Shifting Perspectives

My whole life, I have been surrounded by peers in an academic environment. Almost everyone had the same goal: pass classes, graduate, repeat. Even during my internships, I worked directly under my supervisor so I did not get a lot of time to bond with my coworkers or fellow interns outside of work-related affairs. It was when I started my first full-time job at a luxury hotel that I was exposed to individuals from drastically different walks of life. Having originated from a third-world country, I am no stranger to adapting to diverse cultures, but it was a very eye-opening experience nonetheless. 

I felt this diversity most when I attempted to execute a hotel-wide sustainability project. I wanted the project to be a fun competition between departments, where the department with the most recycled items will receive a pizza party or some form of equivalent reward. To my surprise, one of the main obstacles I ran into was not funding, it was incentive. An in-depth conversation with the Director of Human Resources revealed to me that some employees actually take advantage of the recyclable materials they collect at work to recycle on their own at home, so hosting a competition that would take that form of income away from them would do more harm than good. It forced me to rethink my perspective and brainstorm other methods to encourage sustainable practices in our hotel. Eventually, I developed an auditing system that randomly assesses each department every month. The evaluation follows a rubric that subtracts points from an initially perfect score, depending on whether their bins are filled with the correct waste. This system shifts the focus from the quantity of recyclables collected to the accuracy of recyclables sorted, minimizing potential disruptions.

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This experience made me aware of biases I held subconsciously and highlighted the importance of seeking second opinions. It emphasized the value of diverse perspectives – a lesson I'll surely carry with me into future endeavors.