Diversity is not just about race, religion, finding out how to talk to people in a way that will get them to buy your products or other social dynamics. It goes to the heart of being human. It is being equitable, transparent, and minimising disproportionate experiences or due to overrepresentation or underrepresentation, and its about not pre-judging or excluding people unfairly. Diversity helps distribute power, resources, and opportunities in a way that is representative and in the long term best interest of people and organisations.
It's not easy to give up your place or entitlement if the status quo is on your side. So why embrace diversity? Here's a few good reasons.
Better for Everyone
Diversity leads to innovation. Because of our unique backgrounds, experiences, and worldviews we all see and analyse situations differently. Organisations find that diversity of culture and thought promotes innovation, unearthing ideas that build new ways of thinking and behaving in industries, products, and services. For more on this, have a look at Everybody's Advocate, Everybody's Voice: Stakeholder success is your success.
Diversity minimises groupthink. When teams consist of people from diverse backgrounds, they challenge assumptions and consider alternative viewpoints. This prevents tunnel vision and fosters better decision-making. You could argue that diversity minimises group think while at the same time reducing unproductive friction. Diversity allows everyone to belong to a smaller group or team before those groups and teams come together as an organisation to solve larger problems. A sense of belonging already having been established, the larger group or organisation is freed up to get to business.
Diversity promotes social cohesion. When people from different backgrounds interact, they learn from each other, build bridges, and create a more inclusive society. It also strengthens democracy by ensuring diverse voices are heard and represented. Historically racism, gender-isms, phobia, exclusion and other practices of marginalising minorities have been at the heart of conflict and violence and have disallowed fair representation.
A diverse society is more just and equitable. It provides opportunities for everyone to succeed, regardless of their background. When we value diversity, we work toward fairer methods of organising ourselves. A fairer organisation is a more sustainable one, with greater longevity of purpose than one that is divided. In a fair organisation, people align to organisational values while also having the right to pursue their own values.
Organisations that embrace diversity tend to perform better financially. Diverse teams bring fresh perspectives, leading to better problem-solving and adaptability. Diverse organisations are more representative of their customer base, and better equipped to understand what their customers do and do not value. Having diversity in the team means you already have experienced people ready to deal with new trends and understand changing customer needs and behaviours better.
Better than the alternatives
Diversity is better than all the other alternatives. Homogeneous teams lack diversity in perspective and experiences. They may work well together due to shared values, but they struggle with innovation and creativity leading to narrow solutions and missed opportunities. Intentionally excluding certain groups based on factors like race, gender, or age perpetuates inequality and stifles progress. Exclusivity limits access to talent and prevents organisations from benefiting from diverse viewpoints. Tokenism is not the answer either. Including a few members from underrepresented groups merely to appear diverse doesn’t address systemic issues or create an inclusive environment. It’s essential to go beyond symbolic gestures.
Standing up for what's right is not negotiable
Many years ago I was responsible for filling the permanent role of Change Manager in an organisation that was homogenous in background: all managers were straight, white men. All managers in the parent company were also men. Most of the consultants and contractors were men. There were a few women around, mostly in support functions. At the Program level, there were very few other women besides me. In the branch I was hiring for, I was aware of the unspoken hints that should guide my hiring decision. I ignored those undue pressures, knowing that I should hire the best candidate for the role, based on skill, experience and ability to carry out the job successfully. I was not getting drawn into cute arguments about 'cultural fit' where it came to discrimination. While the incumbent majority did not enjoy having their status quo challenged, I hired a really wonderful change manager who did not fit the mould. This wonderful candidate went on to be highly successful at navigating and negotiating many of these other expectations, while completing the requirements of the job brilliantly.
Diversity isn’t just a buzzword, nor is it about replacing one group with another, it is about celebrating our differences and finding common ground. Diverse teams are truly better for everyone, and better than all the other alternatives. As leaders, we need to be thinking about what we can do to drive diversity in our workplaces and organisations every day.
Diversity is a fundamental strength that enriches our lives, organisations, and societies. By embracing diversity, we create more vibrancy, innovation, and compassion for everyone.
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