With the recent passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of her famous quotes “Fight for the things that you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – circulated among some of my Blue Yonder colleagues, and of course across the internet in the days after. This quote is the epitome of what we are driving at Blue Yonder through DIVE (Diversity, Inclusion, Value, Equality), and this blog series, DIVE IN, so we posed this quote to our colleagues and asked them, “why do you DIVE IN?”
Here is a sampling of those responses, which inspire, motivate, and lead us all to want to fight for what we care about, personally, and professionally at Blue Yonder.
“In spite of my parents’ limited education and exposure I was never deprived of anything for being a girl. I DIVE IN because I believe that each of us has strengths that can be leveraged for a better today and tomorrow. If we move beyond inequality to learn to be better humans and teach our children to be good human beings first, before they choose any profession, we would have contributed to a fair, equal and better tomorrow.” – Sindhu Aravindakshan, Sr. Director Associate Success
“RBG said, ‘If you want to be a true professional, do something outside yourself.’ I would further it by saying if you want to experience what it is to be human, do something outside of yourself. We have no value if we devalue others. It’s that simple for me. Everyone deserves a chance at life equally.” – Ariel Macon, Digital Marketing Strategist
“The DIVE initiative reflects my personal core values of justice, dignity, respect and compassion for all individuals. I believe in the fundamental principle that all beings are interconnected and that when we help one, we create positive change that ripples throughout the web of humanity. There is no greater joy than to serve others.” – Josh Cook, VP Talent Acquisition
“We all must take personal responsibility for making our company the best it can be. All of us can participate in building the Blue Yonder legacy by making each other successful. I try to put self-sacrifice over self-service.” – Graham Gearing, VP Customer Success
““At Blue Yonder, you are given a lot – be it the people, culture, spectrum, opportunities, technology and more importantly the trust and flexibility. This space, that we are granted here is your arena which can set you on a rocketing journey to reach beyond the moonshot – not just for Blue Yonder but for you. Fueled by continued learning, you have the power within you to bring it ON NOW! Do not settle for anything less than who you truly are, my dear people. Look beyond the tinted glasses and unleash your greatness. Let Ruth see you up from above and be proud that she has another version of her through you!” – Kranthi Remala, Lead Software Engineer
“I DIVE IN because diversity in our company is worth fighting for to enable the company to progress by ensuring innovation through empowerment. BY will be a success through enabling and maintaining an open culture for ideas to flourish.” – Sam Pennell, Sr. HR Business Partner
“I am curious to learn and listen to other perspectives in a respectful manner. I feel empowered to stand for my beliefs, values and morals. This mindset allows me to grow as an individual and be my authentic self.” – Hannah Ling, Sr. HR Business Partner
“Working in a diverse workforce with a culture of inclusion creates a better place to work. When I can be my authentic self, I feel happier, more relaxed and highly engaged within the organisation positively impacts my job performance.” – Neal Pickering, Principal Recruiter
“ I DIVE IN because it’s the right thing to do. Fostering equality, building unity through listening, promoting discussion, being a critical friend and steadying voice, and pushing the envelope sculpts change for the betterment of all. Everything is achievable.” – Brendan Rapose, Sr. Business Systems Analyst
“I am a father of four children, of which two are girls (24 and 17). I want my daughters to get the same chances in life but firmly believe that that still requires changes to be made in our society. My girls are at least as smart as my boys, and I dare to say work harder. That is my motivation: I support them where I can. And next to this Blue Yonder is the place I can have influence: for other father’s daughters.” – Han Haring, Sr. Services Alliances Director
“As the mother of a disabled child, I care deeply about equality and diversity. Blue Yonder’s core value ‘Relentless’ makes me think of my daughter’s fight to overcome her challenges. I am keen to understand how we can build inclusive and diverse workplaces and communities that harness and celebrate each and everyone’s potential.” – Maxine Tingley, Marketing Manager
“I DIVE IN so that my children’s children’s children are afforded resources, relationships and representation. Where the pronunciation of their names, the texture of their hair and the color of their skin are inconsequential in their education, workplace and society.” – Kellie Allmon-Davis, Support Team Lead, Development Services
“I want to motivate associates to think outside the box, broaden the possibility of having more professional interests, allow your interests to stretch, and provide them with the platform to take off. No matter what education level, I invite Blue Yonder associates to join me in their learning journey and DIVE IN the computing world since it’s “Passion over Education.” – Richa Yadav, Data Scientist
“The great leaders that have come before me and paved the way for the rights that we enjoy today really motivate me to continue to make it better for future generations.” – Sowmya Ananthachary, PD Project Director
“I want to encourage associates to take opportunities, be resilient and “open doors” for the many generations to come. Carpe Diem!” – Dorien Weijts, CIO
