I’ve thought a lot recently about how my outlook and my process of self-identification have changed but I’m not sure how to explain it with any confidence. I’d like to think they’ve changed as a result of my own internal reflections and directed inner growth but an equally likely explanation could be the new environment I find myself in as a member of the diversity staffing team at Microsoft. Anyone who has been reading my posts for any length of time knows diversity is a subject I love and have a great deal of passion for especially when it comes to enhancing the diversity of perspectives, experiences and input in our company. The global high tech industry is inherently a highly diverse one and as access to technology grows around the world that fact will only become more pronounced and relevant. As I’ve grown in my role at Microsoft it’s become clear that one key to success for any global business is to cherish a perspective that honors and builds a mutual respect for people from a myriad of backgrounds and experiences. One question I consistently ask myself is ‘how do we ensure that we build a broad understanding and universal acceptance of this fact?’ The clichéd answer, that it’s just a matter of education, falls short I think. Education can just as easily reinforce biases as tear them down while enforced education may increase barriers to acceptance all the more. On this I don't have a clear answer, but it is undoubtedly among the most important issues of this century.
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