'To Melt or Toss' - Inclusion Musings

Image credit: Valentina Gonzalez

We keep hearing, we are a melting pot of “….”

…sounds comforting and nice?

First cut, mostly yes. The melting pot blends everyone into one homogenous entity marked by harmony, cooperation; enabling quick assimilation of people into the folds of the society / organisation. This bubbling brew is also constantly changing..albeit slowly.

But then, lets also imagine a world where everyone looks, thinks, and acts the same way. Utopian perhaps?? Also, quite dull and uninspiring place, sans innovation.

Yes, we need all new members to fit in – but not to the extent that they are replicas of our existing team members.

Diversity is the spice of life, and our differences are what make our world vibrant and exciting.

And, while a melting pot approach can be a starting point for breaking down barriers, in the longer run, it might erase our differences! We can lose what makes us unique and special.

So, if not the melting pot, then perhaps the ‘salad bowl’?

A salad bowl, where each ingredient maintains its unique flavour and texture while contributing to the overall richness of the dish. And a little dressing, to keep it all together. Where differences are respected, celebrated and carefully placed together - where every ingredient is valued, and collectively the ingredients create something quite invaluable!

That's the power of “culture add” over “culture fit”!

The salad bowl also scores on versatility – a Chef who understands the fundamentals of each ingredient, can play around, pair ingredients appropriately to dish out a range of salads to cater to diverse set of customer palettes …and be well rewarded!

Needless to say, Patience and Practice will be amongst the esstentials in the Chef's Utility Belt here.

So, is the Salad Bowl, the panacea we need?

Not exactly! The salad bowl lets us be ourselves, but we might not always understand each other.

• When harmony, quick integration, and efficiency are the need of the hour – a melting pot approach can deliver quick results (at least in short run)

• And when, innovation and creativity are what we need, a salad bowl works indeed!

In my experience working in the DEI space, CONTEXT is always the supreme Queen when deciding melting pot, salad bowl or any other approach.

Over to you – Which approach has worked well for you..and in what context?