May I Have This Dance?

In 2007, an article was published in the New York Times, entitled, “The Down Side of Diversity” (Jonas, 2007).  However, the question might arise as to how there could possibly be a down side to diversity. How could this be when the United States of America is home to over 317 million people and with nearly 7.1 billion people in the world (Schlesinger, 2013)? With America proudly touting its identity as the “melting pot” of multitudes of people of different races, ethnicities, ages, genders, and multitudes of other differences, how could there be a downside of diversity? Yet, in interviews conducted with 30,000 people in America regarding their thoughts and feelings about diversity, findings revealed that the more diverse the setting, the lower the measures of civic health (Jonas, 2007).  In other words, where diversity existed, there was less community or collective strength, vigor, and well-being. But, how could this be?

Consider this..."Diversity" has become a buzz word of sorts amongst organizations. Over time, there has been great investment in diversity programs, workshops, trainings, and the like. Many organizations have even hired chief diversity officers in an effort to ensure that the organization acquires and maintains a diverse culture.

However, I believe that focused attention to "Diversity" alone can ultimately become detrimental to an organization and its effectiveness when the organization leaves out the critical element of - Inclusion. Indeed, organizations can be diverse, yet still not be inclusive. There can be an acknowledgment of differences, yet still no intention to honor and include those differences in the work and in practice. Verna Myers explained the differences between diversity and inclusion as such, "Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance."       

In essence, it is not enough to merely go about touting how diverse the organization is when there is little to no glimpse of inclusionary practices. Furthermore, "the absence of inclusion can also be seen as the absence of an “ethical imperative” (Ferdman, 2014, p. 10) to move beyond the superficial to “create environments in which a broader range of people can feel safe, accepted, valued, and able to contribute their talents and perspectives for the benefit of the collective” (Ferdman & Roberts, 2014, p. 95).

Therefore, I encourage you to assess the diversity of your organization, your board, your stakeholders, and the communities and people you serve. Observe their differences. Examine their strengths, talents, and the abilities they bring. See their many ages, ethnicities, genders, races, religions, and abilities. Acknowledge their presence and above all honor them by simply extending your hand and asking them one simple question, "May I have this dance?"

http://movingdiversityforward.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/NALP-July-2011by-Verna_Myers.pdf/

Ferdman, B. M., & Roberts, L. M. (2014). Creating inclusion for oneself: Knowing, accepting,

    and expressing one's whole self at work. Diversity at work: the practice of inclusion (pp. 93-127). 

    San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Ferdman, B. M. (2014). The practice of inclusion in diverse organizations. Diversity at work:

                the practice of inclusion (pp. 3-54). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Jonas, M. (2007, August 5). The downside of diversity. New York Times. Retrieved June 10,

                2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/world/americas/05iht-

                diversity.1.6986248.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Schlesinger, R. (2013, December 31). The 2014 U.S and world populations. US News.

                Retrieved June 8, 2014, from http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-

                schlesinger/2013/12/31/us-population-2014-317-million-and-71-billion-in-the-world