CHAPTER 1
Introduction
The journey of a thousand miles ...
My fingers are trembling ever so slightly.
The date is October 17, 2012.
Today is the day I start the first book in this series: Unleashthe Power of Diversity: Multi Cultural Competence forBusiness Results." Later on, we will examine practicalfeatures one routinely outlines in a book: the content ofeach section, new frameworks and conceptual challenges,business imperatives, and a call to action.
But for this moment, I want you to experience my heartbeating a little bit faster.
To see the room around me, a Starbucks like so manyothers.
People typing, tutors with voices raised ever so slightlyas they try to explain the difference between one type ofdifferential equation or another.
The friendly man at the counter who says he doesn'tremember my name or my order, but recognizes that"wonderful smile".
In a frenetic, stressful and deadline driven corporateenvironment, there is such a laser sharp focus on numbersand results that the human element is often forgotten.
Worse, we err on the side of compliance and conduct ourannual diversity conference, appoint a diversity director ortwo, and feel competent at "diversity and inclusion."
The fact of the matter is that these measures, whilepositive, do not guarantee an engaged diverse workforce.And, on the premise that an engaged workforce is a moreproductive workforce, this book addresses the bottom line.
In order for true diversity learning to occur, however,the reader, regardless of whether she is the CEO of amultibillion-dollar multinational corporation or an individualcontributor, must be willing to read with both the head andthe heart. Therefore: read the stories first before goingto the fact sheet that tells you how many Buddhists thereare in the world or the map that highlights where the threebillion Christians are located geographically. You will learnmore that way. All adult learning and engagement theoryvalidates that assumption.
So, shall we take a Diversity Foray together?
Author's note: I will define—and redefine—the word foraymany times throughout this book. For now, it's a journey,an exploration, and also the framework that centers thisbook. The purpose of this framework is to offer a simpleyet practical toolkit to make the complex, messy, oftendangerous subject of diversity easier to explore.
CHAPTER 2
Mission
Setting our life compass
Why do we exist?
If you don't know where you are going, you can reada thousand books with topics and techniques to helpyou improve your life, and it will not make much of adifference in the end.
I don't mean to talk you out of reading this book ondiversity, but truthful I must be!
So before we start talking about diversity, culture,and all the other aspects that make us different, let'scenter ourselves.
What is your mission in life?
Do you have five or six words that serve as your "northstar" and guide your life?
A wise man I met recently—a master in meditation andimmensely learned—said that his is Peace on earth. Anattendee at a recent global conference showed me hiscard; it said simply Clarity wins.
My north star is Learning, teaching, helping with gracefulflawed authenticity.
Each of those words represents something very critical.
- If it moves others forward, sharing what I havelearned matters to me; this mutual process alsoenables continuous learning from others—thus,learning, teaching, helping.
- Graceful is about dealing with life's challenges withequanimity.
- Flawed is because our human failings, along with ourstrengths, make us who we are. We must thereforeaccept the negative traits that inevitably accompanyour strengths.
- Authenticity is because I have worn masks,relentlessly, for many years of my life, particularlyafter moving from an Asian to a North Americanwork environment. Many of the norms I grew upwith seemed unacceptable compared to the newnorms. We all wear masks; I just want mine to betransparent and rarely used.
Setting the context
Having a mission statement ensures that one has an internalcompass for one's actions. It is what gives us directionthrough life. Answering the question—Where does thisdiversity book fit in with your mission?—will create a frameof reference as you read. Having more than one reason toread the book would be a bonus. In order to answer thisquestion, you must first have a mission.
If you feel that you already have a clear, compellingmission, please move to page 12 and skip the create amission activity on the next page.
First examine your mission and then see if the explorationof diversity is part of your direction in life. For example,the person whose mission is Clarity first may add to thisclarity by learning about different peoples. Peace on Earthas a mission is aided by understanding people from othercultures.
* If you already have a strong mission, skip page 11and directly fill out your mission on page 12 (MissionStatement). If not, complete your mission on page11 first (or at least develop a draft mission) andcontinue.
Quotes to inspire your thinking (these are not missionstatements, just catalytic ideas):
* "We need to give each other the space to grow, tobe ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need togive each other space so that we may both give andreceive such beautiful things as ideas, openness,dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion."—Max de Pree
* "Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anythingthat will assert integrity of purpose and imaginativevision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of thecommonplace, the slaves of the ordinary."—CecilBeaton
* "We find comfort among those who agree with us,growth among those who don't."—Frank Clark
* "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."—LeonardoDa Vinci
* "Be who you are and say what you feel becausethose who mind don't matter and those who matterdon't mind."—Dr. Seuss
* "I will not let anyone walk through my mind withtheir dirty feet."—Mahatma Gandhi
* "No one can make you feel inferior without yourconsent."—Eleanor Roosevelt
* "If we cannot now end our differences, at least wecan help make the world safe for diversity."—John FKennedy
* "We inhabit a universe that is characterized bydiversity."—Desmond Tutu
* "To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant,to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but tolive gratitude is to touch Heaven."—Johannes A.Gaertner
* "We all should know that diversity makes for arich tapestry, and we must understand that all thethreads of the tapestry are equal in value no matterwhat their color."—Maya Angelou
Developing a Mission Statement:
If you don't already have a mission and would like todevelop one, follow the steps listed below.
a. What is my mission? Write important words andphrases here.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Select less than ten words that will guide you in the future.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Sample Mission Statements:
Learning, teaching, helping with graceful flawed authenticity.
Peace on earth.
b. Your mission (it may be necessary to revisit this overtime).
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
• Does this mission statement serve as your compass?
• Can you test future actions based on it?
• Is learning about diversity congruent with yourmission? (The word diversity doesn't have to bein your mission statement, just aligned with yourdirection.)
• If you answered yes, you are ready to start thejourney/Diversity Foray with us.
Author's note: There are several great techniques and waysto complete one's Mission Statement. Some of them involvetwo-day retreats in Sonoma or the Loire Valley with yogaand massages and spiritual music. All of these techniquesfor arriving at a mission can be highly effective; I havepersonally used some of these options to refine my mission.In the absence of a formal visioning experience, drafting amission statement is a valuable first step in this journey.
My reasons for reading this book are:
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Select as many of the choices below that apply, and addyour own reasons.
For example:
• I want to increase the morale of my diverse workforce.
• Diversity and inclusion are very important to meprofessionally and personally.
• I live in a country where I look and feel different. Itwould help me to understand how to integrate intothe mainstream without losing my identity.
• I want to know more about cultures of the world inorder to increase my interpersonal effectiveness.
• I manage a cross cultural team in this country.
• I conduct business regularly with people from othergeographic locations.
• I will soon be working in/with _____________ country.
• My son-in-law/best friend/boss (insert word here) isfrom another culture and I really want to improve myunderstanding of—and relationship with—him or her.
CHAPTER 3
Culture Defined
Culture is the way you behavewhen you think no one'slooking ...
What is 'Culture'?
Culture definitions differ in the context of business andanthropological literature. Both disciplines, however,reference culture as being the norms, values, and beliefsof a group of people, typically tied together by a commonethnicity, race, or religion. My definition of culture, basedon observations and experience, is that culture is the wayyou behave when you think no one's looking.
We could speak about a culture based on country, generalregion, or religion such as the "Muslim culture" (thecontext of which would be religion: as in the role of Islamicwomen in society), the "Middle East" (here referringto a region), or "Saudi Arabia" (a country within theMiddle East), which happens to be predominantly Muslim(following the religion of Islam).
It is critical to understand which culture we are referencing,because not all countries within the Middle Eastern Islamicculture have the same norms with respect to women'srights, in the example referenced. A woman from Iran mayhave both Islamic as well as Persian beliefs, which result ina different set of role expectations.
Stereotypes are defined as a set of beliefs, both positiveand negative, about a group.
For example, a popularly held belief is that a male fromChina will be good at math, and—by extension—also booksmart and intelligent. That is a positive stereotype.
Stereotyping often occurs in clusters; therefore, this sameman may also be associated with negative stereotypes suchas "introverted, no sense of humor, etc."
I want to make sure that I am very clear here. This is notmy opinion of people from China or Iran; am just definingculture and stereotypes. Without belaboring the point,please understand that these examples are used merely toillustrate the concepts.
There is a tendency toward defensiveness that takesaway from learning when we approach the subject ofstereotyping.
Imagine you have an ugly little baby. You may personallybe a bit disappointed at its little red face with a huge nose;as parents may even joke with your spouse about it. Howwould you feel, however, if someone else calls your babyugly? Cultural diversity work often feels (in the gut andheart) like someone is calling your baby ugly.
Recognize it. This is all part of the journey of self-discovery.
Beliefs are "unconscious DVDs" (or tapes, depending onone's age!) that keep playing in the mind, like soft music.
Our norms and beliefs lie at the core of our culture. Thesebeliefs can be positive or negative, limiting or liberating.
In addition to culture, there are other factors. Lifeexperiences, socioeconomic background, and gendermessaging also have a strong impact on belief systems. Weact out our beliefs on a daily basis.
For example, when a mother tells her third grade son:"Wait till your dad gets home for help with your mathhomework," she is exhibiting her belief that thirdgrade math is too difficult for her. Over time, her sonwill probably also develop this belief. His belief will bethat women are unlikely to succeed in STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering and Math) careers, but he maybe unable to pinpoint the source of this unconscioustypecasting. Limiting belief systems leads to stereotyping,which translates from the home to the workplace. Now let'sbring it back to the business implications.
Author's note: I find it very distracting to read his/herand he/she in books. Therefore, for easier readability,I reference her personal brand and his hidden self inthe book to vary pronoun gender. Upon first editing themanuscript, it was surprising to note that I had citedsignificantly more he examples than she. Though I took careof the anomaly, it was eye-opening to uncover this personalhidden bias.
Why do we care about cultural stereotyping in theworkplace?
• The most critical reason is that we make poorselection, recruitment, promotion, and layoffdecisions, which, over time, result in significantproductivity losses and opportunity costs.
• When negative stereotyping occurs, a lot of energyis wasted in defusing and handling the situation.
• The person being stereotyped typically shuts down,either literally in terms of work output, or verbally.
• The person doing the stereotyping often feels poorlytreated as well and defensively forms a clique. Thisthen quickly turns into an us versus them situation.
• To summarize: stereotyping leads to ineffective,subjective, and costly decisions; additionally,productive energy has to be diverted from thebusiness task at hand in order to defuse destructiveinterpersonal conflicts.
CHAPTER 4
Self-Assessment
What is my brand? What are my biases, stereotypes andlimiting beliefs?
On the following two pages, fill out an honestself-assessment of your personal brand, presence, andcultural biases. Please note this will be very difficult to fillout, particularly the part about your hidden biases.
Author's note: For legal reasons it is inadvisable to leaveself-assessments (particularly stereotypes, etc.) lyingaround, especially in a work environment as there areobvious legal repercussions related to this topic area.Please exercise common sense and good judgment in allaspects of reading and using this book.
The purpose of this exercise is to increase yourself-awareness. This in turn, can translate to betterbusiness results through greater cross cultural effectiveness.Please be honest; only you will determine who views yourresponses.
Part One: Personality and Brand
What is my personal brand and presence?
• I am more like a * Hammer * Brush (circle one choice only).
* I know this because ____________________________.
* Most people from my culture are * Hammers * Brushes
* Hammers are hard-hitting, blunt, honest,results-oriented and deadline-driven people
- Under stress, hammers hit the nail so hard thewall cracks.
* Brushes are pleasant, likeable, hate to hurtpeople's feelings
- Under stress, brushes smooth so much painton the damaged wall that it cracks.
