And why Mankind (and diversity) is everyone’s business

By: Mary L. Niehaus

So I’m reading a Facebook post about a farmer’s son who was credited with 100 patents related to modern television. I’m moving slow on a Saturday morning fighting the flu. And I unexpectedly find myself at an intersection of thought…rather a collision of thoughts…related to the current DEI conversations happening. Like most people, I’ve been watching it all unfold. But admittedly, I’m still a passive observer. I’m not quick to judge or rush into something without being fully informed. I support people, not politics. And I never debate politics with anyone. I save my energy for where I feel it can make a difference. And so I’m just trying to go on about my business until…no…wait! My business. What is my business anyways?

What’s Your Business?

Another sharp and abrupt turn in the mind of a creative like me. In my head, I’m suddenly hearing Dickens’ famous line from A Christmas Carol, “Mankind was your business.” My subconscious is a funny thing. I’m triggered by iconic memories ranging from Looney Tunes characters to fictional literature to the actual reality of past history. I’m next reminded of the poem, “First They Came” by Pastor Martin Niemoller. You know, the one where the writer talks about not speaking out for all the groups that were persecuted and ultimately, when he found himself persecuted, there was no one left to speak out for him. 

I think that sets enough of the backdrop of what is driving my entrance into a conversation that will surely continue to cause divisiveness amongst political parties, countries, states, and even friends and families. I humbly submit my thoughts without any animosity or malintent to anyone. 

Diversity Fuels Innovation

As a business person, I understand the need to provide concrete examples to support any efforts. I believe that diversity fuels innovation. I’m raising my head and hand and identifying as being a single ingredient of that formula. I bring diversity of thought and lived experiences.

Rather than entering the fray of political discord, I offer a conversation thread to highlight and demonstrate the power of diversity to drive innovation. 

Lens of Diversity

Now, getting back to that farmer’s son. At 14 years old, Philo Farnsworth looked at the furrows of his family’s potato field and saw in them a way to transmit parallel lines of light as electrons. 

At age 22, (nearly 100 years ago) he created the first all-electric working TV. And this all started with someone who saw something different through the lens of his own diversity of thought and knowledge peering over an ordinary potato field!

I’ve always admired the world’s great thinkers and love seeing the layers of someone revealed as they advance new ideas and innovations. It’s easy to see the benefits of bringing together groups of individuals from different walks of life. Because ultimately, if left to a strictly homogenous team, we miss out on key observations. I’m not saying any one group of similar people cannot drive innovation or deliver business results. I’m saying that diverse groups from all backgrounds will consistently deliver more. Why? Perspective. Lived experiences. Physical and Cultural differences. If you’re 6’ tall, you can’t possibly see the world from the same vantage point as someone who is 5’ tall.

These are really basic examples (intentionally so). The lens of diversity is wide and multi-faceted. It encompasses every single unique aspect of each of us as humans. Our world is a shared environment resulting in vastly different lived experiences depending upon who you are. 

Shared Environment

We’re all living in this shared environment with limited resources. A win for one should be a win for all. But it is not always perceived that way or even structured as such.

For businesses, that means we need to be creating products and services that meet the needs of all consumers. Can we do that without including a representation of every type of person existing in this shared environment? Maybe, but I’d argue we won’t do a very good job. Who decides what’s good enough?

For consumer goods, there is a school of thought to scale globally and localize products to meet (as much as possible) the needs of all consumers. Rebranding, colors, scents. And it works pretty well. I actually have come to appreciate even more those companies that have further segmented their consumer base to include ethnicity, disability, and all areas of diversity. So when I started reading about those same companies dialing back efforts on paper and online, I have to say I was disappointed.

What has changed fundamentally about their business approach? We’re not talking about the ebb and flow of supply and demand. This is not a commodity. It’s mankind! Sorry for the dramatic flair, but when I have companies telling me that diversity is woven into the fabric of their culture and a part of all they do….well I have to wonder how a changing administration can undo and unravel that culture with a single blow. 

Erosion of Consumer Loyalty and Trust

Which brings me to the consideration of how consumers can remain loyal to companies who bespoke an unwavering commitment only to falter and well-waver. How many crisis management meetings and scenario sessions are happening right now to weigh the odds and roll the dice in determining what actually merits the risk of a financial impact to the bottom line? What three or four scenarios might play out and what will the business need to have in place to manage the crisis? Tough questions for CEOs, who have to answer to the Street. Y’all still gotta answer to the people too.

Employees First

Depending on the situation, most companies will lead with support of employees, putting their safety and wellbeing as the first priority. Well, at least that’s always been my understanding when it came to a crisis where the physical safety of employees was at risk due to a natural disaster or some other emerging situation with casualties. I’d like to see companies give the same concern and care for the overall wellbeing of employees impacted by the current climate of DEI. Instead of curbing adjectives and revising copy, put people first. Let there be thoughtful intent behind words, with actions quickly following to show support for employees. Companies are so busy trying to stay in the middle of the pack, they’re losing a bigger asset in the trust and commitment from their employee base. And if current headcount truly is a reflection of a company’s consumer base, how long before they see a negative reaction?

Business is Business

My opinions and thoughts are limited to my own lived and world views. I don’t pretend to understand the entire landscape of DEI. But I invite those who do to join this conversation thread. And do so in a way that helps advance the conversation in a positive way.

Let’s come back to where we started. That foundation for what makes good business sense (if what’s good for mankind isn’t reason enough) and problem solve from there. I’m reminded of a lecture I attended a few decades ago by Ted Sorensen, former speechwriter for JFK. He talked about the departure from the “age of eloquence” in politics. It stuck with me and it reverberates now more than ever. Regardless of party lines or ideology, if we’re going to take a step back in any direction, could it be to retrieve that mutual respect in political discourse? 

Never Settle

I’m just one person with some lived experiences and a few decades of really great business experience. I see things differently at times and can relate to that farmer’s son who hatched a plan to invent a television looking across a potato field. A while back, I was hiking and was thinking about a western show I’d been binge watching. I was remembering images of the settlers in the show relieving themselves of baggage that no longer served them…the wagon trails littered with pianos and pipe organs, fancy furniture and items from their past lives. It was impossible for them to make their journey ahead to a new life without leaving it all behind. I’d argue that we could learn a lot from those folks and drop some of our own baggage in support of mankind. I’m not saying I have a solution, but I think it begins with collisions of thoughts where we all intersect with different views and maybe (hopefully) we can rise above the discord for thoughtful collaboration for a better way forward. Let’s not settle for less than any of us deserve. And importantly, recognize what we need to let go of in order to move ahead as one, together. Because a win for one should, indeed, be a win for all.