Kaitlin Whalen

Arizona State University

OGL 350: Diversity and Organizations

Module 1: Extra Credit

Dr. Carla Mahnke

March 17, 2021

 When listening to Andrés Tapia explain how we live in an “upside-down world”, I found

myself resonating with several topics he discussed. The political issues addressed including

financial systems and healthcare were obvious, but when Tapia described how the young are

now more experienced because of the advancements in technology and women are the

majority in terms of education, I felt inspired (TEDxTalks, 2013, 1:40). My mother, a woman

who has birthed and raised 8 children while working two jobs and attending university, is

currently in school working on her third master’s degree at age 66. I recently had a

conversation with her regarding her decision to continue her education, and her response was

simple. She needs to keep up with changes in the world to compete with younger generations

for continued employment. I always assumed I would receive my degree and be done with

school, but if she has taught me anything, it is that to be successful we must continuously prove

our abilities, look for innovation and creativity to inspire us, and be forever students.

Considering diversity vs. inclusion, I enjoyed how Tapia outlines the differences between

the two terms. If diversity is the “mix” and inclusion is “making the mix work”, it is clear how

both are necessary to create the most innovative and efficient team (TEDxTalks, 2013, 8:30). I

also enjoyed how Tapia lays out exactly how great leadership is a necessity to making diversity

work. It is clear how potential conflict could be an issue when working with individuals of

multiple backgrounds. Our personal biases and assumptions clog our thoughts and can create

tension when we are unable to understand the views of someone else. Becoming self-aware

and understanding our own identities, thoughts, and biases in addition to furthering our

education on various cultures and traditions is the only way to limit potential conflicts. As a

leader of multicultural teams that have several individuals that identify differently, the only way
to find success is to encourage, display, and train team members to be self-aware. There is a

level of vulnerability involved with diversity and inclusion. As Tapia describes, we must admit

that we need others and the differences they provide us to reach a combined goal and create a

right-side-up world (TEDxTalks, 2013, 14:50).

 Reference

TEDxTalks. (2013, November 17). Why diversity is upside down: Andrés Tapia at

TEDxIndianapolis [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=dD4wpiyhuQo&feature=youtu.be