Diversity – Have we really embraced it?

As the year draws to a close, I would like to write about something which is talked about a lot. Almost everyone says they welcome it. Some have it as part of their organizational values. While some distinguish themselves from the milieu by proclaiming they practise it. I am talking about ‘diversity’, the trait that almost every company around the globe professes to have.

The most obvious association to ‘diversity’ that anyone might make is the ubiquitous disclaimers we see around us, relating to religion, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation etc. etc. etc. But does hiring a bunch of people who belong to some minority group make you fit the bill? Indeed, given the current lack of geographical boundaries in business, it is almost a given that you will have to associate with someone who is culturally different than you, and this could be challenging for many people. I think Indians are at an advantage here. India being secular, any random group of people is typically made up of people practicing different religions, speaking different languages or dialects, having different cultures, skin color, facial features etc. Growing up in a ‘crossroads’ type central region, I was certainly exposed to all this since a young age.

This post though is about something far beyond that. I personally feel that accepting diversity means having an open mind, being open to possibilities, being open to something that you have never seen or contemplated before. Diversity means accepting that people need not be better or worse than you, but just different. Or that your co-worker’s life may have a different trajectory from yours. Diversity can also show you that a senior person who has worked for 30+ years can have great tacit functional knowledge that you as a techno-geek with 2-3 years’ experience can never have, and vice versa. Either person contributes something valuable which may not always be quantifiable. Diversity means that a ‘suit’ or ‘college degree’ can contribute a lot from their formal education. And gray hair can sometimes transcend a piece of paper. The examples are many, and I am sure each of us has come across some form of this.

There are also some organizations that have set criteria regarding their workforce. They prefer their people to live in a short radius from the workplace. Or need a person to have a certain college degree or certain grades. Some view higher degrees as a threat. Some prefer people who have very similar bios, or similar academic credentials. They are almost afraid to introduce any element that is ‘different’, perhaps dreading interpersonal conflicts. These could be management directives, or the whimsies of any decision making individual. Such organizations definitely miss out on the potential enrichment of their workforce. One person with a different background can add to the knowledge base of your entire team and make them think outside the box. This further leads to innovative ideas that can benefit your business. And it could be the intangible bit that allows you to beat your competition. The time has come to stop viewing diversity as a threat.

Diversity is inevitable. And a diverse workforce will always produce higher synergies. A progressive organization will recognize that diversity will enrich them, and this can happen only when every person truly accepts it and welcomes it, by keeping their mind open to all possibilities.