The Dish Garden

There is so much emphasis being placed on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) right now. We are constantly bombarded with this ideal as though it is new and somehow different from what has always been a trouble spot in organizational culture. I simply call it ‘tolerance of difference’, and when I really get serious in my mind about it, I compare it to a dish garden.

A Dish Garden is where a variety of flowers are placed together in a dish. The flowers are expected to grow and blossom despite their differences in need for watering, soil, exposure to sunlight, etc. A dish garden is the epitome of: "why can’t we just all get along?"

Ouch! Says the thorny rose. Hahaha! Says the happy daisy. Eye roll from the lazy eyed susan. Tsk, tsk, tsk! Says the stoic lily. Quiet! Says the mum. Make it snappy says the snapdragon!

Of course, there are many, many varieties of flowers to choose from in various sizes, shapes and colors. No matter because the dish garden is where each flower in the dish is unique. Each flower in the dish makes a contribution—positive or negative. Each flower in the dish has a role. Each flower in the dish adds value to the garden or not. Each flower in the dish supports the vitality, and the garden’s collective beauty. Each flower needs a little nurturing to grow, develop and blossom in the dish. Each flower brings a remarkable resilience to sustain itself in the dish or it may be strapped with a variety of ailments and hardships. The owner of the dish garden is responsible for the health and growth of the flowers.

The flowers in the dish garden can be compared to what leaders might face when leading an organization. A leader has to recognize and value the unique characteristics each person brings, and attempt to harness that talent to achieve excellence. Leaders must understand the return on investment when the investment is people, even the wall flowers, the roses, and the snap dragons. Leaders vary in their leadership styles, but regardless, they influence positive or negative outcomes. Leaders should watch carefully so that they make and guide others to make sound decisions, without dismissing ideas they think are unrelated or irrelevant. Resiliency, fortitude, intelligence, and hardiness are needed to propel an organization and its people to the next level of success. That requires embracing and honoring difference, and when necessary, owning their mistakes becuase whether it is success or failure, it is STILL their fault!

I said all this to say, DEIA is really about acceptance and tolerance of me, as a person (and a professional) therefore, I should not be expected to be a carbon copy of you or you of me!