Understanding Differences
PEOPLE + LIFE: How breaking routines and embracing the unfamiliar can transform your perspective and help bridge divides.
Over my 32-year career, I have moved many times to cities including St. Louis, Los Angeles, Boston, Salt Lake City, and London. Those experiences have shaped who I am, how I think, and how I relate to others, especially people with whom I have differences.
I grew up and currently live in Oakland, Calif., which routinely makes the top 10 list of America’s most racially diverse big cities. Living in a place filled with people from various ethnic, religious, economic, and other backgrounds has also made me comfortable among “differences”—at least that’s what I’ve long told myself.
But, if I’m being brutally honest, my tolerance for some differences has waned after spending so much time in the well-worn paths of my daily existence. I find comfort in following routines, having predictable patterns, and being around people who think and live like me.
My work travel includes flying almost exclusively on the same airline, staying in the same hotels, and ordering the same food in the same restaurants. I have old-school habits, including traveling with hard-copy reading material—newspapers, magazines, books—and I use printed boarding passes as bookmarks. I tell myself that these routines ease the wear and tear of my frequent business travel.
In recent months, though, my travel routines were disrupted, some by choice and some not. I flew on different airlines to new locations, including in and out of small, regional U.S. airports. I had to navigate new airline apps and orient myself to new hotels and restaurants. To be clear, I am not looking for sympathy. These are minor inconveniences in the grand scheme of things, but I also know my fellow road warriors can relate. New things consume energy that we need for our hectic jobs.
The traditional labels we use to categorize people fall short in capturing the richness and nuances of their lived experiences."
But these “inconveniences” also led to delightful new experiences—including an early morning beach walk in Naples, Fla., where I collected colorful seashells that now have a home in a jar on my desk (see below). Another time, I listened to a Chevron earnings call with headphones while walking around a hotel garden in Pasadena, Calif.
Between business trips, I visited one of my best friends in Torch Lake, Mich. It was my first time there, and her home is a long drive from everything, including many of the modern conveniences of daily life. I set aside my electronic devices to soak up the beauty and peace. We sailed. We woke up early to watch the sunrise over Torch Lake. I attended my first “Flannel Festival.” There were fewer of my usual markers of diversity. I could count on one hand all the Black people I saw that entire weekend. The differences I experienced and saw were … different for me. They nudged me to reflect on sources of peace, connections, and ways to understand different experiences and lifestyles.
The break from my usual travel routines provided a powerful reminder of the work we do as HR leaders. The traditional labels we use to categorize people fall short in capturing the richness and nuances of their lived experiences.
There are deep divisions in the world, and the us-versus-them dynamic of tribalism is strengthening. It is more important than ever that we always create safe environments where we can learn from and understand our differences. The benefits and challenges of embracing and executing common corporate goals with a team of people who have a host of differences outweigh the risks of silence.
Last year was a year of division. But I am optimistic we can start a new chapter by learning and working to understand our differences better. Maybe I’ll see you at a Flannel Festival somewhere.
Rhonda Morris is the former CHRO at Chevron. She currently serves on the Workday board of directors.
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