Let’s Welcome Diversity

“The world is changing right before your eyes…” went the lyrics of a popular Eagles song. Of course, the southern California band wrote the lyrics in the context of the then prevailing rock culture. This line, however, rings truer than ever today: the world is changing at a dizzying pace, thanks to the continued exponential growth in technology. To keep up with this pace, it is important that we welcome diversity.

As a part of joining a new organization, we had trainers coming in from another country to train us in a new software. The excitement in the air was palpable, and in fact, I remember counting days to get started with the training. The schedule was hectic, yet, each trainee had only good things to say about the training.

After our trainers left, I found myself wondering what was it that had made the training so special. I had attended trainings in the past, some of them by experts in the industry. With all due respect, none of them left quite an indelible impact as this one. Of course, as is the nature of all good training programs, the trainers had put in a good deal of hard work in preparing the training material. Yet, there were some other factors that made these training sessions marvelous. It appears that while leaving for the Indian shores, not only did the trainers pack their routine luggage, they also packed with them truckloads of good will. They knew that they were going to meet people with a culture and belief system different from their own. So, they planned to the minutest detail, lest they offend the hosts in any way.

The trainees were excited, but a tad apprehensive as well since this was all new to most of them. One trainee sitting next to me remarked, “I don’t know what to expect?” However, the moment the trainers saw the trainees, they expressed so much joy as if they had seen their near and dear ones. They kept on repeating “so excited to see you” with such conviction that one had no option other than to believe that they were indeed looking forward to meet us. The slide presentations had key points beautifully done in “diyas” in tune with the Indian festival of lights. We also had a wonderful cooking session, which served as a platform for exchanging ideas and forging new friendships with its foundation in mutual respect and collaboration.

Maya Angelou once famously remarked, “In diversity there is beauty and there is strength”.  Outwardly, we appeared so different. Our dressing was different, our accents were different, yet within this diversity there was an inherent oneness. We were all working as one towards the common objective of making lives better for whom we serve, that is, our customers. Now, take the case of our own body. A look at our palm will reveal that the almighty created each finger different from the other, and the thumb almost appears as a deviant in the first glance, standing aloof from the rest of the fingers. Yet, a mighty fist is created only when the thumb along with the fingers, including the little finger hold on together as one. To conclude, let us all welcome diversity and work towards a more inclusive world! Vasudhaiva kutumbakam.