Do you Pick by Diversity, or do you Pick by Ability?
Doesn’t America Deserve Better
One of the things I loved about the military was that it simply judged you on ability. For the most part, everything else was immaterial. We were all green in the Army, and no one cared who you chose to sleep with, what your skin color was, what sex you were, and who you worshipped. All those things didn’t matter to the execution of the mission. The Army was looking for people who could accomplish the task while being effective team members.
The higher up I got in rank, the more the focus was on diversity. I am the first to say that diversity is critical because people come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives, making the team more robust by increasing its value. Still, in most cases, when a position was open for filling, it was filled by the best person.
In some cases, the best person was not the most critical criterion. So, what does that do to the value of that job when the best is not what is required but instead just someone good enough that might fit diversity needs. Hmmm, that takes the credibility out of the job or position. Not because a person diverse took it but because diversity was the number one criterion instead of ability. When someone is selected because they are the best, it keeps that position with high regard, realizing that it belongs to the best. Whenever the position is filled for any other reason, no matter what that reason is, it deteriorates the position’s value. It lends the impression that it does not matter who was in there, to begin with, since ability was not the main reason for picking the person then.
I was often asked, “don’t you think we need more diversity in this position or unit?” I would respond, “if it is a position where only the person with the best of the ability could do that job, then don’t put that as the criteria. If it is a position where you think numerous people could do that job, then sure make that as the criteria.” Who knows who the best person is? It could be anyone of any race, color, sexual persuasion, or even sex. That I would not know until there were interviews or evaluating records.
Taking all the above, I believe the President made a colossal blunder publicly when he chose his Vice President. He told the public that it would be someone from diversity and a female. Of course, this was to garner some support to help lead him to the White House. In the year since the President held the position, many have questioned whether the Vice President is qualified or was she the right person for the job? Rather, all he had to do was go through the process without sharing all his thoughts, rather than put everything out on the street. Then make his selection and say that “Kamala Harris is going to be the Vice President because she is the most qualified.”
That would have been great, and it would have set a foundation publicly for her credibility. Instead, before selecting her, he put all that political fodder out for everyone to see about diversity instead of ability. In turn, devalued her position because it lends the impression she was selected foremost by her sex and skin color and not by her ability first. Giving the notion that it didn’t matter who the selection to the office of VP was, which is sad in my mind. The VP did not need that going into that position. Regardless of anyone’s thoughts of the VP, it immediately put her at a disadvantage. That is not her fault. That is the President’s fault.
The VP is an excellent example of why one should always select by ability, not diversity. If she were the best, she would be chosen anyway, right? One would think so. The way the President handled this is in a way we would expect maybe a newly elected official to act, not a seasoned one.
I think the Vice President deserved better than this. I also think America Deserves Better than this. Think about it, the President decided on the person that is a heartbeat away from the most powerful office in the world (if used correctly). Couple that with everyone knowing he is not a spring chicken. Maybe putting a more deliberate thought in the path to that decision would have suited everyone better.
The Vet
