and ensure internal relationships reflect the values they promote publicly.
In schools, the focus often shifts to identity development and creating environments where both students and staff can engage across difference in meaningful ways. Corporations, meanwhile, are balancing performance goals with retention, trust, and employee experience—especially in hybrid or evolving workplace structures. Government agencies face an added layer of visibility, where communication breakdowns can have broader community impact.
Across all sectors, the approach remains consistent: culture is shaped by how people communicate, relate, and engage in real time.
What Happens When Organizations Avoid the Work
As DEI becomes more politically charged, some organizations are choosing to step back altogether. But avoidance doesn’t create neutrality—it creates gaps.
Without intentional effort, teams may default to silence or surface-level interactions. Misunderstandings can linger longer. Trust can erode more quickly.
“What we’re seeing isn’t the absence of these challenges,” Virden notes. “It’s a hesitation to engage with them directly.”
That hesitation can impact everything from collaboration and morale to long-term retention.
Building Culture Through Everyday Interactions
Rather than relying on one-time initiatives, Virden’s work centers on helping organizations build the capacity to navigate difference as part of their everyday operations.
This includes:
- Equipping leaders to facilitate honest, productive conversations
- Supporting teams in engaging across identity without avoidance or defensiveness
- Creating environments where difference is acknowledged without becoming a barrier
- Strengthening communication practices that build clarity and trust
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s consistency.
Because culture isn’t defined by a single initiative. It’s reinforced through daily interactions.
A New Phase for Workplace Culture
As organizations rethink how they approach DEI, there is an opportunity to move beyond performative efforts and toward more sustainable, relationship-driven practices.
Companies that navigate this transition effectively will be those that invest in how their people communicate, not just what they say publicly.
That means creating space for honest dialogue, building the skills to manage tension, and recognizing that culture is something that must be actively practiced.
For leaders like Ryan Virden, whose book Breaking the Privilege Frame explores why conversations around identity often stall, the path forward isn’t about abandoning the work; it’s about deepening it.
Because regardless of what organizations choose to call it, the work of building culture remains.
