I've had jobs where there is only one person that would be considered a minority. I find that it was to my disadvantage that I surrounded myself in that situation. Though I never regret anything in my life, I wish that there was more diversity in smaller workplaces then big corporations. Since moving from my tiny town up in northeast Florida, I've had big changes to my way of thinking. Diversity is the key to an intelligent society; that's why I don't regret moving to Orlando. I work 20 minutes away from where shooting at Pulse happened. I have friends who were in that nightclub. Without my diverse workplace, I wouldn't think so heavily upon the issues that smaller groups have.
Like Dr. Suess says, "A person is a person, no matter how small." Studies have shown that when you are in a more diverse environment, you tend to be more empathic. Imagine if the melting pot became deeper everywhere you went. Could you imagine the amount of tolerance that would spread? There'a going to be conflict among those who work together. No matter the group setting, there is going to be conflict. It begins when we start to accept our differences. There is an advantage to having multiple personalities working on a single project. It provides different perspectives to solving a problem.
Diversity doesn't mean just the physical aspects of a person. A person can be diverse through their experiences, talents, and skills. I have a coworker who speaks multiple languages since I work in a guest service orientated job, it's a perfect skill to have. I work with hundreds of guests every day with what I do. Having a large skillset is a nice icing on the cake of the service industry. With people from different backgrounds, it creates a better guest experience. I find that when I ask questions to different people with the skills that I lack that it brings us together as a group. When you include people it creates a positive environment and people actually want to come into work.
I found stronger relationships within the diverse company that I work for. Having people from different backgrounds as friends strengthened my character and strengthened my empathy. I have people who challenge my old beliefs in stereotypes and in general. Imagine if more people in the older generations had that. We probably would have an age of peace (at least I hope so). Working with my coworkers and management team has given hope for humanity. Sometimes we need that slap in the face that gives us space to think.
I invite more people to open their minds up and continue to enter into a more diverse environment. Some groups will clash, but it's our job to open up our minds and accept differences. No one is perfect. Let's continue to create a more tolerant and open-minded society for future generations that will enter the workforce eventually.
