As children in elementary school, we learned that the United States is a “melting pot,” a nation of immigrants, welcoming hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children of different countries, races, and religions from all over the world each year. Many of our ancestors came to Ellis Island hoping for a change for a better life. Mine came from Naples, Italy, upstate New York and brought with it the leather glove trade. How about yours?
While completing my leadership studies many years ago at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, a professor posed the following question to us: Is America a “melting pot” or a “mixed salad”? He asked us to choose one or the other and defend our position…which made me think very differently about the meaning of diversity. Read on to see what I think…
We hear a lot about “diversity” these days. In many organizations, much attention and effort has been given to promoting diversity by increasing the representation of people of color, women, and other groups in the workforce. However, simply increasing the numbers represented from any population is not enough to make a real difference in individual or organizational performance.
For most people, “diversity” means those differences that we can see. It’s so much more… It’s also about what we can’t see: disabilities, different experiences, personality and management styles, lifestyle choices and perspectives. Diversity exists in almost all organizations; the differences, however, are rarely fully understood and rarely considered or used as an asset.
The issue becomes more about simply having diversity (those things that make us different) in an organization. It is about understanding the true meaning of diversity and its powerful impact (both positive and negative) on individual and organizational performance. And the end results…
What then is the true meaning of diversity? Diversity has to do with our global vision, or simply how we see the world on three levels. Ask yourself these three questions to determine your overall vision. (1) Who am I? (things we can’t change – race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual preference, different abilities (physical/mental), etc.), (2) What do I choose? (religion, education, family lifestyle, physical appearance, language, etc.) and (3) Who am I in the workplace? (title, corporate employee, freelancer, cube dweller, fancy office, manager, non-manager, etc.) These three levels affect our thoughts, behaviors, and outcomes of any given situation, at home, at work, or at play.
Surveys indicate that very few people today feel welcome or able to contribute the full range of skills, experiences, ideas and opinions in their workplace. As a result, few people fully invest most of their energy in their work or organization! Today, more than ever, what’s wrong with that image?
Changing an organization’s work culture is not something that can be accomplished through a new mission statement, employee handbook, hiring policy, or mentoring program. It requires new ways of thinking, working and behaving with people, both as individuals, in teams, inside, outside and at all levels of the organization. It’s about “P2P” (people to people connections) and creating a positive work environment where our differences and similarities are fully appreciated and utilized.
It is about creating and maintaining an inclusive work environment where:
o People feel a sense of belonging
o People feel respected, valued and SEEN for who they are
o There is an energetic level of support and commitment from leaders, peers, and others so that all people can do their best work.
Having “diversity” without “inclusion” is not enough. In short, Diversity = Differences. Inclusion = Action. And action is the key word! Every day, each of us can contribute to a more inclusive work environment through our own individual actions by becoming more aware of our implicit biases, attitudes, and behaviors in every situation or interaction. More importantly, we need to recognize and respond to situations where co-workers, vendors, and customers don’t feel included.
Inclusive work environments that embrace diversity and practice inclusion not only demonstrate that it is the right thing to do, but have also seen positive and measurable change, such as improved morale, higher levels of productivity and customer service, reduced turnover and best results. It just makes “one hundred $!”
In this year of change, “new normal” and survivor survivor syndrome, let’s try to reserve a period of time each day to better understand and strengthen the ties that unite us, first as people, despite our differences. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of each other and developing a greater sense of connection, “P2P”, we will create within each other the positive energy needed to survive, thrive, and make positive change in our homes, our workplaces, and our world.
So what do you think? “melting pot” or “mixed salad”? To me, the “melting pot” stance means that people’s differences simply melt away from the intense heat and pressure to form one big, unhealthy, artery-clogging balloon, making it harder to see or appreciate the individual ingredients. for longer. I choose to think of diversity as a “mixed salad.” Colorful, internally and externally different ingredients that, on their own are fantastic, however, when combined with others and clothed with tolerance, understanding and hope, they make for a wonderful and healthy way to live and work! What defines your workplace?
What can you do to make a difference? Start first thing in the morning by greeting everyone you see and calling those you know by name. It all starts with a simple “hello”.
A positive workplace means business! Just earn “Cent$!”®