Creating an inclusive corporate culture is more than a noble aspiration; it requires a purposeful approach and strategies that promote diversity. Companies that put diversity first do so not only for ethical reasons but also because they believe a diverse team brings a wealth of perspectives, skills, and experiences. Intentional diversity is a catalyst for creativity, innovation, and problem-solving.
What does intentional diversity mean?
Intentional diversity means taking an inclusive recruitment approach, equal advancement opportunities & rewards, and offering diversity training. It additionally requires leadership that encourages diversity on all fronts. The ultimate goal is to integrate diversity principles throughout the organization and ensure they produce measurable results.
“A truly inclusive society is one where everyone feels at home and respected.”
Desmond Tutu – Nobel Peace Prize winner (1984)
“Intentional diversity drives creativity and success in modern, inclusive organizations.”
From hierarchy to team diversity
Modern organizations often shift from a traditional hierarchical structure to a team-based structure. When combined with inclusiveness, team composition also requires intentional diversity. Diversity in teams then involves not only gender, age, or cultural background, but also cognitive diversity and differences in knowledge and experience.
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“Assignments focused on rapid execution benefit from less diversity, while innovative team assignments require higher levels of diversity.”
Tips for intentional diversity
Tip #1: Increase the number of women on your teams. Research on collective intelligence indicates that teams with more women often perform better, possibly because of an increase in social intelligence.
Tip #2: Give teams with members of different ages time to appreciate each other. Age diversity can contribute positively, provided there is time to get to know each other better.
Tip #3: Promote leadership that fosters a supportive and inclusive environment. Cultural diversity can improve team outcomes, but success depends on effective communication and collaboration.
Tip 4: Leverage diversity in knowledge and experience for innovation. This kind of diversity is especially valuable in innovative contexts, where there is time for mutual learning.
Tip 5: Value cognitive diversity in thinking styles. Different thinking styles enhance innovative ability, provided there is an equal cognitive level and sufficient time for knowledge exchange.
Read also 8 tips to prevent bias
Always intentional diversity?
It is important to recognize that the benefits of team diversity depend on the team’s purpose. Assignments focused on rapid execution may benefit from less diversity, whereas innovative team assignments require greater diversity.
Organizations that want to use team diversity intentionally must understand the team’s purpose and the assignment’s starting conditions. This goes beyond following a trend; it is organizations’ responsibility to apply diversity principles successfully and meaningfully to improve business performance.
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