With all the diversity and inclusion conversations that have been happening over the last decade, is there anyone still out there who doesn’t think that workplace diversity is a good thing? We know the benefits of diversity in the workplace are vast. Diversity improves workplace productivity, company culture, employee retention, and can break down prejudices. It also helps with the company’s reputation. The world needs all kinds of minds. And so does your workplace. The world of business is changing, and so is work culture.
Bringing diversity in the workplace is one of the top most priorities for business leaders and managers today. Diversity, as we know, gives greater access to a greater range of talent, not just the talent that belongs to a particular worldview or ethnicity or some other restricting definition. It helps provide insight into the needs and motivations of all your client or customer base, rather than just a small part of it.
Highly credible research organizations such as McKinsey and Company, and a host of others have shown that diversity can make an organization more effective, more successful, and more profitable. Diversity allows companies to adopt a different lens to solve challenges, operate the organization, and keep it strong. But let’s focus for a moment on the diversity of thought.
If you have multiple people on a team or in an organization thinking the same way, you don’t really grow or innovate. In fact, many times we leaders make decisions in a vacuum, in an echo chamber and these decisions may lack the perspective of others. And we often don’t see the impact of our decisions on other teams or customers. And as a result, without diversity and thought, we may not make the best possible. Decisions. So that begs the question, what are strategies we can use to invite, welcome, and appreciate diverse perspectives in the workplace? Decision making?
That’s where the Fierce model for Team conversations comes in. The team conversations model is a powerful tool that helps individuals and teams make better decisions through the collaboration of diverse team members. In our Teams model, we demonstrate how valuable it is to have multiple, even competing perspectives to make the best possible decisions with the best results. All the while fostering a culture of collaboration where diversity of thought is genuinely sought out and valued. Of course, it’s cliche to say that nothing worth achieving comes easily, but it’s true. And as I just mentioned, the benefits of true workplace diversity are invaluable.
Creating a more diverse workplace requires strategic action, especially if your company is in the early stages of building diversity campaigns and initiatives. So whether you’re a diversity and inclusion manager, a recruiter, a business leader, or a diversity advocate, try our Fierce Team model to create a workplace. Where all employees feel valued, seen and heard, and collaboration becomes part of the organizational culture.
