Diversity is the strength of the modern world, as per a recent report by McKinsey that highlights how business practices emphasizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are more important than ever. The diversity of leadership is significantly correlated with growth targets, social impact, and employee satisfaction.
In the spirit of this year’s Pride Month, True Blog spoke to Gregoire Glachant, a sustainability communications expert in corporate communications and public relations at True Corporation, to share his story. Gregoire, who embodies diversity in almost every aspect of his life, shared his experiences growing up as a “Third Culture Kid” with two cultural backgrounds, working in various social and professional environments, settling in Thailand, and advocating for gender equality.
Here is his story of life experiences, worldview, and the courage to be himself, which has led to real change within the businesses where he worked.
From Childhood Computers to Video Game Developer
“I was born in France, but my family moved to the United States when I was six years old. It was a life-changing event. I was also deeply affected by my father buying the family an IBM PCjr for Christmas. It was one of the first personal PCs used in households. This sparked my interest in digital media. I eventually developed a video game called ‘Hardline’ when I was just 14 years old. The game was produced and sold worldwide by Virgin Interactive Entertainment.”
“While working in this field, I decided to pursue further studies in digital media, which was a very new discipline in the 90s. After graduating, I worked in the video game industry while also taking on freelance jobs filming and editing videos for up-and-coming fashion designers. By the time I was 26, I decided that I needed to change my life once again because I wanted to be a writer. I had this peculiar notion that I needed to go as far away from my homeland as possible to find stories worth telling, and staying in France couldn’t fulfill what I wanted to achieve.”
From being a Third Culture Kid to becoming a Global Citizen
“Growing up as a child and teenager in different cultures has turned me into what is commonly referred to as a ‘Third Culture Kid.’ This means that while in the United States, I didn’t quite fit in because I was French. But upon returning to France, I no longer fit in there either because I had become similar to an American teenager. The reason it’s called ‘Third Culture’ is because I couldn’t fully adapt to any one culture, leaving me feeling like I don’t have a true ‘home’ to call my own.”
“But the advantage of such life experiences is that you become highly adaptable and open to other cultures. Therefore, I am not surprised or fearful of cultural differences and can adjust well no matter where I am.”
Believe in diversity and individuality, and avoid homogenization
“Moving to Bangkok didn’t require as much adjustment for me as changing careers did. From my first job in Thailand, where I spent 10 years at Asia City Media Group as the editor-in-chief of the English-language weekly, BK Magazine, to the corporate world of dtac, the working dynamics were vastly different, although in both cases I predominantly collaborated with Thais.”
“I believe in diversity, so I don’t generalize about how Thai people are. In reality, Thai people exhibit a wide range of characteristics. However, if culture of Thailand is overall more collective, which is one of the significant differences compared to the individualistic culture of the West. It results in significantly different work approaches. You can see examples of this in team activities we organize, such as coordinating to wear the same-colored clothes.”
“Therefore, the key to working with people from different cultures is not to obsess over where they come from. The real question is: What makes this individual motivated? What makes them shut down? What gives them psychological safety? Because everyone is different, you need to be flexible in this regard. Secondly, you must have high emotional intelligence (EQ) to understand that people come in various forms. Especially as a team manager, it’s crucial to be able to read people well.”
Bringing your whole self comes through practicing until it becomes a habit
“Bringing your whole self comes through practicing until it becomes a habit. I used to be afraid of talking about myself. It wasn’t easy to casually say ‘my husband,’ so I always looked for ways to avoid using that term or talking about it altogether. But the best way to be true to yourself is to recognize when you’re blocking or hiding parts of who you are and then do the opposite. For example, when someone asks, ‘What are you doing this summer?’ instead of saying, ‘I’m going to France,’ I might say, ‘I’m going on a trip with my husband.’ Then you’ll realize that nobody really cares that much about us, or if someone does have a problem, you might be able to change it.”
Promoting diversity within an organization requires employees to speak up courageously, and companies must be willing to listen
“The company must be willing to listen when employees speak up, and employees must have the courage to express themselves and share their opinions. If employees don’t speak up, the company won’t know what to do. Importantly, the company must not see people who speak up as adversaries or problems, but rather as people who are here to help, to provide ideas for improving what already exists.”
“I myself initiated discussions about LGBTQ equality at dtac by approaching the Human Resources department and asking why we couldn’t adopt practices similar to those in the United States and many other countries, including large corporations, which provided equal rights even before same-sex marriage laws were enacted. For example, we have health insurance, but same-sex couples couldn’t purchase it at the same rate as heterosexual couples. The HR department engaged with the insurance company and ultimately made it possible. Similarly, some company policies can be easily changed, such as granting three days off for employees who marry same-sex partners.”
Valuing and recognizing the importance of diversity reflects the openness of the organization
“Changing the culture of an organization is challenging. What companies can do is initiate large-scale projects to send powerful messages from the top. This is one of the reasons why LGBTQ Pride Month is celebrated with such pride. By demonstrating that recognizing the importance of this minority group and considering their differences and rights is equivalent to showing that the organization is inclusive to everyone. Employees don’t have to change themselves to fit into the organization and can truly be themselves and be accepted. This is something significant that the organization can achieve.”
Diversity is the power of the modern world
“I believe that accepting differences and embracing diversity is, on one hand, a fundamental human right that allows people to be happy and live their lives authentically. On the other hand, it is also the way to conduct digital business in 2024, where businesses must focus on being more agile, working faster, listening to, and empathizing with their customers more. This will lead to success for businesses in this era.”
"I believe that accepting differences and embracing diversity is, on one hand, a fundamental human right that allows people to be happy and live their lives authentically. On the other hand, it is also the way to conduct digital business in 2024, where businesses must focus on being more agile, working faster, listening to, and empathizing with their customers more. This will lead to success for businesses in this era."
Lessons Learned in Working Amid Diversity
- Have High EQ: Understand that people are diverse, read people’s emotions and feelings, and adapt communication methods accordingly.
- Be Flexible: Don’t get hung up on nationality or cultural background, but have empathy and understanding when working together.
- Be Brave to Speak Up: Dare to speak, dare to express opinions, as it is the starting point for creating change.
True Corporation believes in diversity, whether it’s gender, age, ethnicity, interests, or lifestyle. During Pride Month, True takes a stand in supporting equality by embracing diversity in all dimensions and daring to be oneself through the #BringYourBest campaign. Because the workplace is where we can truly bring our whole selves, True presents stories of its people, reflecting various differences and inspiring everyone to unleash their potential and be authentic.
