Beyond DEI, Fixing Workplace Fairness With the Fair Framework With Lily Zheng

Lily Zheng is a no-nonsense DEI strategist and best-selling author of DEI Deconstructed and Fixing Fairness. They discuss the limitations of traditional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and introduce Lily’s FAIR framework: Fairness, Access, Inclusion, and Representation. Lily challenges the industry’s reliance on “one-and-done” training and advocates for a 90/10 split—prioritizing system-level changes over individual interventions. This conversation is a masterclass for leaders who want to move beyond performative buzzwords to create workplaces that truly work for everyone.

Key Takeaways

Evolving DEI to FAIR: Lily proposes replacing the broad, often misunderstood terms of DEI with the FAIR framework. This model focuses on whether everyone is set up for success, free from discrimination (Fairness), whether environments allow full participation (Access), if people feel respected and safe (Inclusion), and if employees truly trust their leaders (Representation).
The 90/10 Systems: First Approach: Real change happens when organizations spend 90% of their effort on changing systems (incentives, hiring processes, and transparency) and only 10% on individual training. Training alone rarely solves systemic issues and can often lead to the “Cobra Effect,” where poorly designed incentives actually make problems worse.
Representation is About Trust, Not Tokens: True representation isn’t just a “check-the-box” exercise of hiring diverse faces. It is achieved only when people from all social groups

Memorable Quotes from Lily Zheng

“Rebranding DEI as FAIR will not save us. But reimagining how we conceptualize and execute what we used to call DEI just might.”

“If you had $10,000 to invest… I’d invest maybe $100 into training. But everything else is going into creating that system, to creating the incentives, to creating the culture.”

“We have to stop [teaching people how to jump over gaps]… we got to point at the missing stair and go, ‘Why is there no stair there? We have to put a stair there.'”

Follow Lily Zheng at lilyzheng.co and get their book at https://www.lilyzheng.co/authorship

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This post was previously published on Next Pivot Point.

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