Appreciating Our Diversity of Culture, Experience and Thought

I’ve just returned from visiting my son Alex in Brooklyn, NY. Oh my, life looks so different than where I live in Orange County CA.

April is Diversity awareness month and it got me thinking that I’d like to share some of my observations with you. And I began to wonder how these differences play out in the workplace. Keep reading so you can access some valuable resources.

A few examples:

Religion:

Most notable was the Orthodox Jewish community. Their clothes quickly identify them, and I loved how they appear to be proud to distinguish themselves. The black suits and hats the men wear; the women keep their hair covered; the young girls wear skirts below their knees and the young guys wear their yarmulkes with their hair side curls known as payos.

My impression as a passerby was that they are a tight-knit community committed to their values and principles.

How does this relate to you at work? As we evaluate inclusivity and embracing differences, how do your leaders handle religious needs and requests in your workplace? This is a legitimate subject and worthy of discussion with your leaders and your team so that you can help everyone feel as though they belong.

This link highlights a very recent lawsuit by a US Postal worker who declined to work on Sundays. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/listen-live-supreme-court-hears-religious-freedom-case-for-postal-worker-required-to-work-on-sunday

Transportation:

I took my first subway ride, in fact, we took three subways to get to the Yankees game. It is a convenient way to travel, and very affordable. I saw so much diversity: age, race, economic status, and clothing worn by males, females and those who choose not to identify.

Sometimes the trains were delayed. A couple of times, we were packed like sardines (I was grateful that I had my mask on).

How does this relate to you at work? If your employees take public transportation to work, how understanding are you and your team if they experienced delays? Do you demonstrate understanding and flexibility and recognize that they, too may be frustrated? Or does someone on your team reprimand and threaten that if they’re late one more time it’ll be documented?

Culture and Language:

I don’t know about you, but I speak one language, English. I am impressed and amazed when people speak their native language and can communicate well in English. New York truly is a melting pot filled with so many different people from so many countries who celebrate a variety of traditions, beliefs, and cultures.

We ate at a Mexican restaurant which was a lot of fun. Not only was the food delicious, but the soccer game also was on TV and the Mexican music played loud, and it was like a sing along-everyone (except us) knew the words to the songs. The place was lively and energetic. We felt welcome and as though we fit right in.

How does this relate to you at work? How welcoming is your culture to others if English is not their first language? What’s the protocol if employees from another culture want to wear clothing that represents their country?

To celebrate diversity not just in April, but every day, I’d love for you to participate in a Diversity Challenge! Here are some ideas:

Within the next two weeks, intentionally put yourself in an environment that is with others who look and or think differently than you.

Go to a restaurant where the people are from a different culture (similar to our experience at the Mexican restaurant).

Visit a meeting where people in your industry look different than you (i.e. Black or Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, or Black Accountants meeting, etc.).

Attorneys Association of Hispanics.

LGBTQ+ event

Visit a church where people are of a different religion or race than you.

Attend a festival where a different culture is celebrated.

Are you in?????

If these ideas aren't enough, or you’d also like to implement activities at work, Here’s a link with 20 ideas for you to do in your workplace…there are some awesome ideas that will prove to offer learning opportunities, engage your team and have fun!

https://blog.vantagecircle.com/activities-diversity-and-inclusion/

I’d love for you to let me know what you choose to do for this challenge, how it went and what you learned. Let me know of other ideas you have that have helped to appreciate our differences.

We are all a work in progress. Let’s enjoy the journey together.