iversity is a philosophy and is everyone’s responsibility.
Our diversity is shaped by a variety of characteristics
including age, ethnicity, gender, disability, language, religious beliefs, life stages, education, career, sexual orientation, personality and marital status. Our district has grown to become one of the most diverse in this sense. Our true leap forward, however, has been in the development of leadership which recognizes the value of good diversity management. It has been said that diversity management should not be measured by an organization’s demographics, but by how well its leaders can identify and capitalize on the talents of its members.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary Diversity Program is about acknowledging differences and adapting practices to create an inclusive environment where diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds are valued. It means accepting, welcoming and valuing the differences inherent in every individual and recognizing the contribution that a diverse membership can make to our organizational effectiveness and operational performance. For leaders it is about understanding the individual differences that arise from a broad range of backgrounds and lifestyles, and recognizing the value of using
D
Diversity
Matters
Ken Jacobs, DSO-DV, ANACO-DVd
32 OVER THE BOW - Spring 2016
Emmanuel Salami 07-02 and Ken Jacobs 07-07 address a diversity workshop.
Photo by Linda Lakin