By Mbalenhle Zwane, Principal Mechanical Engineer – MEP, 9E Global
“If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?”
If we use the design of the human body as a model to evaluate the value and significance of diversity within the engineering industry and within engineering organisations themselves, then perhaps we need to challenge baseline perspectives and start the conversation from a different viewpoint altogether. The real question shouldn’t be whether diversity is important; it’s whether your organisation resembles a fully developed and healthy body.
Does Your Organisation Resemble a Healthy Body?
Imagine an organisation where everyone thinks, works, and leads in the same way, like a body made entirely of hearts, lungs, or brains. It might be full of passion, breath, or intellect, but it wouldn’t be a fully developed body.
Biologically, the heart keeps the body alive by circulating blood, bringing oxygen and nutrients to every organ, while removing waste products and toxins. In an organisation, the heart personalities do the same by circulating empathy, emotional intelligence, and people-first thinking; qualities that are essential for building lasting team relationships. They remind the team why the work matters and keep the rhythm of the organisation steady, even in chaos.
The heart personality, however, cannot fully perform its function without the lung personality. Just as the heart depends on the lungs to facilitate oxygenation and detoxification, similarly, the heart personalities and lung personalities collaborate to bring in innovative ideas, fresh energy, and new perspectives, while eliminating outdated ideas and mindsets that stifle growth.
How Diversity Can Be Modelled In an Organisation
This interdependence exists across the entire body and can similarly be modelled across an organisation. Eye personalities are the visionaries who can identify opportunities and notice what others might overlook, while brain personalities analyse these opportunities and transform them into strategies and business ventures. Ear personalities are attentive, patient, and reflective, while mouth personalities articulate vision and inspire action. The hands and feet personalities work in unison to bring that call to action to life.
This, to me, is nature’s execution of diversity. When diversity across gender, ethnicity, background, and thought is embraced, the organisation expands its capacity to respond to different client needs with agility and authenticity, increasing client satisfaction and encouraging repeat business.
Without overlooking one of the most curious aspects of diversity, gender diversity, it’s undeniable that, as a function of both nature and nurture, some human qualities show up more strongly in women than in men, and vice versa. During a coffee break, a colleague shared a thought saying the sooner we accept that men and women think and function differently, the sooner we can leverage those differences for the benefit of the ecosystems in which we coexist. I fully agree.
Diversity shouldn’t be a number on an ERG slide deck or a paragraph in a policy document, but a fundamental model for building organisations that serve the industry and their clients well. So, maybe the next time you look at your team, ask yourself: Is this a complete body, or just a giant hand?
MEP Middle East: https://www.mepmiddleeast.com/opinion/9e-mbalenhle-zwane-opinion-diversity
