I worked at Apple as a contractor and as an employee for thirteen years, and it was--hands-down--THE BEST at administering diversity. And I say that as one of the few black people who worked there. The top-to-bottom attitude that over-arched everything was that if you're not thinking about our customers, you aren't doing your job. Management decided that it wanted a diverse, welcoming, vibrant workplace and put policies in place that made the goal attainable. If you were there, it was because you had something to contribute and sexuality, gender, race, religion, and physical or emotional challenges were secondary to your ability to get the job done the way Apple's customers expected it to be done. The policy was enforced strictly. Orientation and performance review targets reinforced the culture. As with the secrecy policy after Steve Jobs's return, all an employee had to do was stick with the guidelines, and they could expect an exciting, fulfilling experience.
That's not to say that things at Apple were perfect. One manager decided to release a pictorial chart of his organization. His diversity problems were apparent to everyone but him. Workplace romances are not unheard of. Still, the things I learned from the experience of working at Apple have stood me in good stead.
Your co-worker as a fellow human being ALWAYS comes first;
If you're thinking about anything other than doing your job while you're at work, you might be setting yourself up for a fall;
Don't do anything that might distract your co-workers from achieving their goals and objectives.
