Leadership Viewpoint

Too often we think of diversity solely in terms of political correctness and legalities. Certainly diversity in the workforce incorporates inclusion of protected classes, and all the niceties that have been loudly broadcasted throughout society. Acceptance of one another at these levels is a good thing for businesses, but for reasons that go well beyond being ‘the right thing to do’.

There are solid business based reasons for wanting comfortable communication and connections among multiple different groups in the workplace. Most of us realize that different people approach even simple issues in different ways. When we are identifying attendees for problem solving or brainstorming, we are usually more successful if we include people from multiple departments, even some from departments that are not directly affected. It stands to reason that the more different the individuals and their experiences, the more they are likely to approach projects from original perspectives. In fact, research has substantiated that people reared in eastern cultures approach issues differently from those from western cultures.

Many of us have anecdotal stories when somebody came up with an idea, perspective or innovation that blew everybody else away. In these times when intellectual property truly drives the business world, it is our responsibility to structure our workplace to encourage these interactions. The more we develop a comfort in working with people who are different from ourselves, the greater our odds of success. We each need to incorporate diversity into our world in terms of people, communication, styles and, most importantly, ideas. Find a way to establish a new relationship this week, and every week. It will feel and be artificial until it becomes natural. That’s how new behaviors work.

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