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 Diversity - The Phoney Version -looks different but isn’t 

The image is of someone frantically bailing out a leaky boat whilst water continues to pore in through the holes in its hull. There is a lot of effort but it doesn’t  make much difference. This is what it is like trying to make the organisation more diverse by putting a lot of effort into recruitment whilst ignoring Inclusion. 

 

The reason why diversity is championed as good for business/organisations, as opposed to the moral argument that it is the right thing to do, is that a diverse organisation brings together people with different life experiences, a different perspective and way of looking at things and therefore a new set of options and a challenge to existing ways. Which improves the chances of coming up with more efficient , more effective and better ways. 

 

“ Diversity in many organisations has come to mean increased numbers of non-white faces in unfamiliar places as long as they leave those places unchanged. Real diversity should disrupt the status quo. The phoney version is concerned with changing the appearance of the organisation but not it’s fundamentally nature.” Nesrine Malik  

 

The phoney version of diversity is accompanied by a failure to be Inclusive. Yes the work place is more diverse but those minority groups don’t feel they belong or that their different perspective is valued.

 

Blair Mcpherson former Director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk 

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