Filibustering and Delay Strategies That Block Social Justice

"Organizational filibustering refers to strategies that delay and obstruct efforts to pursue social justice in systems. These additions can stretch out the process of implementation of diversity strategic plans or multicultural programs for years. Change agents can become battle-fatigued and give up their efforts. They can also become so disheartened that they leave a group or organization altogether."

"The filibuster has a history in the U.S. government; it was used to impede legislation often related to civil rights. Former President Barack Obama has referred to filibusters as a relic of the Jim Crow era in politics when it was used to maintain racial segregation and block voting access among historically marginalized groups."

"I have observed many covert attempts to block social justice efforts within the various systems in which I work. Committees inserted procedures and processes not normally required. These additions can stretch out the process of implementation of diversity strategic plans or multicultural programs for years."

Organizational filibustering describes covert strategies that delay and obstruct social justice efforts within systems. These tactics include requiring additional memos, tabling discussions, inserting unnecessary procedures, and adding extra votes to extend implementation timelines for diversity policies and multicultural programs. The term borrows from U.S. political filibustering, historically used to impede civil rights legislation and maintain racial segregation. In organizational contexts, these obstruction tactics cause change agents to experience battle fatigue and become so disheartened they abandon their efforts or leave organizations entirely. Covert obstruction represents a significant risk in environments where overt bias faces less tolerance, making procedural delays an effective alternative resistance mechanism.

Read at Psychology Today