A few nights ago I had the wonderful pleasure of speaking to a group of women living in Kununurra, a small but vibrant town in North West WA. These women were from all walks of life, farming, tourism, mining, young mothers, civil servants and business owners. I was fascinated to listen to some of the issues they had to face living in a remote location.

The issue of indigenous people and how they are labelled and fit into our society was very much a topic close to their hearts. A young indigenous woman next to me commented on how she was unable to progress in the company for which she worked because the general attitude was that as a young, female, “black” person she could not possibly have the skills to manage a team.

I am always amazed in this day and age about how labelling still defines how people deal with us. Haven’t we gone past this? It was obvious from my conversation with this young woman that she was intelligent, articulate and had a lot to offer. How is it that some people can’t see past the exterior to the person within? Sure, there are a lot of problems with our indigenous population but surely harnessing this young woman’s energy to help solve the issues should be seen as a priority. Instead she was lumped in the same box with those who have the problems. And as an indigenous person, a woman and young single mother she also had more than one label.

Many of us deny we have a prejudice however in reality it is still there, alive and kicking. My observation is that each of us needs to work our where we fit in relation to those around us. Conversely we also need to understand how others fit in the same picture. To do that we seem to create boxes with labels and with those labels come the stereotypes. We qualify and judge according to our own set of circumstances and knowledge. It’s like putting on a pair of glasses with tint. Everything is coloured by what has come before. However that doesn’t make it right and certainly doesn’t make it a smart thing to do. What a shame for both the company and the young woman because both miss out on a potentially fabulous partnership.

Each of us has a unique story, skills and abilities. If you can draw that out of those around you the rewards are numerous. Don’t be influenced by common misconceptions and prejudices. You will gain more friends, have successful business and engage loyal employees by truly making an effort to listen and learn about the individual, not the label.