Diversity is our biggest treasure
Shella Managing Director, Ella, and Jane Egerton-Idehen grew up in different continents, followed different paths in life and worked in different industries. And yet, they both experienced the lights and shadows of diversity, from many different angles. And they both came to the same conclusion:
Diversity is our biggest treasure
Jane: As a woman working in the tech sector, I experienced the power of diversity so many times. I recall that a few years back, together with two colleagues, we were working on a large-scale business transformation consulting opportunity. It was a once in a lifetime type of opportunity, which would have been totally transformational for the Mobile telecommunications operations in Africa. My colleagues and I were different in many aspects; we were from different continents and different religions, and had different educational backgrounds. Luckily, we all realized that our differences could be turned into our biggest strength, so we teamed up and nick-named ourselves “the three musketeers”. I recall a discussion about the best way to engage our key stakeholder within the customer organization, who happened to be a married woman, with kids, coming from the same African country I come from. All I had to do was to look at myself in the mirror, and I was quick to point out to my colleagues that a working married woman in that culture might not be up for drinks and dinners outside work, but might be open for short meetings at the end of her working day. The other two musketeers trusted my different perspective, we followed my engagement strategy and indeed succeeded to set up daily meetings with that client. That was the pivotal quick win that, a year later, brought us to close that deal, to everyone’s astonishment: the differences in our perspective and problem-solving approach made the deal possible and brought great value to the client. Diversity is the winning strategy in tackling complex, large-scale challenges
Ella: That is so crisp and so true, Jane. Diversity comes in many forms and shapes and I also had my first-hand experiences of what being different means. Along the years, I often found myself on the road less travelled by: I worked as a woman in predominantly male manufacturing environments, I adhered to a different philosophical credo, I embraced veganism, and I became mother to a wonderful girl with a form of genetic diversity.
Did I meet prejudice and discrimination? Occasionally I did, and it often came in subtle ways, sometimes at the hand of those I respected the most.
But it is not on prejudice and discrimination that I want to dwell here. Alike you, I have a much more precious message to pass: there is an unsuspected potential in embracing diversity and driving inclusion, and we can all tap into this understated potential and transform it into strength and growth.
For instance, back to my times in manufacturing, it was only by combining my expertise in chemistry and my intuitive approach with the mechanical engineering knowledge and rationality of my colleagues that we could reach breakthrough results. To succeed, we all had to step out of our own comfort zone and experiment with unfamiliar ways of operating. And no, it wasn’t always easy. But it worked, big times, to the benefit of everyone involved. Embracing diversity is not always easy, but it holds the potential of bringing about outcomes that would be otherwise unachievable.
And as an added bonus, by learning to work with my mechanical engineers’ colleagues who were so different from me, I lean the basics of mechanical engineering myself, which later in life proved so helpful for my creative DIY. Last year, together with a friend, we took part to a charity scarecrow trial, which created so much joy for our local community who was just coming out from a painful lockdown. And our scarecrows managed to stay up in the garden despite wind and rain because I had learnt the basics of mechanical engineering from the masters! Cherry on the cake, we even won a prize! Diversity does something more than just enabling businesses; diversity enriches us as individuals. It might not become immediately apparent, but at some point in your life, embracing diversity will pay dividends to You!
Jane: I could not agree more, and I also would like to share an experience of how valuable different perspective can be at personal level. Back to my time in mobile telecommunications in Africa, I recall visiting a mall with another of the ‘musketeers’; I was checking out my favorite stores when he called my attention to another store, which I was not familiar with. At first glance, clothes in that store didn’t fit my taste: they seemed too colorful and structured, even the fabrics felt too heavy. But my musketeer friend encouraged me to try out one of the of the outfits, as he was sure it will work well with my silhouette. I gave it a go, went into the fitting room, tried on that particular outfit and looked at myself in the mirror - and I was amazed at what I saw! That outfit became my favourite piece for years!
Ella: I also experienced the power of diversity in my circle of friendship. While Europe is home to many of my closer friends, surprisingly it was from those grown in different cultures – and for instance in Israel, Singapore and in the Philippines - that along the years I learn the most. I still recall the first time that I met my friend from Israel – we worked together for a couple of days, and then out of the blue she asked me whether I wanted to become her mentor. “Me??? Why me???” I thought. “What can I possibly offer to her?”. We were so different – different nationality, different religious credo, and even different sexual orientation. I went on to humbly accept her request, but I did not understand it at the time. It took me years to truly understand it: we were right for each other exactly because we were so different, and yet we were both coming from point of respect. The beautiful friendship that followed continue to enrich both of us to these days: embracing diversity is a two-ways street.
Jane: Indeed, building a diverse circle of friendship is so precious and so rewarding! I recall that a few years ago, while I was in Ghana, I realised that everyone I knew was working in the tech sector. Even my husband! I wanted to tap into the great value of diversity of thought and experiences, so I started to spend weekends with people from different sectors; pharma, non-profit, artist, musicians. It was so much fun to hang around with these people and not talking about work, A diversified circle of friends was a great way to distress. When I left Ghana four years later, many of my closest friends where not from the tech sector, and these ‘different’ friends became the bedrock for tackling all sorts of personal challenges - from figuring out how to manage a tough transition at work, to understanding the culture of my new country and learning how to effectively engaging with different clients. I now intentionally seek people who are different from me to learn and grow
Ella: This is so interesting, Jane, and I can totally relate to your experience. I recently made a major career transition, becoming the Managing Director of Shella Consulting Ltd after over 20 years of corporate life across FMCG and pharma sectors. You know how that career transition came about? Within two days, I happened to talk to 3 very different friends: an artist from beautiful Cornwall, a president of a multibillionaire corporation, and a local friend whom I met through the social Meetup group that I run. I met these 3 friends in different moments of my life, and in totally different contexts – but each of them could clearly see a facet of me, and their combined perspective was the pivotal point for my career transition, which I am enjoying so much. Once again, I experienced the power of diversity in my own life, in totally unimaginable ways!
So, if diversity hold such a beneficial power, why are so many people struggling to fully harness it? Ella and Jane will address this question in the next blog, so watch this space!
But for now, let us know how YOU experienced the power of diversity in your own life. Post a comment – share, share, share! - we’d love to hear what embracing diversity has done for you!
Enjoy yourself at ease,
Ella & Jane
Ella is a woman of faith, a mother, an entrepreneur, a scientist, a change agent, a hiker, a creative writer, and a photographer. She has a wealth of experience in the FMCG and pharmaceutical industry and has passion for Quality Management, Change Management and Empowerment. Ella’s mission is to empower capable people and create inclusive prosperity.
Ella is Managing Director at Shella Consulting. Shella Consulting mission is to empower People, enable Businesses and enrich Communities. Through delivering services and solutions with a human touch.
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Jane Egerton-Idehen is a bestselling author, a telecommunication executive with over 17 years’ experience in the Nigerian, Liberian and Ghanaian telecommunications markets.
Jane has a strong passion for promoting girls in STEM and ensuring women in STEM industries remain and grow their careers in that industry.
