‘Singh’
‘Singh’, the middle name given to every Sikh male as a default birthright. I’m guilty of dropping and using it as and when it suits me. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but having listened to the song ‘Once Kings’ written and performed by actor Riz Ahmed, I’ve come to learn that this is referred to as ‘code-switching’.
I’ve been code-switching all my life, it’s helped me to fit in, to get into rooms that I might not normally have been ‘allowed’, to muscle my way into conversations reserved for those who are deemed ‘of the norm’. I don’t at all regret it, I’ve had an awesome journey so far and I want that to long continue, but I want to do it as myself now.
I’ve started this blog/series/whatever you might want to call it at the same time as starting a new position at a company called Nexeon. Nexeon is a battery materials company developing and producing silicon materials for the next generation of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. It’s a company filled with great minds, people with amazing backgrounds and experiences, and yet I still find myself wanting to ‘code switch’ to fit in as quickly as possible.
Throughout the interview process however I felt as though I was pushing the boundaries to see how my potential CEO, CFO and other colleagues reacted. I wore what I was comfortable in, I wore with pride my excessive jewellery, shaped my facial hair to my liking all just to see how the team would react. Nothing…no mention of anything, from the way I dressed, to the way I spoke, to how I presented myself. I was me, and I got the job…success. In reality though, I look back at that experience and I have realised that I was just comfortable with myself; I earned the job on merit, because of what I have achieved and what I could potentially bring to the table.
We are of a time where we don’t need to produce justification for a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion; we are making moves to create opportunities for people from different backgrounds and experiences to contribute in a meaningful and positive way. I’m fully aware though that this isn’t the case on the whole.
I’ll be posting updates on my experiences going forwards; there is a lot of work to do and I feel as though exploring topics of cultural change, implementing new strategies to realise our ambitions as a company, combined with my own personal changes and ambitions may make for an interesting or thought provoking read.
I definitely don’t have the answers, but I have experienced the pain, frustration and continual angst of being a little bit different, a little bit on the border, but still having to dig deep for the perseverance, the energy and the strength to create a space in this world where I can just be me. Just as Riz Ahmed has done for me, if I can help just one person with navigating their experiences, I’ll consider it a worthwhile pursuit.
