Leaving aside the obvious and multiple substantive merits of true diversity in any organization, and looking at it purely from a bureaucratic standpoint, diversity is great—because it is countable. Whatever the desire of an individual for a particular ethnic classification, the definitions of which will become even more complex as the country becomes one of multiple minorities, people get put in government-approved classifications and the administrators can sleep more soundly because they have done their jobs. Their reports on diversity are used or not used, both internally and at the government level, based on a variety of factors: political pressure, lawsuits, legislation, maybe even peer influence. Note that I am focused here on the bureaucratic side of diversity compliance, not what happens on the ground in a company or political life or in one’s interaction at the local store.
With the exemplary organization already incorporating diversity into its fabric, should there not also be a Manager of Commonality. Their responsibilities would literally be A to Z.
A: Accountability, Action
B: Beliefs, Behavior
C: Competency, Character
D: Dedication, Determination
E: Energy
F: Faith, Fitness
G: Growth, Genuineness
H: Humility, Health
I: Initiative, Insightfulness
J: Joy
K: Knowledge
L: Love, Leadership
M: Mission, Motivation
N: Nervelessness
O: Ownership, Originality
P: Perception, Persistence
Q: Quality
R: Respect, Resiliency, Rigor
S: Skill, Steadfastness
T: Transparency, Timeliness
U: Understanding
V: Value, Verve
W: Warmth, Wit
X: eXuberance
Y: Youthfulness