Inclusion
9
...The Emerging MultiDentity Paradigm
By Mark Williams, WIN Insights
ers around the world, representing dozens of cultures on all continents, do not buy into the values and politics that gave birth to multiculturalism and diversity.
Those stakeholders, right from the start, often experience these two mindsets as a power play to redistribute the tangible and intangible assets of opportunity, prestige, and privilege within the society away from some and toward others.
These realizations force us to recognize that western world concepts of diversity and multiculturalism have themselves turned out to be more culture-bound and limited than might previously have been imagined. This is the reason why diversity and multiculturalism have struggled to incorporate the views of those who prefer other ideologies and belief systems that value qualities such as unity, loyalty, respect for traditional authority, hierarchy, and obedience.
The new MultiDentity Paradigm enables us to clearly see how the tensions that exist between the macro-level mindsets fuel the conflict between the “traditional” demographic dimensions that we are polarized around today, such as race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, and the like.
To successfully navigate challenges such as these requires a new, more truly expansive, way of thinking … a new spirit … and a new paradigm … a new mindset and new skills needed to achieve success at work, at home and in the community.
Given the strength of the powerful disruptive forces upon us, and the accelerating pace at which they are swirling about, if we don’t make the choice to perceive and engage the world through the spirit and mindset of MultiDentity, then we are left with only a few remaining and limiting options, which are to:
1. Continue to operate as we always have … and ignore these new forces, misunderstand the new environment, make serious mistakes, and miss opportunities to connect with a wider range of stakeholders – without even knowing that this is what’s happening!
2. Continue to hang out in the “valley of nostalgia,” longing for the “good ole days” – which will never return.
3. Retreat to a private haven, where we feel safe … yet removed from the world of missed opportunities and connections that are opening up and are available outside of our mental, emotional, and social bunker … or
4. Continue on as one of the resisters who actively – and angrily – create barriers to the inevitable changes that are already upon us.
The implications for successfully managing vital connections with employees, team members, customers, clients, and constituents in an increasingly fragmented and polarized world are enormous.
Our largest challenge, then, is this: how to manage connections with many fragmented stakeholder mindsets – many of whom are pulling away from each other – while at the same time we are dependent on those very same mindsets to work together with us to sustain a cohesive social and organizational fabric.
Sustaining a cohesive and effective organizational fabric, one that can perform effectively in a time of shrinking budgets and a polarized public, will require new ideas and solutions… solutions that enable us to take advantage of technology’s ability to foster networking, continuous learning and the rapid sharing of best practices across industries and agencies.
In this new era, Human Capital leaders and practitioners can use technology as a powerful ally to tap into, digitize and distribute the knowledge and expertise of thought leaders and experts, and to direct that knowledge to the right people at the right time. Welcome to the Age of MultiDentity.
Mark Williams is the Chief Diversity Officer for TMGov and the Founder of WIN Insights. Mark instructs the Diversity & Inclusion online certificate program at tmgovu.org