My thoughts on diversity

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

What is diversity? Is it:
Acknowledging the difference of people around us?
Accepting it?
Celebrating it?
Coexisting with them?
Sharing time?
Collaborating?

… it is all of these and much more.

The key word in understanding diversity is different. The challenging piece for all of us in this is that we do not do different well. Different means something I do not understand and because I do not understand it the best I can do is separate myself from it.

For some of us going to Miami is being diverse. The same is true for those in Miami crossing the Miami-Dade/Broward county line. For others it is going to a Chinese restaurant, or some other type of restaurant that serves something other than what we are used to. I think the key is that being different takes us into the unknown... out of our comfort zone.

Personally it looks like this: when was the last time I spend time with someone different than me? Ouch! To think of it, I can’t really remember. I’m tempted to go to the same places to eat, with the same people and order the same old boring stuff I had the last time I was there.

Organizations that are smart are recognizing that diversity is more than skin deep. Not because it is politically correct, but because it is the right thing to do. When I interview for a job, I want to be recognized for what I can offer the organization with my talents, not the fact that I’m a male Latino.

Here are America’s top Diversity Companies rated by Diversity Magazine.

No. 1: Bank of America
No. 2: The Pepsi Bottling Group
No. 3: AT&T
No. 4: The Coca-Cola Company
No. 5: Ford Motor Company

For more information on this topic go to www.diversityinc.com