When Abu, our Diversity Society Lead, asked me to write a blog for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), I was initially perplexed what to write about. After all, what does a white, privileged, middle-aged, straight male know about diversity other than what he’s been taught on courses? But as my eyes wandered around my desk at home, I picked out the following objects:
Are these everyday objects similar or different? The vertical mouse is a bit different maybe? In fact all of them are different, as they are made from different materials and have different colours and sizes. Those differences are deliberate and important otherwise they wouldn’t do their job properly. However, these four apparently different objects have something in common, other than being owned by me of course.
Humans can also be different and similar. As a species we share 50% of our gene sequence with bananas, but this doesn’t mean humans are half fruit. And while I share a lot more gene sequence with my brother, we have very different values and outlooks having experienced different life journeys. You will hopefully have heard about Insight Discovery colours and that people are motivated by different things, e.g. data, tasks, people and creativity. They also have different knowledge and expertise. I am an engineer, but I am surrounded by colleagues from other professions and with different training.
I have to mention Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s day four as I write this and I’m glad you are reading this because it means you haven’t been wiped out by nuclear war. That dispute is an extreme example of difference and similarity so often the cause of war. Russians and Ukrainians look and sound very similar to me, and they both use the Cyrillic alphabet. Russia, or certain Russians, highlight these similarities and want the ex-soviet nations to re-unite. Ukraine, however, wants to be different to Russia but possibly similar to Europe.
As a child and adult, I have joined sports clubs, orchestras and societies because I want to belong to something and to be with people who I share something in common with. This could be wearing the same team outfit, holding the same beliefs and values or practicing the same skills. Just belonging to the human race isn’t enough, we want to be a part of something special or elite. But in joining these groups, I had to recognise everyone outside the group as different. I played the bassoon which made me part of the woodwind section. Different to the noisy brass and scratchy strings and the people at the back who hit things. However, all parts of the orchestra unite when it comes to playing in a concert, especially when it’s a competition against the next town. A bit of difference is needed for competition and competition between those who are different can be enjoyable. But if the competition involves fatalities, then it’s time to remember our similarities.
Returning to the four objects on my desk, they each have their own unique purpose. You can’t cut paper with a mouse or sharpen a pencil with a chequebook. For the younger amongst you, a chequebook was what we used before BACS and PayPal. However, these four objects are similar because they are designed for a person with a particular characteristic. Not a protected characteristic like race, disability, religion or gender, but a characteristic that is shared by a 10% minority.
Those with this characteristic have been discriminated against and still are. Years ago it was considered a sign of the devil and I might have been killed or forced to conform. Even today, we are discouraged in many countries. I have to pay more for these objects on my desk than the other 90%. People make incorrect assumptions all the time, from the design of train turnstiles to a waiter putting a drink on the table. Sometimes they make insensitive comments like, ‘two left feet.’ But these are just minor inconveniences. I can still get through a turnstile and pick up a drink but it’s the principle that annoys me as I’m sure other minorities are annoyed.
We do have advantages. We are more spatially aware and therefore more likely to become engineers, architects and tennis champions – see McEnroe, Connors, Nadal, Seles and Navratilova. We won five of the most recent US presidencies. The reason isn’t understood but just to be clear Trump and Biden are not left handed, and neither is Boris. We are less likely to develop ulcers and arthritis and we recover from strokes faster. Unfortunately, we do have a higher risk of dyslexia and schizophrenia and post-menopausal women have a higher risk of breast cancer.
In conclusion, I believe that by embracing minorities of all characteristics, organisations can seize opportunity. I had a Saturday job in my teens making burgers and fries for a well-known fast-food chain. I was so impressed that the fry station, whilst equipped for the majority, it also had tools for people like me. I made sure I used ‘my’ tools whenever I was assigned to the fry station and got a laugh watching other people trying to use them. Later I opened a bank account with First Direct, partly because they pioneered telephone banking but also because they offered left-handed cheque books. I believe my 'left-handedness' can be an advantage to organisations, just as other differences can also bring sometimes overlooked benefits.
