Some 200 staff and affiliates — online, offsite and in the cafeteria — have answered the question “What Does Diversity Mean to You?” Here are their responses.
Celebrating differences
A buzzword for invited speakers who do not encourage their audiences to say why they might disagree with them.
A range of different ideas, thoughts, cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs
Stop with the “my way or the highway” attitude in meetings.
…opportunity to grow and be beautiful…
Your normal is not my normal.
Less criticism; acceptance of different view points.
New ideas
A City of Diversity
Different perspectives…greater innovations
Celebrating our differences
Open to all religious and political beliefs.
Science is for everyone!
Equal opportunities for everyone.
More fun!
Multiple perspectives and skill sets collaborating make for more thoughtful planning and execution of a project.
Diversity allows me to make friends with different cultures.
Different ideas, perspectives, thoughts, trainings
All voices and points of view are heard.
Every person is treated with the same value
Creativity
Acceptance
All cultures, languages, accents, imperfect English.
New ideas.
All the wonderful people I work with.
Hearing thoughts and ideas different from my own.
Excellence
Different perspectives which lead to better solutions.
Ideas from many perspectives and life histories help up make better choices.
Variety of ideas and perspectives.
Where the only constraints are set by what a (bacterial) cell can do
Improving QOL at Lab improves diversity.
Corollary: I got a place
You don’t have to go way outside your comfort zone because the job will be within someone else’s comfort zone.
As a woman & POC I feel like I have role models who have a more similar background.
Better exposure to different ideas and experiences.
Feel more comfortable to express yourself.
More encouragement
Diversity makes the Lab feel more inclusive.
Allows creative ideas because of different perspectives.
Exciting discussions!
Great ideas come from many different opinions
…unique viewpoints…
Different perspectives allow for better idea generation and alternate ways of solving a problem
We can all learn from each other of different backgrounds and knowledge.
Help people to embrace those that are not like themselves.
Safe environment to express yourself.
…more viewpoints lead to more innovation…
Exposed to different cultures and viewpoints you wouldn’t have in everyday life
Can help identify unconscious bias
People should feel free to express their concerns and needs.
Identify commonalities
Diversity helps us to bring solutions and new skills!!
Exchange new ideas
Better Performance
Makes it welcoming
People feel welcome & collaboration is great!
Makes it less boring!
Variety
I’m an affiliate at the lab. Whenever there are e-mails sent that invite a certain group, division, etc. to an event, they usually use phrases such as “..all staff are invited to join…”. I just assumed I’m part of the staff and went, but the word “staff” does have the connotation of people who have unlimited, career-track kind of contracts with the lab, as opposed to affiliates. I’m not a native speaker, but maybe a word like “colleague” would be more inclusive.
Stronger science and stronger community arising the equitable inclusion of ideas from people from a variety of social and ethnic backgrounds and job types and classifications.
Mental Health Matters! No discrimination for mental illness in healthy workplace.
Be curious and listen to each other
Cisgender, heterosexual, able, and white no longer being the standard
The open exchange of ideas
Recognizing that other people could be different than I am, in many aspects that include culture, professional skill sets, opportunities they either get or don’t in order to be successful. Diversity means respecting very person’s necessity to the system and making oneself feel less self-important all the time.
Feeling part of the group at all time, not only when I am present
Diversity in BERKELEY means inclusion of people who are conservative, religious, and support the Constitution.
Accepting people’s right to free speech, and having tolerance even for opinions and beliefs that are “offensive”.
Welcome and open to people from all around the world and enjoy learning about different cultures!
More perspectives available for innovation
Expanding your experience through the views of others.
Accepting people as they are!
Diversity means having a wide variety of perspectives, leading to better decisions and outcomes.
As a minority group, it means walking into a room and seeing someone like me and someone different.
Everyone and everything is given respect, the right to belong, and can feel safe.
Mutual respect and understanding.
It is not under representation, it’s over representation.
Core value: Not a buzzword.
Does the Lab have an anti-bullying policy?
Freedom of expression.
A collection of differing, thoughts, ideas and philosophies!!
New perspectives.
In order to create changes in diversity, we need to focus on hiring practices!
Diversity is understanding that small streams make big rivers.
Better outcomes & better solutions
Different perspectives. Different truths. Different personalities. But all the same.
Opportunity for each perspective to be heard and considered.
Respect the choices of all humans.
Celebrating our differences.
Acceptance of one’s individuality
New learning.
More brain power!
Equal representation
Freedom to choose who you want to be.
Being blind to differences and including everyone no matter who they are.
A platform for all voices to be heard.
More great ideas!
Learning to think differently.
Different faces, people, attitudes, language, worlds, points of view and experience.
When you trim away the edges, we are all the same. (All shapes can be cut down to a triangle.)
Taking part in important decisions. Having my voice heard.
Things that are not the same.
Inclusion, conscientiousness, prosperity.
Inclusion, equality.
Better problem solving.
Differences.
Maintaining a melting pot of backgrounds and identities.
Strength, balance, insight, and synergy arising and growing from multiple varying perspectives and experiences.
Fair, equal treatment for all.
Differences in experience and background.
Not being judgmental.
Having different opinions, respecting points of view. Inclusiveness!
Diversity means representation of all races in a place of work or environment.
People of all backgrounds.
Acknowledging differences & fighting internal biases and being open to a dialogue on inclusion.
The sharing of concepts and ideas of resilience from different cultures.
People from all backgrounds have equal access to an opportunity.
Being accepted no matter what. Ethnicity, social, economic and cultural variety.
People from all walks of life.
More productive and inclusive work environment with new ideas.
Not actually needing to think about the room being diverse
Everyone having a voice and getting the chance to share their ideas.
Making things better.
Inclusion
Welcome to Berkeley Lab.
Equal opportunities for better outcomes.
Variety
Makes life more interesting.
Inclusion of varying perspectives.
All ideas are heard and considered.
Inclusiveness
More than one viewpoint is always better.
OAKLAND
Differences in experiences and philosophy…not race or gender.
People coming together
Two ethnic backgrounds working together as a whole
Having people with different experiences that give new perspectives on problems.
Working with people from all over the world.
Giving opportunity to everyone.
Everyone gets the opportunity to be their best.
Everything
Enriching
Commonalities in our differences.
Different cultures
People are different
Leveraging the combined intelligence of all cultures.
A range of differences.
Differences & similarities.
Variety & culture
We have to accept and get along, everyone is equal
Seeing every human as equal.
Many voices, many perspectives
Perspective.
Different ideas and views.
Different perspectives, greater innovation.
Representing all sub-groups of the larger population.
There’s no diversity here.
Open to everyone’s ideas!
Mixture with all included.
Different cultures.
All ages
Variety, mixture.
Learn about other cultures.
Different view points
Requesting feedback and follow-through.
Being different…unique!
A variety of voices, ideas & perspectives.
Good money management.
Multi-cultural representation at all levels.
Equality
Inclusion
Since LBNL is a place of ideas and science, to me the key value of diversity is bringing together teams of people with varied backgrounds, training, and life experiences, and creating an environment in which all feel comfortable sharing their ideas and all hear the ideas of our colleagues; and very importantly, we all have trust in the process to RESPECTFULLY CHALLENGE and CRITIQUE each other to arrive at technically sound approaches and solutions to science, operations, and societal challenges.
Sharing my true self and being accepted
Multi-cultural representation at every level
Not having to apologize for who I am
Everyone is diverse.
Making concrete decisions to move beyond tolerance and acceptance. Actively modifying the social environment, standards, dynamics, and hierarchies based on the viewpoints of everyone.
More knowledge and better ideas
Seeing things through the lens of not hetero, not male, and not white.
Diversity is the spice of life
Free to be me without fear of you.
Expression without fear.
End social bullying.
All voices welcome at the table.
Different cultures, colors, ages, backgrounds, and expression. Diversity is strength.
Diversity means different perspectives from people from all parts of the world, from all walks of life. Acceptance for being different. Diversity sparks innovation, initiates new processes, jump starts new ways of thinking for the greater good.
Listening to the best ideas
It means that we represent ourselves, our backgrounds, our history in who we are at the Lab.
