Kathairo Solutions

As I was preparing to write this post I searched the internet for, “most misunderstood words.” Surprisingly, “diversity” was not on any of the lists that I found. I say this because I have seen several instances where one person was using the word (with a certain meaning in mind) and the hearer’s interpretation was something totally different. The most general definition I came across is “the condition of having or being composed of different elements.” In regards to people and culture, a further definition by Webster’s is “especially: the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or organization.” I think what’s important to clarify for every instance or organization is that “etc.” Even with the understanding of varying cultures, diversity is not always easy to define for every group or circumstance. In the work that I do primarily with churches, nonprofits, and schools, diversity is normally focused on a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographical backgrounds (which I tease out in Know Your “Why” for Diversity). Yet, organizations with dissimilar missions will probably have a different focus for diversity.

Reflection questions

• What does diversity mean to you or your organization?
• What is the “etc.” for your group?
• What specific areas are you focusing on for diversity? Why?
• Read Building Bridges for more thoughts about our approach to cross-cultural communication
• Is it OK for an organization to have diversity among its leadership in their definitions of “diversity”? Why?