s e t a e r C y t i s r e v i D How m a e T g n i a Winn By Karen DiGioiag, in Herbein HR Consult
I’m not sure about you, but I love a broad range of foods. One day I’m craving a burger, the next day it’s bean enchiladas. Later in the week, maybe a vegetable stir fry or a curry. Pizza. Spaghetti. Jambalaya. Shrimp and grits. So many options – and I love them all! I grew up on a pretty basic meat and potatoes diet, not unusual for the 20th century American midwestern suburbs. When I look back now, the foods I ate as a child seem bland. Over time, I introduced my palate to a wider range of flavors and spices. I can still enjoy meals that remind me of my childhood but don’t want to eat that way every day. Variety – as the saying goes – truly is the spice of life. In the same way, employing people with diverse backgrounds adds to your agency. By hiring employees with a variety of skills and perspectives, we add depth to our organizations and improve performance. Diversity is about more than regulatory compliance; it’s a business strategy that yields benefits for everyone.
The first question is read from the card: “What’s the shape of a camel’s spine?” This is an easy one for our bio majors, all of whom know that, despite those humps, a camel’s spine is straight. Team Same rolls the die and again lands on Science and Nature. “What color does litmus paper turn if a solution is acidic?” Everyone on Team Same knows this one, too. “Red or pink” is their answer, and they are correct. At this point, Team Same is feeling pretty darn confident. Two rolls, two correct answers. All these educated minds on one team – this should be easy! Team Same rolls again and lands on Arts and Literature. The question this time around is “What Richard Adams book includes an account of Bigwig’s encounter with a fox?” Dang. Team Same isn’t so comfortable with this topic. The timer runs out. Team Varied has a chance to answer.
Why does variety/diversity matter? Imagine if you will, a room with eight people who were born in the same year, grew up in the same neighborhood, went to the same college, graduated in the same year, and had the same major – for example’s sake, let’s say they all majored in biology. In the room next to them is a group of eight people with little in common – one is a millennial, one Gen Z, two are boomers. One is from the Bronx. Another is an Iowa farmer. One double majored in art history and English. Another is a gym teacher. Yet another, a park ranger. Now let’s give each group a name and bring the two rooms together for a game of Trivial Pursuit. The first is Team Same; the second, Team Varied. Let’s see how Team Same and Team Varied do in a round of Trivial Pursuit. 16
Team Same rolls the die. They get to pick their category and confidently go with Science and Nature.
Team Varied takes a few moments to discuss amongst themselves. The English major readily knows the answer as “Watership Down,” and the park ranger, who was a liberal arts major in college, agrees. Team Varied answers correctly, advances, and rolls the die. They land on Sports and Leisure. The English major rolls his eyes. “Don’t count on me for this one,” he says to his teammates. The question this time is “What soccer player was known as The Black Pearl?” Again, the team members take a few moments to chat. They turn to the gym teacher, hoping her expertise in sports will pay off. As expected, it does, and the team confidently goes with her suggested response, “Pele!” Our game continues, with Team Varied at the helm. Next topic – Geography. “How many U.S. states border
JUNE 2024