Diversity and Bias
By CMC Sarver
We have all heard the military leadership talk about diversity but do you really understand what they mean? Many people think that diversity is just another word for Equal Opportunity; others think it is a type of affirmative action program. But it is neither of those. Equal Opportunity and Affirmative action are based on laws and legal requirements. Diversity is about getting the most out of each and every service member’s experiences and to allow every person to reach their full potential.
Each of us has biases when it comes to working with other people. This is normal, if you believe that you don’t have some bias then you are either not human or you are fooling yourself. These biases come from many sources, where you grew up, what your parents and neighbors taught you, your personal experiences. Biases are a natural part of us as people. The first step towards growing past these are to understand that you have them and to acknowledge they exist. One of the ways that I have found to determine if I have a bias against a person or group is to catch the first thing that pops into my head when I see some one from a different ethnic group or religion. If the first thing that pops in to your head is negative then you have some bias against that group. The next step is for you to figure out how to overcome it and to be able to interact with everyone without letting your biases affect the way you treat them.
Diversity is about allowing each person to reach their full potential as I said before. You as a leader can only do this if you recognize that each person will bring different strengths and weaknesses with them. If you are bias towards a certain group then you will never be able to recognize that an individual of that group may have the skills and unique knowledge that will help you to complete your mission. You bias will also prevent you from giving them all the support they need to grow as a Sailor, Soldier, Airman or Marine.
As the military takes on new and different missions then we need to be able to use all the talent that we have to come up with the best solution to problems we encounter. We are the most diverse military in the world. Our people have such a wide background that they may have solutions that you might never have thought about. The best answer might come from the E3 who grew up in a foreign country or from the E5 that grew up in New York City or most likely those two working together using their vastly different experiences will come up with a great solution. The only way to tap this potential is to allow them the chance to contribute. This can only be done when we the leadership recognize that we have biases and overcome them.