DEI Through an Integral Lens: Moving Beyond a Green (4th Person perspective) to an Integral 5th-Person Perspective

At The Coaching Room, we’ve always believed in evolving beyond the status quo, and when it comes to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), it’s no different. The conventional approaches to DEI—often championed from a "Green" 4th Person perspective—while well-intentioned, can sometimes lack the depth, flexibility, and integral thinking required to create lasting change in increasingly complex workplaces.

But what does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) mean?

• Diversity refers to the inclusion of individuals from a range of backgrounds, with varying identities, experiences, and perspectives.
• Equity ensures that everyone has access to the same opportunities, and that systemic barriers preventing full participation are identified and addressed.
• Inclusion creates an environment where every individual feels valued, heard, and empowered, even when their views differ from the majority.

The typical Green (4th Person worldview) approach to DEI is rooted in pluralism, compassion, and an effort to include all voices. While it’s valuable, this perspective can sometimes foster environments where certain voices dominate in the name of equity, while others are silenced or dismissed—particularly when dealing with sensitive and controversial topics such as politics, war, and the economy. This is where a 5th-person perspective Teal view comes in to play.

Moving to an Integral 5th-Person Approach to DEI

A 5th-person perspective in DEI goes beyond simply recognising differences—it embraces the complexity of how we hold and understand perspectives. In this view, it’s no longer about who’s right or wrong, nor about ensuring that every perspective is treated as objectively valid. Instead, we start to see every voice as subjective—rooted in personal history, cultural conditioning, and individual meaning-making.

Rather than dismissing or shutting down perspectives we don’t agree with, an integral approach encourages us to hold space for opposing views while simultaneously moving the conversation towards greater ownership of one’s perspective as just that—a perspective, not a universal truth.

What Inclusion Looks Like from a 5th-Person Teal Perspective

From this vantage point, inclusion isn’t about agreement or consensus. It’s about genuinely listening to different perspectives, even when they challenge our own deeply held beliefs, values and identity structures. This type of inclusion allows every individual to feel heard, but also asks them to take responsibility for their views, recognising that their perspective is not objective fact but rather their interpretation of reality.

For example, consider the sensitive political divide between Trump supporters and Kamala Harris supporters. In many workplaces, political discussions such as this, can quickly turn hostile, with each side viewing the other as fundamentally wrong. A 5th-person DEI approach encourages a different kind of engagement. Rather than trying to force consensus or silence "uncomfortable" voices, it creates a space where each individual can share their perspective without the expectation of agreement. Instead of framing the conversation around "who is right," individuals are asked to reflect on how their personal experiences shape their views and to acknowledge the subjectivity of their opinions.

The key shift here is the recognition that all perspectives are valid in that they stem from different contexts and experiences, but that no perspective is “the” truth (not even this one :). By doing this, we move beyond the Green 4th Person pluralism, which can sometimes prioritise harmony over truth, into a space where multiple truths can coexist without requiring us to agree.

Dealing with Sensitive Topics in the Workplace

Take discussions about war or the economy, for example—topics that can evoke strong opinions and emotional responses. A typical Green DEI approach might try to avoid these conversations altogether to prevent conflict. But from a 5th-person perspective, the goal is not avoidance but engagement. Instead of side-stepping these issues, leaders can create structured conversations that allow for safe disagreement, while simultaneously seeking to understand one-another’s view and how it was arrived at. Each participant is encouraged to own their perspective—acknowledging that their views are shaped by their unique experiences, media consumption, and cognitive biases.

In this model, a colleague arguing for increased defence spending during a war is not vilified, nor is the co-worker advocating for reduced military intervention. Both individuals are invited to own their views as subjective, recognising that their stance is not the definitive answer to a complex issue. This approach doesn’t aim to reach agreement but rather to facilitate understanding—each person leaves the conversation knowing they’ve been heard and that their view was considered, even if it wasn’t accepted.

How is This Different from a Green (4th Person worldview) Approach?

A Green perspective often seeks to equalise all voices, sometimes to the point where conflicting views are smoothed over or ignored for the sake of harmony. The limitation here is that Green approaches can stifle genuine dialogue and inadvertently lead to one-sided inclusion, where only those deemed to be "progressive" or "on the right side of history" are given space to speak.

In contrast, a 5th-person perspective allows for disagreement and diversity of thought without insisting on consensus. It acknowledges that discomfort is part of the growth process and that real inclusion means making space for all perspectives, not just those we agree with. Importantly, it asks individuals to take responsibility for their subjective views, ensuring that they don't present them as objective truths to be enforced on others.

Conclusion: An Integral, Disruptive Approach to DEI

At The Coaching Room, we believe that moving DEI beyond Green into a 5th-person Teal perspective is essential for creating workplaces that are truly inclusive, dynamic, and innovative. By embracing the complexity of differing perspectives—especially around sensitive topics such as politics, war, the economy and even human rights—we can foster environments where every voice is heard, and every individual is encouraged to own their subjectivity.

The result is a more robust, resilient organisational culture that values diversity not just of identity but also of thought, where disagreement is not a threat, but a stepping stone to deeper understanding and growth.

Join us in disrupting the conversation around DEI—let’s evolve together.

This article presents DEI through an integral lens and uses the 5th-person perspective to highlight a more nuanced, inclusive approach to sensitive topics in the workplace.