The growing grounds of DEIB are not glass-walled offices. They are dusty shop floors, overlooked corners, and honest conversations. Inclusion does not blossom under air-conditioning; it grows where discomfort leads to discovery.
In recent years, the discourse around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) has gained serious momentum across the corporate world. Most organisations today have a DEI policy on paper, often led by passionate professionals seated at the head office or zonal office (HO/ZO). Strategies are drawn up, glossy reports are published, and awareness sessions are scheduled. However, there is an inconvenient truth many don’t address: DEIB cannot be grown from behind a desk. It is not a concept to be implemented solely in boardrooms or HR conclaves.
The farmer analogy: Why DEIB needs fieldwork
Like farming, DEIB requires being out in the field, where the soil is, where the climate is unpredictable, and where real people live real lives. To yield a golden harvest of inclusive culture and belonging, DEIB champions must be willing to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty.
Let us draw upon the analogy of a farmer, whose role begins with strategy but is realised only through fieldwork. A farmer may sketch their crop rotation plans and calculate yields from the comfort of home, but no crop has ever grown on paper. They must walk to the field, feel the soil, understand its chemistry, work with the weather, and toil under the sun.
Similarly, HR and DEI professionals must engage closely with functional and business heads, understand the dynamics of local teams, and develop relationships of trust and influence. They need to persuade and negotiate to get buy-in, not merely from leadership but from every layer of the organisation. It is only by working side-by-side with frontline managers and employees that the seeds of DEIB can truly take root.
Understanding the soil: Culture is local
This stage of soil preparation is crucial. One cannot impose an inclusive culture; it must be planted thoughtfully. It begins by understanding ground realities: the gender ratios in manufacturing units, the social dynamics on shop floors, the invisible hierarchies in regional sales teams. What appears to be a “diversity issue” from headquarters may be a problem of infrastructure, local culture, or unconscious bias.
Real case studies: When strategy meets ground truth
For instance, in one real case (let’s call it Company A), the HR team realised that their efforts to increase gender diversity in their plants were failing, not because of poor hiring strategies, but because the plant facilities lacked basic amenities for women. The ground teams, guided by HR professionals who chose to visit the sites repeatedly, do every single work on the shop floor and see whether the work can be done by which diverse cohort or not identified these root causes and worked in tandem with local leadership to redesign facilities and job descriptions. The result wasn’t just better gender ratios—it was a culture that welcomed difference.
Monitoring the saplings: How DEIB grows sustainably
Once you plant the saplings of inclusion (be it through hiring a more diverse workforce or creating forums for underrepresented voices), the work does not stop. A farmer doesn’t plant and walk away. They must monitor the crop every day. The growing season is long, and the risks are many. Similarly, HR must remain connected to the ground to water the young saplings of DEIB with regular engagement, feedback loops, and responsive policies.
Inclusive practices must be shielded from pests—deep-seated bias, exclusionary behaviours, or tokenism. This might involve installing structured interventions like anti-harassment training, mentoring programs, equitable evaluation frameworks, and psychological safety nets. Just as a scarecrow protects young crops, these policies must protect the culture from regressing into old patterns.
A powerful example comes from another case, Company B, which was aiming to improve inclusivity in remote telecom operations. The HR team didn’t just train the workforce via webinars or issue top-down generalised mandates. They understood the nuances of each function and region and devised specific interventions for each, which yield equally better results from diverse terrains.
Their presence sends a strong message: DEIB is not a policy—it is practice. This hands-on involvement built a strong partnership with operations, and over time, DEIB became embedded in the way the business ran, not as an obligation but as a shared commitment.
The tough seasons of inclusion
The summer is often harsh in a farmer’s life, and similarly, the journey of DEIB is not always optimal. There are days when inclusion backslides, when unconscious bias rears its head, or when well-meaning programs fall flat. In these moments, resilience matters. Just as a farmer endures weather unpredictability and keeps nurturing the crop, DEIB professionals must persist through the discomfort of cultural change.
Ground teams may not always respond enthusiastically; sometimes, resistance can feel personal. But every difficult conversation, every micro-win, every behavioural shift is part of the growing process.
Making DEIB a team effort, not a function alone
When done right, the golden harvest is not just visible in demographic metrics or engagement surveys. It shows in a team’s cohesion, in the psychological safety employees feel, and in the richness of thought diversity during innovation sprints. It is when an employee from a marginalised background shares their opinion without fear or when a woman in a remote region becomes a team leader because someone believes in her potential. These are the fruits of real DEIB—not symbolic but sustainable.
The growing grounds of DEIB: No shortcuts, No spectators
The key insight is this: DEIB cannot be a spectator sport. It must be a contact sport. It is easy to curate glossy campaigns and draft vision statements, but real change happens on the factory floor, in field offices, in branch teams, in training sessions where people meet you not as a policy enforcer but as a partner. Leadership must recognise that empowering DEIB professionals with access, authority, and resources to work in the field is not an optional add-on. Instead, it is a critical success factor.
Moreover, DEIB is not just HR’s job. Just as farming is a community endeavour, creating inclusive workplaces involves the collaboration of every function. Both require collaborative efforts. Business heads, team leads, and individual contributors all play a role. The DEIB function is the enabler, but the real work is distributed. It means setting up feedback channels from the ground up, being open to hard truths, and rewarding inclusive behaviours in performance reviews and leadership promotions.
The growing grounds of DEIB: No belonging without the blisters
In conclusion, the growing grounds of DEIB are not corporate decks or keynote addresses. They are in warehouses, shop floors, call centres, plant rooms, and construction sites. The soil of culture is rich, but only if tilled with intent. The seeds of diversity need care, patience, and courage to germinate. And the harvest, when it comes, is golden not only in output but also in humanity.
Let us remember that you cannot grow a crop from a couch. Also, you cannot build a belonging from a boardroom. To make DEIB real, let’s all go to the field, stay in the sun, and be part of the growth.
At Changeincontent, we believe sustainable inclusion demands grassroots commitment, not headline moments. Read more insights from Sabyasachi Mukherjee on Sector-wise best DEI practices—a practical guide to transforming workplaces.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content. We broadly define inclusivity as media, policies, law, and history, encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and marginalised individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
