On Diversity

DR. ICHAK ADIZES is an expert in change management for organizations. Here he shares some thoughts on why we celebrate diversity, cultural and otherwise.

- DR. ICHAK ADIZES

I am on a walking machine watching a screen. I am watching CNN. They have a program on diversity. It occurs to me that diversity is approached from a political and ethical angle – that it is politically correct to promote diversity, political in the sense that we are all equal, have the same rights etc., and ethically because it is immoral to discriminate. It occurs to me that a very important point is being missed: diversity is good for us. We should pursue diversity because it is a win-win proposition. It serves our self-interests.

How? Start with the assumption that none of us is perfect. Thus, we need others to complement us. But to complement us, those "others” have to be DIFFERENT. Diversity, differences, are necessary for growth, for learning, for synergy.