Hello, friend. I’m so glad you’re here.
As we move through the middle of 2026, I’ve been reflecting on how much the "DEI conversation" has shifted: and how much it has stayed exactly the same. We see the headlines about companies pulling back on DEI commitments, yet we also see the mounting data that inclusive actions lead to inclusive outcomes. It’s a strange, often frustrating time to be a leader who actually cares.
You might be sitting in your office right now, looking at your team, and thinking, "We're doing okay. We don't have a 'racism' problem here." But I have to ask you: are you sure? Or are you just getting really good at ignoring the elephants standing right in the middle of your conference room?
In a prior newsletter, I talked about the "elephants" we live with every day. Today, I want to dive deeper into why the subtle, "polite" biases you’re overlooking are just as damaging as the overt ones you’re so quick to condemn.
The Two Types of Elephants in Your Office
When we talk about racism in the workplace, most leaders immediately think of the "Big Elephant." This is the overt, unmistakable conduct: the slurs, the explicit exclusion, the "I only hire from [specific Ivy League school]" bias that is clearly tied to race.
Most of us are great at calling this out. We have policies for it. We have HR protocols. We feel a sense of moral superiority when we fire a "bad actor" who said something undeniably racist.
But then there’s the Camouflaged Elephant.
This elephant doesn't scream. It whispers. It blends into your "culture fit" discussions. It hides in the way you give feedback. It’s the subtle everyday bias that many of us have become complacent about.
Subtle bias is still racism. It’s just racism with a better wardrobe and a more professional vocabulary.
The Contrast: Condemning the Slur, Ignoring the "Fit"
Why is it so much easier to condemn a slur than it is to address a pattern of exclusion?
Because the "Big Elephant" is easy to identify. It makes us feel like the "good guys." But the camouflaged elephant requires us to look at ourselves and our systems.
Consider these common scenarios:
- The Credibility Gap: A Black employee shares a brilliant strategic pivot in a meeting. It’s met with polite nods but no follow-up. Ten minutes later, Greg: who looks like the rest of the leadership team: repeats the exact same point, and suddenly it’s the "insight of the quarter."
- The Feedback Loop: You tell a white male manager he needs to "tighten up his sales skills" to get to the next level. To a woman of color in the same role, you say, "You’re doing great, just keep it up!" You think you’re being supportive, but you’re actually gaslighting her career growth by withholding the actionable data she needs to advance.
- The "Vibe" Check: You pass on a highly qualified candidate because they didn’t "click" with the team during the informal lunch. You call it a "culture fit" issue. I call it Recruitment Bias.
If you are only fighting the "Big Elephants," you aren't actually building an inclusive culture. You’re just performing damage control. To truly Lead with Inclusion, you have to start seeing the things you’ve been trained to ignore.
Why Your Silence Is a Choice
I still hear leaders say, "Stacey, I'm not a racist. I don't see color. I just want the best person for the job."
Here is the hard truth: In a systemic landscape that was built to favor certain groups over others, "not seeing color" is a luxury that maintains the status quo. When you ignore the subtle inequities in front of you, you are effectively choosing the side of the inequity.
Are you being complacent? Are you waiting for a "big enough" problem to occur before you take action?
We see this often in workplace culture transformation. Organizations wait until their Glassdoor reviews are tanking or they face a "revenge quitting" wave before they ask, "What happened?" What happened was the small, "minor" biases were allowed to fester until they became the very air your employees breathe.
Stop Making Excuses: The Call to Action
You don't have to quit your job to make a difference. You don't have to spend every weekend at a protest (though if you do, that's great). But if you are a leader, you do have to stop making excuses for the bad actors in your vicinity.
Building an inclusive workplace culture isn't about one-time workshops. It's about the "Work Beyond the Workshop™." It’s about what you do when the DEI consultant leaves the room.
Here is how you start paying attention to the elephants:
Stop Laughing at the Jokes
We’ve all been there. Someone makes a "joke" that borders on a stereotype. It’s awkward. You don't want to be the "fun police," so you give a small, polite chuckle or look at your phone.
Stop doing that. Your silence: or worse, your half-hearted laugh: is a green light. It tells everyone in the room that this behavior is acceptable here.
Question "Culture Fit"
The next time a hiring manager says a candidate isn't a "fit," ask them to define that. In detail. If they can't point to a specific skill or competency gap, they are likely describing an unconscious bias. Push them to look for "culture add" instead of "culture fit."
Audit the Airtime
Who speaks the most in your meetings? Who is interrupted the most? Start tracking it. If you notice a pattern where your marginalized employees are being sidelined, intervene. "I’d like to hear the rest of what Sarah was saying before we move on." It’s a small move with a massive impact on psychological safety.
Implement Manager Accountability
We often say that inclusion is everyone's job, which usually means it's nobody's job. If you aren't measuring your managers on their ability to lead diverse teams equitably, you aren't serious about how to create a culture of inclusion in the workplace.
Bridging the Gap Between Intention and Impact
I know this work is uncomfortable. I know it’s easier to focus on the "Big Elephants" and ignore the camouflaged ones. But your team: the people who are being passed over, talked over, and "culture-fitted" out of the room: they see the elephant. They’ve been living with it for years.
The question isn't whether the elephant exists. The question is: Are you willing to be the leader who finally makes it leave the room?
At Rework Work, we specialize in helping leaders move beyond "good intentions." We provide the tangible tools to bridge the gap between wanting to be inclusive and actually being inclusive. Whether it’s through professional development sessions or our intensive leadership coaching, we help you see what you’ve been missing.
Your Next Step
If you're ready to stop ignoring the elephants and start building a culture where everyone actually belongs, let’s talk. You don't have to do this alone, and you certainly don't have to be perfect. You just have to be willing to start paying attention.
Start with a Leadership Reality Check to increase your awareness of your impact on your team and then reach out to our team to discuss a customized strategy for your organization.
The elephants aren't going anywhere on their own. It’s time to show them the door.
Be well,
Stacey Gordon
CEO, Rework Work