Diversity and Inclusion Fuel Innovation

Empowering people and helping them to feel respected should be the overarching objective of every organization. Race, color, sex, and ethnicity all represent strengths that we can draw on. We benefit from the best ideas and skills, no matter who brings them forth. When co-workers understand each other and think through alternatives and solutions to important matters, they can use their differences to bring about successful business outcomes.

Why We Celebrate Our Differences

Everyone brings a unique set of ideas, experiences, religious and cultural differences, and we want to ensure that their unique perspectives receive the attention they deserve. When we learn to know one another and understand why different groups of people have diverse beliefs and cultural behaviors, then the stereotypes that reinforce age-old prejudices are worked through and diminished. When others are perceived in a more favorable light, then the possibility of inter-cultural tension decreases.

Diversity in our personnel leads to more innovative ideas and perspectives that build stronger organizations. Being around people with different backgrounds and perspectives makes us more creative, open-minded, and diligent. We have never been content to accept the status quo but have kept a questioning attitude for new and better ideas. We have pioneered in several ways and have remained alert to alternative methods to improve our effectiveness.

We encourage cross-team collaboration and participative management with communication that engages co-workers to make their voices heard. We motivate co-workers and help them to feel a part of our organization’s mission by supporting each other. Our team leaders and talent development specialists help co-workers engage and learn from each other, forge meaningful and trustworthy relationships, brainstorm, and build strategies that drive results. Our company policies and guidelines highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion in our practices, operations, and investments.

A Friendly Environment

One of the great tasks we have taken on collectively is to respect the dignity of all co-workers and their families. That means recognizing that we are part of the whole, and what impacts a person at work carries over into his/her personal life in the community. The reverse is also true.

We have a genuine caring for each other and respect that is not dependent on a title. No one has the right to be capricious, arrogant, or insensitive to another regardless of position or seniority. We are all equal in value, though we play different roles. A friendly environment with cooperative, helpful attitudes and teamwork is the backbone of our effort and a cornerstone of our success.

The Way Forward

The face of America is changing with regard to race, color, sex, and national origin. This change will provide an opportunity for greater diversity in our organization, and we will see this accelerate in the future. Each of us can be involved in promoting diversity. We can do this by patronizing businesses with fair hiring practices, by speaking out when others take positions that work against understanding and communication, and by reaching out to people who are different from us.

In the workplace, we can provide ongoing awareness programs about the value of human diversity for all co-workers. We need to be respectful of individual work styles and create an environment that promotes the exploration of diversity. We have a moral duty to support inter-cultural awareness, sensitivity, and courtesy to bring unity to each of our communities.

The immense power of diversity can only be unleashed when we understand, recognize, accept, and value all distinct qualities, backgrounds, and experiences. As we acknowledge and accept our differences, we see higher performance and morale within our organizations and our society.