Innovation is a prerequisite for growth. And diverse teams are better able to come up with ingenious solutions than groups of people even bright ones who think the same way. But the diversity objectives have not been achieved, particularly which has a specific challenge to meet. An enabling work environment can promote an inclusive culture.
In the past, when companies encountered a problem in their market, it was usually relatively simple to solve, often the solution was to make better or more efficient products. It is no longer as simple today: the problems are now much more complex and, in certain situations, they even remain to be defined.
What new direction should the company take?
How should it serve its customers in the future? How can it keep pace with permanent change and, despite everything, stay one step ahead in the face of increasingly frequent disruptions? To stimulate the innovation that will fuel growth, companies need more than ever both creative people and problem-solving people: “creative thinkers” and “problem solvers”. You can Create a culture of inclusion there perfectly with the proper understanding.
A source of wealth, literally
To innovate and grow, businesses must foster diversity – of thought, experience and education – at all costs. “Progress and innovation may depend less on bright people with high IQs and working in isolation than on diverse teams working together and capitalizing on their individuality.
Scott Page, a professor at the University of Michigan, where he also heads the Center for the Study of Complex Systems, defends the thesis that diversity counts more than talent. Diverse groups can overcome a lack of experience and even surpass teams with a unique way of thinking and more skills.
Why?
- Because homogeneous teams are more likely to produce similar ideas born from identical points of view and interpretations. They approach a problem from a single angle. Diversified teams, on the other hand, tackle problems in various directions and are more likely to come up with an original or unexpected discovery.
- In a 2015 report titled “Diversity Matters,” McKinsey & Company studied 366 listed companies from different industries in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Latin America. We intuitively knew that diversity was important in companies. It is now becoming increasingly clear that this also makes sense in terms of business.
Their main conclusions are:
Companies with a high level of parity are 15% more likely to have financial results above the median levels of their sector;
Companies with low parity and ethnic and racial diversity not only fail to lead their sector but are also lagging behind.
A reservoir for national growth
There is a strong correlation between companies favoring a high diversity among the origins of its employees and those that are successful. In many organizations, there are many programs that are well-aimed at attracting and retaining diverse talent. So why are so many companies fighting so hard to get there? The options are there now.
