We are all working in a Gangsta’s Paradise.
In 1995, Coolio went platinum with the title track in Michelle Pfeiffer’s movie Dangerous Minds. The film is based on the autobiography of the marine LouAnn Johnston, who taught in a school with many challenges reflected in Coolio’s song. Because the record was based on a Stevie Wonder song Pastime Paradise, the profanities typical in Coolio’s lyrics were absent at the insistence of Stevie.
The song begins with a line from Psalm 23:4: “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”, but then diverges with: “I take a look at my life and realise there’s nothing left”. The prospect of death being nothing but a heartbeat away was not realised as Coolio survived another 27 years until he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, Heroin and methamphetamine last year at 59.
The convenient wisdom of the quote “Live each day as if it’s your last, and one day you will be right” is like most apposite quotes variously attributed to Muhammed Ali and Steve Jobs.
Considering this concerning my choice to take pleasure in my work and managing global teams is helpful. I find it sad that so many live for the TGIF moment and eventually retirement. If you would rather be anywhere but at work, you hate 35% of your waking working life — a poor choice.
The challenge of achieving previously impossible things with diverse teams is immensely satisfying, as depicted in the movie for the teacher.
The behaviour engineering required to show, not tell your colleagues that there is a better way to make their lives easier is challenging and fun.
The corporate world is synonymous with the Gangsta’s Paradise of the song. The politics, selfishness and bullying we experience are unnecessary and ultimately destructive.
Tell me, why are we so blind to see — that the ones we hurt are you and me?
Giving team or gang members the tools to fight their corner works. I particularly like Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension, which details that national traits seen as weaknesses, once recognised, can be addressed. I don’t attempt to change the individuals but augment the team with a resource that does not have those weaknesses. This achieves productive equity rather than simply equality, which is, at best, bland and dull.
I have found this worked in Japan, Malaysia and Bolivia. Elsewhere, too, but in a less spectacular manner.
This can be contentious behaviour for a DEI practitioner — where sensitivity to recognising minority differences is resisted. Deploying diversity, equity and inclusion to leverage differences of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and disability is the only way to achieve the win-win of company productivity and individual fulfilment.
If you can accept living in a gangsta’s paradise, surviving and thriving can be achieved not by conforming to a culture of anger and aggression but by rising above the status quo to live your life to the fullest.
