The "Windtalkers" Give Organizations the Code

ORGANIZATIONS CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM THE "WINDTALKERS"

It's not until directly affected that organizations value diversity

Today, one of the world renowned Navajo code talkers, Joe Hosteen Kellwood is being remembered as he passed at the age of 95.  In reading the CNN Breaking News article this morning and remembering the John Woo blockbuster film "Windtalkers" created in 2002, starring Nicholas Cage, it dawned on me that organizational development needs to recognize the diversity that comes from the "not so normal". 

For those who don't know the history of these incredible men and the sacrifices they made in the Pacific during WWII, it involved utilizing a skill that no other group could manifest; using the ancient codes of the Navajo Nation to send messages to Allied forces for strategic positioning before battles.  Until these men, came with their unique skill set, the Allies faced older codes being cracked and the possibility of enduring heavy casualties by the Axis forces.  But, these men, even with their skills, endured racism and prejudice.  Although faced with adversity, these men endured and assisted in changing the tide of an entire theater of war.  Men were able to return home to families and their honorable exploits were not discovered until the historical records were released in 1969, some 20+ years later.  So, what does this have to do with organizational structure?

I am glad you asked.

Today, more than ever, organizations are faced with the task of accomplishing their mission/vision statements.  In some small way, each employee's cultural, social, economic and even ethnic backgrounds should not be dismissed as circumspect, but rather become a unique and possible asset to that organizational mission/vision.  Unfortunately, organizations hire and retain organizations only if it meets the needs of the organization and the larger the organization, the greater possibility for those who are "different" to be viewed as a liability.  It should be the job of every level of management to hire and retain employees, while recognizing that it is only through diversity that the organization will make strides for improved performance, thereby achieving the ultimate goal.

Don't wait until a crisis to realize that the "talent could possibly have left the building".  

Remember that only through embracing diversity, can organizations benefit from change.  

TPP