I recently read an article written by Jennifer Miller and posted on the New York Times website under the headline: Why Some Companies Are Saying “Diversity and Belonging” Instead of “Diversity and Inclusion.”

Notwithstanding the fact brother Bill pointed me toward this article with the promise, “Hey, I think you’ll like this one,” what intrigued me most was the way Miller covered topics I’ve pushed for several months. Miller is a freelance reporter who covers cultural divides in the United States.

Daughter Erin asked a few years back, “Has this country ever been as divided as it is now?” Erin referred to political schisms. But Miller brought the question even closer to home in examining diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. Great. Just when we’re all trying to understand what it means to be red or blue, now comes DEI?

Well, Erin, I’m not certain we’ve ever been this divided. But, I also believe this to be the beginning of something cathartic — something we’ve long needed.

The main emphasis of my consultancy as well as my course materials on leadership involves what I see as the critical evolution from the command-and-control type of leadership with which we’re all too familiar to servant leadership.

By one estimate, 65 percent of employees are looking for new jobs. That means nearly seven in 10 of your employees look to move from your organization to something else.

What are they looking for? Most of them yearn to free themselves from either bad bosses or acrid work environments.

Employees no longer feel like they belong. They feel like they’re walking on eggshells so they don’t offend their bosses or co-workers. Why, they ask, can’t I just show up as myself?

As Miller pointed out, this “belonging obsession” is among the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on our newfound flexibility to work wherever we want and the desire to freely speak politically and socially, we need organizations that tolerate as well as coach and mentor employees in having those conversations safely.

The problem: Organizational cultures allow people to maintain a zero-sum mindset. If I support you, I lose. Here’s where DEI programs go south.

What we’re starting to learn and appreciate is that while DEI programs can be beneficial, they can also end up stigmatizing the same employees they were meant to protect.

This is the gist behind Miller’s article. In many cases, the rollout of DEI has exacerbated divides even while addressing important issues.

We must get on top of this situation because our organizations are, simply put, a microcosm of the society in which they operate. Those organizations are a microcosm of the country in which they operate. Those organizations are a microcosm of this big blue marble we occupy.

Without forcing the issues, how do we bring more people into the debate?

I’ll offer some answers in upcoming columns, but the essence is this: We must get more people to feel as if they can bring their whole selves to work.