Think For Yourselves
Recently, I was working with a professional addressing some of their concerns around diversity in their organization. There is a particular word that always gets referenced to me, but I think the word is overly used when someone is referring to me and undervalues the way some refer to themselves. “Expertise” is the word, which on the one hand, sounds like a compliment when talking about my skills and talents. On the other hand, it feels like a cop-out because professionals discredit what they bring to the table.
Diversity is not a discipline, in my opinion, but a principle. A principle can be integrated into anything you are doing. It is all about how you see the task at hand.
Diversity, fortunately, is about being thoughtful, considerate, and humble. When one is thoughtful, they are thinking about how their work or their mindset affects others. When one is considerate, they are thinking about how others fit into their idea and how the other can contribute in ways that are different than their own. Finally, when one is humble, they accept that they are not aware of every scenario that may happen and that having the support or involvement of others makes the process better.
For many professionals that think diversity is this hard to attain skill, I remind them that they are already utilizing the principle. Think about when you are with people you love or enjoy. How open are you with them? How giving are you with them? How willing are you to consider what they bring to the table over what you bring? Now remove the work organizational chart, responsibilities, and ego, and just think about how you take what you do and improve it by being thoughtful, considerate, and humble.
Thinking for yourself requires courage and focus. You must be willing to trust yourself and work to withstand pressure even when you make mistakes. People that have shifted their health understand this because, many times to shift your health means you change your habits. Habits are usually an effect of those you are around. When you can be around people that make poor decisions with their health while you make better decisions for your health, that is called discipline. In my opinion, discipline is the combination of courage and focus. In diversity, it takes courage to admit that change is needed in your organization, and it takes focus to press on passed naysayers. A key component to creating, establishing, and solidifying diversity in your work is thinking for yourself. Make sure that if you are the head of an organization or the lead of a group, the process ends on your note; otherwise, a part of achieving diversity may be moving you from that position because you cannot think for yourself.
Now before people get in their feelings and start to think this article is targeting anyone that cares about diversity work, that is not what this is about. What this article is about is when you cannot think for yourself, you may be the barrier that is preventing diversity from being actualized in your organization. This is also where a leader must be thoughtful, considerate, and humble. Ask yourself, are you in the way of the progress? If you are in the way, how can you change your position so that you are on the right side of progress? Ask yourself, am I the reason the organization is not growing or moving in a more sustainable position? If you think you are the reason, how can you course-correct to get back on the right track and move forward? Lastly, ask yourself, have I allowed others to give me guidance or suggestions on things that I can do to improve the work circumstances for others around me? If you conclude that you have not done that, that is when you call in a professional or someone more skilled than you in whatever you need to get ahead. As the leader, hopefully, you have the institutional or historical knowledge of what matters to your organization. Furthermore, as the leader, hopefully, you have the leverage and the relationships to leverage that will give you an advanced position in your quest for growth. Remember, everyone has unawareness gaps and limitations; therefore, this is not about perfection but about willingness and ability. Be willing to move forward, be challenged, and make mistakes in your organization. Lastly, be able to accept criticism, engage people that are supporters and non-supporters of your ideas, and think for yourself about how you will accomplish the task.
