[ohjeez]

FWIW I agree with you. Anything forced on a group is apt to be resented by its members, including the "token whatever" who feels that she has to represent "her kind" instead of winning or failing on her own merits.

Instead, groups benefit when they themselves work to expand their own membership. It's _really_ easy for all of us to look for people who share our outlooks and opinions, a "mini me" in some way. But we grow only when we insert new ideas.

I've been exceedingly lucky, in that I've worked with diverse groups of all sorts. They include people from varied backgrounds (rural vs city, money vs poor, race, gender), and in every instance I can think of a time when that "differentness" caused us to think of a better and different answer. For a lame example, someone who grew up in a rural area is more likely to think about how an online application works in a region with lousy connectivity. It's not that other team members can't think of such things, but the background ensure someone does.