The Big Six Formula: Why D&I Is a Business Strategy, Not a Program

Here is a question I have asked hundreds of executives: Is your diversity and inclusion effort a program or a strategy? The honest answer, in most organizations, is that it is a program — a set of activities, events, and training sessions that exist alongside the real business strategy but never quite become part of it.

That distinction is the difference between organizations that achieve modest, unsustainable D&I progress and organizations that fundamentally transform their culture, marketplace position, and bottom line.

The New Normal Demands Strategy

The demographic reality of the United States has shifted permanently. By 2050, people of color will constitute the majority of our population. The buying power of diverse communities is growing at rates that far outpace the general market. Every leader's workforce, customer base, and community are more diverse than they were a decade ago and will be more diverse still a decade from now.

Leaders who fail to embrace what I call the "New Normal" will fail to capitalize on the substantial growth these diverse markets represent. This is not a social argument — it is a market argument.

The Six Pillars

The Big Six Formula provides a comprehensive strategic framework built on six pillars:

1. Human Assets. Your people are your most valuable resource. This pillar addresses how you recruit, develop, retain, and promote diverse talent at every organizational level.

2. Image and Brand. Does your external presence authentically reflect the diversity of your stakeholders? This pillar ensures alignment between your D&I commitment and your marketplace identity.

3. Supplier Diversity. Building a robust supplier diversity program strengthens your supply chain and creates economic impact in underrepresented communities.

4. Regions and Community. Effective D&I extends into the communities where your organization operates through authentic partnerships and grassroots engagement.

5. Strategic Partnerships. No organization achieves D&I goals in isolation. This pillar covers alliances with associations, advocacy groups, and peer organizations.

6. Training and Development. The engine that drives cultural transformation — not one-time workshops, but comprehensive learning curricula that move people from awareness to action.

Measurement Makes It Real

Strategy without measurement is aspiration. The Big Six Formula includes a Dashboard and Scorecard system that tracks progress across four dimensions: Workforce, Workplace, Community, and Marketplace. When you can measure it, you can manage it. When you can manage it, you can improve it.