If You Think About It....Diversity Really Matters.

January 24, 2019

Sometimes we expect people to be and act just like us. When they don’t we get annoyed or bothered with them. Sameness or similarities make us comfortable because we know what to expect. Similarity gives us peace but it is our differences that make the world special.

At work for a particular job many people think they want people to have similar education, similar experience, similar knowledge level and that makes a successful candidate for that position. The reality is that makes for a monolith, drab, uninspired, and idealess workplace. It’s is the differences that make us special and unique. It’s because the person who worked and went to college that gives them a perspective different from the person in the other cubicle who graduated four years after high school. It's because the person on the assembly line worked many jobs before they hired in that makes them different from the person who is working their first job. The slightly older person can learn from the younger person and vice-versa. They BOTH have value. Their ideas on what makes a product, a program, or an event successful varies and IF they work together brings thoughtfulness to their final product.

Any person who's ever done hiring recognizes that you need some things to be standard but for a successful environment the differences help to build a better work team. What makes us uncomfortable is when we don't know why a person was hired. We don't feel they made similar sacrifices as us and that they shouldn't be in that role. That's not how it works. When you become the CEO you decide. I bet your attitude will change if you want to be successful. You will want people who have different skills, thoughts, and abilities throughout your organization.

In our personal lives, the same point holds true as well. Stop expecting people to react the same to a situation as you would. One of the worst idiom is when we say, “well any reasonable person would have done it this way.” People didn’t grow up the same. People don’t act like you ALL the time because then we’d all be mindless and numb to the world. Some of the best relationships are built on respect, understanding, and acceptance of our differences. To be clear I'm not saying we tolerate immorality, crime, or shoddy treatment of each other in the name of differences. I am saying don't just believe if people act just like me everything would be ok. Just maybe you are the person who needs to change their actions or mindset.

My point is it is our diversity of thoughts, experience, education, upbringing, and more that makes life special. Yes, it’s nice to realize how much we have in common but sometimes it’s nice to recognize our differences and accept those too. When you show understanding of others and acceptance of others' differences it is how you make space for the same for your own. It truly makes the world a better place but it also gives you a better attitude and a much better life.