Diverse
/ dəˈvərs,dīˈvərs/
adjective
Showing a great deal of variety; very different.
“A culturally diverse population”
The promise of variety, the hope for heterogeneity, the vision of seamless integration — these are the images that come to mind.
But often, this is selling ourselves short. Diversity is messy. It’s complicated, uneasy, full of friction and wear.
Trail mix. Soil. Working out. Television. Libraries. Skylines. Metallurgy.
Countless areas where diversity provides value, interest, and a greater purpose. A bag of the same kind of grain isn’t trail mix — it’s cereal. Each bite is unique, different than the last, despite the same set of ingredients. It’s the complications, the friction, that provides value.
In metallurgy, one way to strengthen a material is to introduce another material with a different grain size, often in the form of an alloy. The friction of one material on the other, and the differences between them, make the whole much stronger overall. It is the diversity of properties that provide value.
This is true in many areas of our lives, and especially true for people.
When we accept that diversity is going to be hard, going to be messy, and especially going to be different than what we’re used to, we begin to see the strength in each other.
We will need to change our hiring process, our onboarding procedures, the paperwork you have to fill out, the way we think about solving problems, how we structure meetings, what our physical space looks like. We will be required to grow and adapt.
When we make a conscious decision to accept diversity as a strategy, we make strides towards adapting for the future.
Diversity has never been easy. It will never be easy. It will always be complicated, messy, and full of friction.
It’s the price we pay for stronger communities, longer tables, and brighter futures.
The benefits always outweigh the costs.
A bit about me…
I’m Brendan (hey!) and I’m the OEM Hardware Lead at Mosaic Manufacturing where we are building awesome 3D Printing Tech.
In my spare time, you can find me kicking a soccer ball, drinking Americanos, adding to my cookbook collection, and repping Venture for Canada.
If you liked this article, give it a heart (❤), comment, and share it!
I write here and over at Common Notes.
