Sitting in one of my last phone calls at work last night, I looked around the participant list and saw I was the only man. Looking forward to the next year, it won’t be so different. Or will it?
I have a hunch that the all-virtual environment of work gives us a wonderful anonymity where our emails, tone of voice, and use of emoji’s shapes us much more than our gender.
It gives me great hope for the year ahead, in that I’m moving from one industry to another where I’ll be the minority once again. Perhaps the shift won’t be as big as I thought. The topics of conversation will certainly be different, but I plan on taking the same ethics with me in keeping my eyes and ears open to all, listening more than I talk, and being aware of my own unconscious biases.
I’ll also look for opportunities to emphasize the differences where I can as I believe that diversity is going to make things richer for all.