Diversify

"One of the shining qualities that heroes possess is the willingness to be educated by all things. Gregg Levoy, Callings

Last month I started teaching a course in cultural diversity for the first time and was surprised to realize that my students (mostly in their 20s and 30s) had lived their whole life under anti-discrimination laws. Their world view is much different from mine.

Although they can’t really imagine a world where discrimination is legal, they came up with this impressive list of the benefits of working in a multi-cultural group:

• Creativity
• New Ideas
• International Relations
• New Skills
• New Technology
• Becoming Encultured
• Learning New Languages
• New Communication Skills
• Different Values
• Backgrounds
• Work Ethics
• Different Opinions
• Experience
• Potlucks
• Friendships & Socialization
• Being more interesting
• Teamwork
• Developing Social Skills
• Conflict Resolution
• Free Channels of Communication
• Advancement
• Knowledge from Different Cultures
• Equal Opportunity
• Employee Empowerment
• Increased productivity
• Adaptability
• Mentoring
• Self-Growth
• Work/Life Balance

©2007 Dixie Darr. All rights reserved