More than in the book.

More than in the book.

More than in the book.

Courtesy of your smartphone.

Rule-
based
Diversity.

Courtesy of your smartphone.

Rule-
based
Diversity.

Courtesy of your smartphone.

Rule-
based
Diversity.

Chapter 2

When two quarrel, the third rejoices. How migration happens.

When Agora first met Ben, she often spoke the language of business. In fact, politicians can learn a lot from corporations on the subject of migration.

On a stretch of land named after an alcoholic drink on a luxurious North Sea island, bar-goers dubbed ‘Prosecco Nazis’ were chanting ‘Germany for Germans’ and ‘Foreigners out’ – nonsense that become misappropriated.

One of three, fortunately not widespread, political positions became apparent:

No one should be allowed in.

The other two positions, which are similarly understood among democratic parties are:

You should be more like us.

and:

Anything goes.

You might be critical of this oversimplification, but it highlights a crucial point: None of the three alternatives mentioned above is sustainable. Accepting any of them means facing the eventual economic and/or geographical disappearance of your homeland (actual or perceived).

Fortunately, there is an alternative. And the economy is showing us the solution. Whether it’s related to the green title above or “multiplicity” (you can learn more about this in Future Print on page 226 of the book), it works brilliantly in companies. So, why not in our country too?

Let’s get specific: the head of Microsoft is Hindu. However, Hinduism does not shape the culture at Microsoft. Similarly, some CEOs are Protestant or Catholic, yet their companies are not defined by these religions. Other bosses might love surfing or horseback riding, but none are pushing for any kind of horsepower on the road or encouraging people to hit the waves. As an editor named Gabor once beautifully wrote: the “differently colored, differently believing, differently speaking” individuals are always potential customers or employees! And these differences foster creativity.

Gabor also noted: “The dominant culture of a company depends on respecting and promoting others in their differences and, where possible, allowing their uniqueness to flourish in the interest of the company.”

Diversity quotas work. Successful companies do not ignore inclusivity or foster the formation of parallel societies. In fact, the opposite is true.

And logically, rules must be adhered to. People are continuously agreeing on a common language for communication – which can change depending on the environment. How else could they understand each other? One company may have an official corporate language, while another might be very pragmatic: if everyone in the room is a native German speaker, German is spoken; if there is even one non-German speaker, English is used. As you can see, the specific rule is not as important as the diversity that establishes these rules. What matters is the structured diversity, not unrealistic tolerance or cultural homogeneity, and certainly not the inhuman extremes of the latter.

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