Diversity is the Bottom Line - Keith R. Wyche
Diversity and inclusion go far beyond breaking the barriers of race and gender. And even so, the two are not enough to create a fully even playing field for all.
I was featured at the Executive Speakers Bureau as a Keynote Speaker. You can watch the video or read part of the transcript below to see my comments.
“I define diversity a little different than others. Most people don’t think ‘diversity,’ they think of gender or race. To me, true diversity is diversity of thought. Companies and people who are serious about diversity, know they want diverse opinions in the room. They also know that if they are to accomplish that, then by nature that means having different people, genders, etc. on their team.
“The second thing you hear about is ‘diversity and inclusion.’ I love diversity and inclusion, but I don’t think it goes far enough. Here’s my analogy: to me diversity says you get invited to the party, inclusion says you get a seat at the table, but there’s this third piece called equality that says you get the same opportunity to succeed as everyone else. Now what you do with that opportunity is up to you, but you have to have that opportunity to succeed. When I to my marketing people to say ‘hey I want to coin that’ they then said ‘Keith that’s a DIE, D-I-E, I don’t think that’d be a good phrase for you to market.’
“So I left that alone, but the fact of the matter is, if we live in a very diverse world and society, diversity is no longer the nice thing to do. People think of it as a nice thing or a chance to help meet equal opportunity affirmative action quotas. No! Diversity is a business thing.
“I was in the grocery business and what made me successful is that I understood that I had 120 stores that were in different neighborhoods and I couldn’t merchandize them all the same. I couldn’t because there was a difference of the way the people ate in the kosher community, in the Latino community and in the African American community. The way they all ate was totally different. So we merchandized the store for the community. Diversity is about a bottom line, it’s not white, it’s not red, it’s not yellow, it’s really about green.”
Keith Wyche is a change management leader who strives to assist organizations in reaching their potential. With decades of experience managing billion-dollar businesses across several industries, Keith applies a holistic approach to sustainable and efficient change. Keith is an author and leader who advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion in workplace talent and in customers through bridging community gaps. His vast experience and skills allow him to turn around struggling organizations and create strategic solutions for the best results.
