Diversity, Inclusion and Us...

*Part of blog competition at work (Capgemini) during Diversity week in March 2017*

What is Diversity? Is it just people from different countries or cultures or religions or education? Is it just people of different race, color, gender, physical appearance?

Let us look at the dictionary meaning of Diversity – “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements”.

Honestly, diversity is everyday life – it is any person other than me. In fact many a times it is Me – me as human that goes through thousands of thoughts, ideas, likes, dislikes, emotions for any given situation. It is a range of clashing emotions that is more often than not, for myself that sometimes also forces me to classify others whom I deem different. Now expand this “I” to a group of demographically, culturally alike people and we have an exclusive group of individuals who are arguably similar. Now bring these groups of different “culturally alike people” together and it is diversity – whether in a team or an organization or in a country.

So, what is Inclusion? Is it mere acceptance of the fact that diversity is all around us? Is it mere cosmetic acceptance of people and practices that are not similar to mine?

On the face of it, Inclusion seems a very fashionable, elitist and idealist word that is good to read in poems, books and in the value structures of organizations. In some sense “Diversity” and “Inclusion” seem like an oxymoron.

But, then it is the only way forward in a world that has become more and more connected with people more and more aspiring, self-confident and at the same time, feeling more and more wanted with a strong sense of identity.

This is more so evident in an organization like ours where it is not only a mixed bag of nationalities, cultures, race and religions, but also of ideas, beliefs and competition. That is where Inclusion comes in – not just mere acceptance but respect and appreciation for the variety that comes with diversity. It is about embracing the idea of variety and living and moving forward together.

Coming from a country like India, which in itself is a land of a thousand cultures and contradictions, diversity is everyday life. It gives me an opportunity to open my mind to learn about the diverse cultures and lifestyles of different people. It enriches me to become a progressive person, it helps me appreciate life, it empowers me to appreciate the opportunity to be different and still contribute to my organization’s growth without losing my identity, without being told how different I am.

I come from the Patni days - and the transition from there to IGATE and then to Capgemini has not been always been smooth. I have worked with different teams and clients in different regions during this course and still am in awe of how much I have to learn. Is it always beautiful? NO! There are clashes, there are false pretenses, there are me-over-you moments and vice versa. But that is the beauty of it all, as ultimately all come together as a bouquet of flowers – variety of colors, fragrance, size and shape..and yes, thorns too! It is one BIG melting pot!

At the end of the day, that is what makes me and all of us better humans and this organization a better place to work.