Transcendent Engagement for DEI

Transcendent Engagement. What in the world does that even mean? As one of the 15 key indicators in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) aptitudes that we measure at Go Culture, you can imagine that we get that question from time to time. Whereas other concepts, like unconscious bias, allyship through relating, and inclusivity jibe with more popular culture themes, transcendent engagement sometimes requires a little more explanation. Yet, after researching DEI for 20 years in over 40 countries, we kept seeing this concept resurface as one of the primary influencers in human DEI aptitudes. So what is transcendent engagement all about?

Transcendent engagement is about mental health, self-care, spiritual support or reliance, mind-body-soul alignment, and a firm understanding of one’s locus of control. It’s this deeper conceptualization or realization that we simply can’t stare down the larger implications of DEI challenges without help. That we need to lean on something or someone bigger than ourselves because we just can’t conquer everything alone.

As with any other challenge we face, we should seek advice and guidance in matters related to DEI. When we struggle to parent well, we talk to our parents, peers, or consult books written by professional child psychologist. If you have ever experienced a severe injury, you don’t just sit alone and fume about the pain or complain to some close friends about how bad you hurt. You visit a doctor and begin physical therapy, or at least look up online forums to learn what others have done to feel better.

Yet, when we encounter social injustice in workplace contexts, we sometimes become reclusive, assume we are alone in the situation and that we are the only ones to ever feel this way, and figure it is just up to us to battle it out alone. WRONG. Just as you would ask for help with a broken leg, you can and should ask for help in those workplace DEI challenges. This is where the idea of transcendent engagement comes into play. Rather than assuming we have what it takes within ourselves to solve our workplace DEI issues, we need to seek and find external support.

Looking beyond yourself for help is key in securing a healthy resolution to those small and large issues. This may sound like common sense, to ask for help rather than trying to just figure it out alone. But you might be surprised to learn that many individuals either do not feel comfortable asking for help, don’t know that helps exists, are too timid to ask, or simply assume they have what it takes to fight through the mental and emotional difficulties of these tests. The reality, on the other hand, is that most of us are not equipped to face and address real-life DEI cases.

Our 20 years or research on DEI aptitude measurement and development have indicated a clear and strong positive correlation between our reliance of external support systems and our ability to handle diversity-related affairs in the workplace. In other words, if we rely only on our own abilities to conquer the mental and emotional hardships of DEI, we are much more likely to founder. Successfully navigating DEI in the workplace requires that we develop and fill our toolboxes with external support mechanisms.

Interestingly, in many cases these external support systems are truly transcendent, which means we are reaching for answers from more spiritual or personal well-being outlets. This doesn’t mean that we start a small bonfire in our living room floors and chant incantations while dancing in a circle until an answer just comes to us. Rather, below are some examples of solutions we have seen individuals and groups seek in their attempt to better withstand the troubles DEI issues may bring their way.

Yoga. There is a spectrum of thought about yoga and it’s transcendent nature. Whether you think of yoga as a religion or simply a way to stretch muscles, there are positive physiological, emotional, and mental health implications to engaging in the transcendent exercise of yoga. Yoga can be done all alone in your apartment or in fun workplace cohorts. Either way, if done right, yoga can serve as a noticeable release of stress, allowing you the elasticity to face workplace DEI mishaps with a renewed spirit.

Music. Have you ever escaped to a private place and listened to an entire album? I doubt that happens much anymore. I’ve only done it once, when my wife was out of town. Music has the ability to transport us to another spot or place in time. This sounds hokey, I get it. But if we are honest with ourselves, we might acknowledge that music can have a deep effect on us emotionally, and sometimes we simply need to escape where we are right now and to be transported to a more soothing frame of mind.

Prayer. This word conjures a variety of reactions, assumptions, and thoughts, but the reality is that having some sort of religion and engaging in prayer seems to help too. Our research has pointed time and again to the positive impact prayer has on one’s ability to stand up to demanding DEI issues in the workplace. Alongside the cathartic release prayer offers, the simple acknowledgement that there is a larger force at work, outside and bigger than ourselves, and our reliance on that force, seems to positively impact our short and long-term peace and personal well-being.

Reading. Sure, you can read textbooks on subjects like DEI or organizational communication. Those reads can be invaluable in helping you conceptualize the topics and organize your thoughts. But don’t discount those tangential reads that you just enjoy. There are great narratives out there written by people who have lived these challenges and chose to share their stories. But sometimes you need to just check out and escape to enjoy a good, totally unrelated read that helps you get your mind off the stress. That’s okey too.

Counseling. Professional counselors are trained to help you see through to the other side of any situation. I fought seeing a counselor for 10 years while I struggled with severe anxiety. Once I finally went, I wished I would have gone 10 years earlier and that I could have those years back so that I could have lived them better. Counselors will help you see that you are not alone and that you are not the only one to ever face these challenges. Then they will equip you with the tools necessary to address workplace DEI issues in a productive manner, for both you and the others involved.

There are, of course, more ways to experience what we call transcendent engagement. But in the end, what we are seeking is a way to strengthen our inner well-being by reaching beyond ourselves for support. If you have not ever engaged in any of these tactics, I encourage you to give at least one a try this week. Don’t wait another decade like I did.

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