What conversations about diversity are missing?

Company websites will tout race and gender diversity information to recruit employees and win customers. The TV news reflects the continuing American struggle for racial equality and diversity.

Students do not equally pursue computer sciences across racial and gender lines. Since 2014, Gallup and Google have teamed up to understand the contributing factors that continue to drive this trend. I attended a Mastermind group that was best described as, "stale, pale and male." It was a pleasure to see someone other than an older, white guy engaged in conversation.

These are the most common diversity discussions. What are the other conversations that need to be brought out into the open for a broader discussion?

What is the impact of diversity on science? Ph.D. candidate, Kellie Owens questioned, "do diversity program directors seek to increase diversity in science because of political motives, [...] or because they believe that racially diverse workforces will produce better science?"

Ms. Owens found the diversity program directors were split between whether a diverse community made the science better. All directors fought for diversity; the question was about the impact on the scientific results. The argument against the impact of diversity was to say that science is "blind" and the skin color of the person running the experiment would not change the outcome.

How does your local club, church, or synagogue resemble your community? Often the group we surround ourselves with, look and sound much like the one we greet each morning in the mirror. If we are outwardly focused and seeking to impact society, then drawing from society must be on the to-do list.

A friend mentioned businesses often overlook the benefits of diversity of thought. He has found new ideas and innovation emerge from a mix of experiences, backgrounds, and education.

We have an opportunity to reflect and consider what ways our lives are homogeneous. Keeping the status quo will at best, maintain the current state of affairs. Change and a pinch of pain are part of the process of radical growth.

Going Further: What other pockets of diversity need to emerge from the shadows? What is one step you can take to broaden the diversity discussion? Who can you tag team with to bring about change? What question was missed?

How many questions did you ask last week?

40,000 questions in three years. Harvard child psychologist, Paul Harris, determined that children two to five years of age ask about 40K questions and once school starts, the decline begins. The Right Question Institute found that only about 25% of 18 year-olds use questioning on a regular basis. The need to look competent can further limit our questioning once we are engaged in the workforce. The esoteric language of most workplaces includes what feels like a million acronyms that are used in sentences in what sound like alphabet soup if transcribed. I have sat for briefs and not asked for the acronyms to be spelled out thinking I am the only one that was in the dark, only to be asked by someone else on the trip back to the office about the meaning of several acronyms. A similar occurrence has happened with an auditorium full of people when the speaker asks if a particular topic needs an explanation and a single brave soul asks for the explanation to the collective sigh of most of the participants.

What happened between five years old and now? Why did we fall off the questioning cliff? Over the last couple years, classmates do not appreciate my enthusiasm for a topic as I would ask the professor additional questions requiring additional discussion. Generally, I can feel the heat of the stares on my neck, wishing I would just shut-up with the questions. The professor would engage in conversation because there are generally only a few students that will ask questions. I have been known to ask one or two too many questions and frustrate my kids about evening plans, friends or plans for the future. By my count, I am sure it has only happened once.

Paul Sloane posits that asking questions is the single most important habit for innovative thinkers. Mr. Sloane quotes Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, as saying "we run this company on questions, not answers.” If our goal is to embrace the future or be innovative in our lives then asking questions need to be a part of our plan. So, what do you think?

Going Further: When did you ask lots of questions? If that has changed, why? How do you handle being asked multiple questions? What prevents you from asking more questions? What other questions should be asked?