Please respond to this classmate post must be at least 250 words with at least one reference. My name is Dan Yost, and I live in West Michigan. I have been involved in EMS for the past twenty years and currently serve as the Program Director for EMS and Fire programs at our local community college. My role allows me to oversee education and training for future EMS professionals, but before stepping into this academic leadership position, I worked as a supervisor in a different organization where I experienced firsthand the realities of managing a diverse team. In that previous role, our team was diverse primarily in terms of age. We had individuals just entering the workforce, including recent high school graduates, as well as others who had been with the organization for decades and were approaching retirement. This multigenerational team brought a range of experiences, perspectives, and expectations to the table. At its core, diversity should have been an asset. However, in practice, I would characterize the relationship between the diversity present and the team’s performance as mostly neutral, at times negative. The challenge was not with the diversity itself, but with the environment we were placed in. Supervisors were given very little authority to lead effectively. While we were technically “in charge” of our teams, upper management retained most decision-making power and often bypassed us in both policy enforcement and communication. This created a disconnect between leadership expectations and the realities of daily operations. As a result, it was difficult to foster collaboration and accountability, especially across such a broad spectrum of ages and work styles. Additionally, there was no formal training or development provided on how to manage or support a diverse workforce. Diversity and inclusion were not part of the organization’s values in practice, even if they may have been stated on paper. We were left to navigate interpersonal conflicts, generational differences, and inconsistent communication with no clear strategy. Younger employees often brought energy and tech-savviness but struggled with professionalism or consistency, while older employees had a strong work ethic but sometimes resisted change or new approaches. Instead of bridging these differences to build a stronger team, the lack of organizational support allowed tensions to fester. What could have made a difference was leadership involvement and a commitment to inclusion at every level. Had upper management invested in supervisor training, encouraged cross-generational mentoring, or created space for open dialogue about expectations and work styles, I believe the outcomes could have been significantly different. In fact, diversity can absolutely be a positive force in organizational performance, but only when it’s matched with intentional practices that support inclusion. In contrast, my current role in education has shown me what it looks like when leadership does support diversity and inclusion. We work with students and faculty from all backgrounds, and through deliberate planning, ongoing training, and a culture of collaboration, we see how diversity enhances problem-solving, student engagement, and innovation. My past experience has reinforced for me how critical it is that inclusion is more than just representation, it must be active, ongoing, and supported by leadership.
