That is, in order to deliver optimal value, we must attract and give voice to a wide variety of perspectives, including those from divergent functional, cultural, and social backgrounds and experiences.
To ‘give voice’ to these diverse perspectives means that we, individually and collectively, must practice ways of interacting that embody respect, openness, acceptance, confidence, and courage. When we are confronted with interactions that challenge our own assumptions or beliefs, we must respect the colleague who offers the challenge; we must openly consider, using reason and evidence, the possible validity of the challenge; we must accept the legitimacy of the other person and their point of view; we must have the confidence to hear, evaluate, and engage with the challenging perspective without reflexive retreat or rejection; and we must have the courage to respectfully assert our own perspectives even when they diverge from those of other individuals or the collective.
We believe in the intelligence, maturity, and capability of everyone in our organization to fulfill this vision. Moreover, we believe that individuals are best positioned to navigate both professional and social divergences. We therefore encourage each member of our community to accept agency for resolving divergences and challenges, and resort to appeals to leadership only when such agency has been exhausted, or in the case of legal or ethical violations. We also acknowledge that procedures and standard practices in recruitment and evaluation have the potential to inadvertently constrain diversity and inclusion, and we are committed to evaluating and modifying such procedures in our internal operations.
Openness and acceptance are not a justification for any and every behavior. We have a high-performance culture, and we rely on one another to put forth the engagement and effort necessary to create successful outcomes. We also explicitly reject and condemn discrimination or harassment against anyone based on their race, color, age, religion, disability, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, political ideology, or immutable personal characteristics irrelevant to job performance.
Finally, beyond the functional professional benefits of cultivating a diverse and inclusive culture, our lives and minds are more generally enriched by coming to know other people whose ideas and experiences are distinct from our own. “Human connection is the exchange of positive energy between people,”* and welcoming a kaleidoscope of human energy and talent into our community will enhance opportunities for each of us to understand, to grow, and to experience life more fully.
In advancing these principles, we hold ourselves accountable to our people and our customers, and our effectiveness in giving voice to divergent perspectives will continue to be measured according to their feedback.
* Anshdeep Singh Chadha