Diversity is not …..

As I look around the world, I see societies and organisations talking a lot about diversity. Every organisation is claiming and competing to have the most diverse workforce. The company I work for has got a more two-pronged approach, top-down for support and bottom-up for implementation. There are others who try different measures. I do not want to write about how companies should do. I want to talk about my observations and learning from other spaces which can be used in this topic. I should admit my learnings are from seeing the mistakes made in embracing diversity in India.

Diversity is not a policy, it is the culture

Policies have a strict implementation guideline while culture is something ingrained into the DNA of an organisation. Policies are prescriptive while culture is ubiquitous. If you make policies around diversity, over a period it becomes constraining and thereby counter productive. The biggest con of such a policy is that it results in policing. Diversity is best embraced when there is appreciation and admiration and respect for each other. That comes with lot of empathy and less of reprimand. The other issue with making diversity into a policy is that it results in poor measurement and sub-optimisation.

Diversity is not what you see, it is what you don’t

It is very easy to understand diversity based on what you look. The result creates two types of problems. One is we start to label and the other is we ignore the crux of diversity, which is thoughts. It is extremely important to have diversity in thinking as that creates a forum for intellectual exchanges and social progress. Two people looking exactly similar will have totally diverse viewpoints and approaches. People associate themselves lot more with to others of similar thought than colour, race, gender or nationality. Even if those reasons help people create an initial bond, it is very temporary. Diversity should embrace and accommodate multiple thoughts.

Diversity is not how you segregate, it is how you unify

As someone talks about diversity, it is extremely easy to fall into the trap of identification. As pattern seeking mammals, we look out for patterns in different people. The trouble with this is that it never stops. Segregation results in the creation of groups. The last thing any organisation needs is groups of people isolating themselves. What they need are open forums which will unify people. Diversity should always be, how we collectively operate and representation of different groups. It is about how to make everyone comfortable with who they are and respect others for similar reasons.

Diversity is not about listing topics to avoid, it is able enabling free speech

One of the well-documented pitfalls of incorrectly looking at diversity is identifying topics which shouldn’t be discussed. The problem with that approach is, it doesn’t bring change, it just creates a facade of unity. Only free speech and open environment will bring up topics and clear the air. Unless people understand viewpoints, it is difficult for them to coexist. When free speech is prevented and enquiring minds are arrested, it results in a fractured society.

Diversity is not a CSR, it is a social construct

Corporate Social Responsibilities are predominantly marketing or legal compliance activities. It is catastrophic to look at diversity in that angle. It would be better to not bother about diversity than put in the same bucket. It is not like a donation to a charity or a visit to an orphanage. Diversity is a social construct and is paramount for the peaceful coexistence of different people in this society. It is not a program of work which can be picked up for a certain timeframe, achieve certain objectives within a budget. It is a continuous process with immense challenges.