Being the very best ​you ​ can possibly be at all times, in every way, in every situation,  under every circumstance. A jammed pack statement right. Think about this. At all times. In  every way. In every situation. Under every circumstance. Simply put, you control every decision  you make and every action you take. Imagine the impact of diversity when everyone decides for  themselves. Well, the world is full of “follow-the-leader” individuals. You know how it goes.  Friends, groups, clicks even that create an elite club that excludes those they do not like for no  reason. Maybe they don’t drive a nice car or they bring lunch every day instead of going out.  The bias is sometimes unconscious and naturally displayed as normal practice.   

You are always an intricate part of “we” in society. Although you cannot control the  actions of others, you can control how you respond to discrimination that you may witness.  Many times standing by silently is providing your stamp of approval. Further, the person  committing the act finds comfort in your “lack of action” and will continue to harass others.  Below is a self-test to see where you stand when faced with a challenge to stand up for others or  what you may believe to be wrong.  

Experiencing Discrimination Self-Assessment 
  How many times did people say things that were untrue about people of a different  race, gender, or age group in your presence?    How many times have you experienced hearing bias remarks about another coworker  in conversations?    How many times have you seen peers joke about or joked at because of their  appearance or look?  

Self-reflection usually provides thoughts of unrealized truths usually dismissed as no  big deal. Sadly, you may be the person enduring this awful reality of discrimination. Use this  same self-assessment tool in Figure 1 considering you as the victim. How different was your  experience – just thinking about the answers? Additionally, are you guilty of discriminating  against others? Yes, you could find yourself on different sides of this scenario. The real  question now is:  

Which side of discrimination will you work towards – perpetrator, victim, or  problem-solver? 
The uncomfortable reality is that we all have experienced some form of discrimination. Finding  a healthy solution to co-exist respectfully is challenging and can be exhausting as well. But it  does start with ​you ​ . One person, at each moment, to change one situation,​ you ​ have the ability  to change many. 

A number of influences affect individual  behaviors in the workplace. Get rid of  the toxicity in your life. Negative friends  should become associates from a  distance. The behavior associated with  social influences on individual decisions  is considered peer pressure. These  influences shape who you become in the  shadow of others. Exercise your freedom  to choose when the decisions are tough. 

Healthy solutions to diversity start with one individual decision. If we reflect on the  true definition of diversity, we will find that many underlying influences are contained  within. Specifically, gender and age rank at the top of the list creating biased  individual opinions. I challenge ​you ​ to encourage relentless execution of the existing  diversity policies and become courageous in ​your ​ personal actions. Be the best ​you ​ can  be.