Diversity and good food the same or different?

Gary D. Strack, P.E.

Associate – Director, Structural Engineering Shafer, Kline & Warren, Inc., Lenexa, Kansas Member, APWA Diversity Committee

hanks to APWA staff liaison Ann Daniels, I now include food when I think of ways to describe and discuss issues with others. So, why food? To honor the food themes used by the Leadership and Management Committee (e.g., “Recipes for Success”). Those of you who enjoy a wide range of foods will relish this diversity article and we hope everyone will enjoy the variety.

Are you practicing diversity in the workplace and the kitchen?

Workplace: If your organization or team consists of individuals with differing backgrounds, ages, genders, races, and religions, then your group is practicing diversity. These individuals can provide perspectives to strengthen your team.

Kitchen: Does a one-course meal sound appetizing? A meal consisting of only one item such as steak without steak sauce or side dishes may taste good, but there are many other complimenting flavors you will be missing.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” – famous adage

Workplace: Does your organization hold department meetings open to all staff members to discuss materials or processes to improve your efficiency or deliver service to your clients? Do you hold project kickoff meetings or charettes where all of the stakeholders have an opportunity for input into the project? Then you are practicing diversity and inclusiveness.

Kitchen: Do you like having a multicourse meal consisting of many items such as an appetizer, salad, main course and dessert? A bunch of different flavors come together to make a better meal.

What does this tell us? Diversity cannot be defined the same for everyone or every organization or project or location. The amount of diversity can vary significantly from one organization to the next just like in a recipe where the number of ingredients varies. Remember how your mother tried to cook her mother’s favorite recipe and although it was very good, it didn’t taste exactly the same as her mother’s.

Why does the same recipe taste different when others prepare it? Every person, organization, project and location is different, although some differences may be more extreme than others. For example, when you taste a pulled pork sandwich in North Carolina it will taste different than the one made in Kansas City. The ingredients are basically the same, but they come from different parts of the world. In addition, the chef in each location will season it the way they like it, reflecting their sense of taste.

Your team is a potpourri of perspectives, experience and knowledge. As the leader of the group it is your job to use these ingredients to create a masterpiece of workmanship and accomplishments. Just like in a recipe that calls for a teaspoon of this and a cup of that, you (as the leader) have to adjust your ingredient amounts to create the best result.

As a team member, make sure you contribute to the group discussion in such a way that others can understand your perspective. Remember to also keep an open mind to other members’ perspectives. Just like when making your favorite recipe and adding a new spice may change the taste to make it even better, another person’s perspective may open your eyes to an aspect you have not realized before.

Whether you are the seasoning salt (veteran) or sugar (sweetness), your addition to the concoction makes the discussion more flavorful and better for the organization. Leaving out ingredients will change the taste and not for the better.

“Life is a long lesson in humility.” – James M. Barrie

Recently the Kansas City Metro Chapter Diversity Committee in conjunction with the Mo-Kan Superintendents Committee held a joint breakfast meeting to hear Bill Ebel, Overland Park City Administrator, present his thoughts on diversity and how it affects the