The Answer I Wish I'd Given
I watched a thick red line travel across the movie screen, traveling from city to city around the world. As the line hit each new city, it would shift direction, signifying a change in flight path, and a new, exotic destination. I was eleven years old, and it was the first time that I really thought about traveling the world. As I sat and watched Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time, I wanted to be Indiana Jones. Not just the bullwhip-cracking, adventure-seeking action hero who won Marion Ravenwood’s heart – I wanted to be the suave, sharp-dressed guy who got onto a PanAm seaplane and traveled that red line halfway around the world.
It was the first time I’d ever given the idea of travel any real thought. And I was captivated.
As time went on, I was given the opportunity, through my work as a project manager and an L&D professional, to go to some of the stops on that red line. Beijing. Paris. Sydney. London. Frankfurt. Santiago. Bangkok. In each new locale, I was fascinated by the similarities and spectacular differences that existed between my culture and experiences, and those of the colleagues that I came to know.
My curiosity and interest in other cultures cultivated an intense belief in the value of diversity, and the power of inclusion. The desire to see others as human beings, and to understand and celebrate what made each person unique – this desire became deeply embedded as a guiding value. It became a part of who I am.
It was around that same time that I felt acutely the desire to be included, to belong. I was a nerdy, awkward kid long before there was such a thing as “geek culture.” I was excluded not because of my gender, or my skin color, or for any traditional, visible aspects of diversity. I was excluded because of the way I approached the world. I was left out because I didn’t fit in.
I’m not saying for a moment that my experience of being a geeky white kid with a hard time making friends is in any way equivalent to the systematic oppression experienced by others who fight every day for inclusion in our workplaces, schools, and public institutions. There’s no comparison between my awkward teenage years, and the hardships and struggles of groups who’ve fought (and continue to fight) for basic human dignity.
But, in my own small way, I’ve been denied inclusion, and I remember how that felt. I remember being completely mystified as to how I could find my way into a place of belonging. I remember thinking that I was doing everything right, and being lost as to why I was still not accepted. I recall trying to change myself, only to find that conformity was not the answer.
And so maybe I have just a hint of a connection, a source of empathy.
I know, at the very least, that there’s vast diversity that exists within every group, even among white, cisgender males. And I know that this diversity is not always honored, or respected, much less celebrated.
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Last week, I attended Skillsoft Perspectives 2016, an industry conference focused on the power of curated learning to empower, accelerate, and transform organizational development. At that event, it was my honor to participate in a panel on Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). As a rather new practitioner in the D&I space, I had the opportunity to share my nascent viewpoints, and learn from my fellow panelists.
The first question that was asked of each panelist was to describe what drove our passion for diversity and inclusion. I gave a professional, corporate answer about the work experiences that have exposed me to the topic of D&I, and the opportunity that I have now to lead the ideation and execution of a D&I strategy at my company. And it was fine.
But I wish that I would have said that my passion for D&I began in a movie theatre, while watching a red line on a map of the world, looking for a place to belong. That’s the real answer.
Because that moment opened my imagination, and broadened my view of what could be. And it launched me on a journey that’s taken on a new, clearer purpose in recent months.
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This blog is a way for me to record my own journey as a D&I practitioner, and to share what I’m learning with others. I’m thrilled that you’ve joined me.
I’ve said on more than a few occasions that I have a great deal of enthusiasm, and a much smaller amount of expertise. I’m learning every time that I enter into a conversation about gender equality, or race in the workplace, or LGBTQ ally-ship. My understanding and point of view expands every time I read the ideas of thought leaders in this space. And I welcome your thoughts in response to what I post here.
My own red line has begun with a dot in Milwaukee, WI. And I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.
