Promoting Diversity: Managing the Complex Business Environment of Today
Do we need to reconsider our current hiring strategy? The conventional method entails selecting candidates with the best functional skills for the position, but who are the most qualified candidates for modern positions?
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Rather than relying on individuals to navigate the complex business environment of today, we need to build teams of people with diverse backgrounds, unique personalities, and, most importantly, differing points of view. I intentionally use the word “construct” here. The team needs to be technically proficient, of course, but in order to get the most out of the group, we need to specifically choose members with diverse problem-solving styles for business issues. The best teams of individuals for future employment are those that intentionally promote diversity.
How Does Diversity Appear?
Usually, when I have a conversation with someone about diversity, we talk about differences in gender and race. That’s one aspect of it, but finding individuals with unique perspectives and insights along with those with diverse thought processes is just as crucial to building robust, diverse teams.
Teams made up of individuals with comparable experiences and educational backgrounds are likely to think alike and have a tendency to stagnate. Diverse teams, on the other hand, are more likely to come up with novel solutions to problems and stay out of ruts.
When we revised our company’s strategy, one of the first things we did was add more executive team members and carefully choose those who would increase the team’s diversity. Our chief technology officer was raised and educated in India and has experience in a completely different industry than our chief marketing officer, who is a woman with a strong background in science and commerce. Most importantly, both were outsiders in our sector, offering fresh perspectives and inventive methods for expanding our company. We intentionally aim to increase the diversity of our leadership team even more with upcoming C-level appointments.
As I mentioned earlier, personality tests can be used to assess an individual’s social skills and help them manage their competencies, which include values, behaviors, and traits. These are also useful for learning about people’s problem-solving strategies and ways of thinking. This knowledge can help you intentionally promote diversity within your teams.
Why Do Diverse Teams Perform Better?
Variety can be a distraction for simple, routine tasks. Top performers with similar backgrounds and levels of education can function well as a homogeneous team. The complex issues facing businesses today, however, are ones that shift regularly and quickly. Because of their disparate frames of reference, diverse groups can perform significantly better than homogeneous ones in this complex and inconsistent scenario.
Groups of people who are similar to each other and were chosen based on the conventional “best functional skills for the job” method collaborate in a way that can produce an echo chamber. They surround themselves with people who share their viewpoints and methods of problem-solving, creating a self-confirming environment. The team may develop blind spots as a result of working in an echo chamber, which could have disastrous effects on business decisions.
Businesses are operating in a dynamic environment that increasingly demands fresh perspectives and innovative ways of thinking from a variety of devil’s advocates in order to spur growth. Businesses that adjust to this “new normal” of greater diversity, in my opinion, will have a greater chance of succeeding in a cutthroat, intricate marketplace.
Leaders Must Put In More Work Due To Diversity
While intentionally assembling diverse teams of individuals with varying points of view can yield significant performance benefits, it can also present leadership challenges. Building a diverse and inclusive work environment is imperative for leaders to prevent a tension-filled “me versus the rest” atmosphere.
Most importantly, because it fosters divergent thinking, people need to feel comfortable sharing differing opinions and methods. Even if they prove to be incorrect, they may nevertheless reveal creative solutions that the team would not have otherwise known about. The key to coming up with better answers to business problems is creating the psychological safety needed for fervent debate.
Note that there’s a small issue here. It takes a lot of mental effort for people to maintain their diverse ways of thinking. People often adapt to the culture of the company they work for, which can eventually make it harder for them to say what they really think. Leaders must put in more effort to prevent this slow degradation of diversity. It involves more than just recognizing differences; it necessitates a personalized strategy for inspiring team members.
Heading A Multifaceted Group
Leaders need to avoid the one-size-fits-all mentality if they want to promote diversity in their organization. To encourage divergent thinking, they must modify their style of leadership to fit the needs of each individual. This necessitates taking a humble stance, actively listening to various viewpoints and ideas while also making sure that everyone feels as though their opinions have been heard.
Divergent thought, though, has its limits. Knowing when there are enough ideas to make a decision is crucial, as is beginning to direct the process at that point. When a decision is made, leaders need to have the assurance to unite the team and the entire organization in support of that decision.
How To Get Started Guidelines
Diversity improves an organization’s ability to compete in international markets and helps it succeed in challenging business environments. These three easy rules will assist you in putting “people first” when building robust, diverse teams and tackling today’s business challenges:
1. Steer clear of mirroring oneself. Seek out individuals with distinct thought processes and novel viewpoints and insights.
2. Establish a space where individuals feel comfortable discussing alternative perspectives and methods.
3. Have a modest demeanor. Engage in active listening to various viewpoints and ideas, and know when to direct the process toward a conclusion.
In order to effectively navigate the future, increasingly complex business environment, we will need to intentionally select team members with diverse backgrounds and novel perspectives on business to foster diversity in our teams.
Prioritizing people above all else is beneficial for business.
