Celebrating Diverse Contributions

We wrap up the first half day session of our Recruitment, Retention, & Culture course with a lesson called “An Ethical Culture with Real Diversity & Inclusion.” The terms diversity, equity, & inclusion have been smeared through the headlines over the last several years, with both praise and condemnation. I have no intention of either here. My goal is to ensure we view every relationship in a way that helps us capture the maximum return on investment from the wide range of different contributions we can expect when we appreciate the various backgrounds and opinions that come with diversity. When we’re intentional in doing this, we may just achieve authentic diversity, equity, and inclusion in the process - instead of the all-to-frequent box checking that happens when we’re only focused on using buzzwords.

While Terry and I would have been listed in several of the same categories on an affirmative action plan, with the exception of him being a Veteran, our perspectives couldn’t have been more different. He was raised not far outside of Boston. He attended the United States Military Academy before serving in Desert Storm and earning a Bronze Star. After leaving the Army, Terry worked for one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world while completing his MBA. When he arrived in the sleepy Shenandoah Valley, everything about him stood out like a sore thumb - regardless of having the same skin pigment as the vast majority of the people working with us at the time.

I’ve shared tidbits of my background throughout this look at the strength we can gain from great professional relationships so I won’t hash all that out again here. I will share that when I first met him, I had spent very little time outside of Rockingham County, VA. And the time I was away had been with close friends and family. The friendly and passive culture I had grown up around was all I really knew. Terry’s extremely direct approach, always willing to provide (not just offer) feedback whether you asked for it or not, wasn’t something I cared for in my arrogant early twenties. Had Dennis, who I referenced early on, not pulled me aside to explain how limited my world view was, I may have never understood the value I would draw from Terry’s diverse contributions over the decades that followed.

If the only input we get or give is coming from and going to people with the same background and perspective as us, there won’t be much leadership growth to leverage. But when we learn to recognize everyone’s worth - even when they don’t act, talk, or think like us - we open the doors to countless growth opportunities. Inviting (and celebrating) diversity strengthens innovation and team morale. As we establish a culture that welcomes a wide range of different thoughts and experiences, we build both availability and trust. We’ll look at the importance of maintaining humility through our availability next. For now, consider how you can be intentional about praising a team member’s diverse contribution - especially if you’ve been quick to push back against that team member in the past.