I think working in a workplace with diversity is encourage is an advantage I think all companies should have. I learn and respect all people that has a different background than me. They teach me things that I haven't experience, as well as I teach them that they may haven't experience. Obtaining a group of diverse people and working together and hearing the different perspectives leads to a successful outcome. Now, realistically that's not always the case because sometimes it can lead to be counterproductive. This can happen due to lack of communication, not knowing each other well, inner preconception of someone's culture, or the individual is an introvert. It's best to not to have those detrimental qualities when working with a team of diverse people. In order to have successful productive experience one must be open minded, positive, willing to listen and learn. These are essential in having an effective production.       

@ala26 I can say that I have a similar background as you. I have been on a summer internship that is 8 weeks long in a whole different environment and out of my own comfort zone what I am used to. I understand that we live in a very diverse world out here and people come from many different backgrounds and experiences. It is very fascinating to learn new ideas and aspirations of ppl from different cultures and bring their expertise and how we all can contribute on society for the greater good of humanity and building stronger foundations.

I believe that in the field of biology, and really in any area of expertise, ethnic diversity should be fostered. A dispersal of ethnic groups intermingling within a larger society may be a commonplace ideology for some but difficult to live within for others. I believe that having a secluded principle of only dealing with people of a certain ethnicity is not healthy, as it promotes a foundational bias within all parties involved (and all parties excluded). I think that especially within a field such as biology, where experiments are conducted to elucidate the underlying principles of life, that having fresh perspectives is important. In other words, being able to constantly exchange ideas without being restricted to people of a certain ethnic background is what fuels progress and establishes healthy connections, fostering ideologies that have historically been forlorn such as are strong communication and trust. Learning to understand people who may look or behave differently than you is an important component of operating within a vast, varying but still human society.

It is the opinion of the writer that while researchers seek to implement new medical devices, it is important to understand how differences within a persons’ community, way of life, and morals/beliefs, potentially play a role as to how certain devices could and should be used. For example, if there are special differences within the team that is developing the new device, this allows for representation for certain things. In other words, there may be certain things that a person who represents a specific group may offer as opposed to aid in developing a new product. Another example of this can be seen in a newly developed medical device for women. If there is one woman and ten male researchers who are participating in the development of this new device, there are certain things that the woman would be able to offer to enhance the study since there may be certain ideas that she obtains that the others may not have initially thought about since there are certain things that occur for women that do not occur in men. This allows for better insight for the sake of the development of the medical device overall.

I do not have any experience in how this would relate to a medical device field, but in terms of proposing new ideas, I have some experience as I have just finished an internship within the government. I was able to work with so many people with different backgrounds/life experiences from me. I think, the more diversity within a group, the better the ideas become. Not only did we differ in life experiences with the group containing veterans, PhDs, and MDs, but we also differed in what we studied in school. There was a large mix of biology, biomedical engineering, psychology, and computer science that when working together allowed for project to be proposed that would not have been possible if we had all the same background. I agree with some of the other posts, that the hardest part was trying to get everyone to hand in their part of the project by a specific deadline, as there were many people working on multiple projects at once. I also agree that talking with people different from yourself allows you to understand different cultures. Has anyone had any bad or good experiences working with people that have a different academic background from yourself?

In my experience working at an engineering firm this last year, I absolutely think a diverse background is important for a successful workplace. Every single employee has a different mind and viewpoint, we can all look at a problem and approach it in a different way. Every day I am glad that I can reach out to someone who can answer a question for me, or think out a design with me. Even when issues arise within the company, each employee reacts differently to quickly solve the problem. An engineer is not valued for their ability to memorize facts and draw really good sketches; we are valued for our unique input and experience. "Two minds are better than one" is the old adage; which holds true especially for projects in the engineering field. An outside input is required for most device proposals, why not have an outside input during the development phase in the form of a coworker? Diversity adds new perspectives to a project, and should be valued as such.

When working as a team on a project, it is very important to have diversity because this diversity leads to different perspectives on the project. Different individuals have different experiences which allow them to approach problems in a different manner. This diversity of thought is optimal, especially in the pharmaceutical environment because many, many different problems arise. I also believe that a diverse team allows for each member of the team to learn from each other. This combination of having a creative approach to problem-solving and an environment that promotes learning is optimal to having success in any team, especially in pharma.

I think we do our best, when we are diverse. That is just my honest opinion. I think something unique happens when you take the best from a large section of demographics. You have a big variety in thoughts and ideas that creates magic when making medical devices. 

As someone who works for a medical device company, I have had my fair share of unique experiences in and outside of the office. Yes, people have different types of accents, different backgrounds, different styles of thinking and approaching matters. There are some people who take offense to this, and are selfish in desiring everyone and everything to be how they desire. However, I see this as having a unique interaction, experience and memory of each person. When I look back at my time at a company, the coworkers and managers I've dealt with are each uniquely good. From their sense of fashion in the office, sense of humor, certain catchphrases or consistent ways of reacting to things, it truly makes it more exciting and engaging to work. Hence, this helps productivity. The work will get done, however, the key is in how the work gets done. For people that come from different countries, their memories and experiences provide a sense of reliability and wisdom. Just like people have had an impact on me, I would like to think that people dealing with me are also impacted positively. Not that I am boasting in my goodness, but rather that I am diligent in making good first impressions, and keeping it up, which makes me reliable and trustworthy. 

Human differences are not only a fact of the regulatory field, but a simple fact of human life. Being able to not only navigate differences in personality, but to be able to truly connect and communicate with people that are different from yourself is a vital skill to have in any field that relies on coordination between many different teams/departments/companies. Someone who can do that successfully is, in my opinion, more valuable then someone with a bit more subject matter knowledge.

Working with a diverse team, whose members come from varying backgrounds and perspectives, is essential for any project. As a director of a diverse team, I would greatly appreciate these differences and encourage my team to maintain open-mindedness in decision-making discussions, as a team member with a differing perspective than your own can often times be providing a preferrable solution, when viewed with an unbiased mindset. 

To work with a team that all comes from the same background, culture, origin, etc. prevents a team from reaching its highest potential when working towards a common goal. Differences allow a team to construct and perfect their work from a variety of angles.

Personally, in my experiences, I have largely found differences within a team to only provide productive effects, as combining the differing strengths of team members allows a project to be most well-rounded.