According to The Harvard Business Review, “working with people who are different from you may challenge your brain to overcome its stale ways of thinking and sharpen its performance.” As the nature of work changes, greater diversity is more likely to introduce new innovations and develop new products than those with homogenous leadership. Having diverse people on a team, who think differently and have distinct knowledge bases leads to a more rigorous group thinking process. Each individual in an organization brings with them valuable cultural differences and a unique set of perspectives and life experiences. Consequently, in order to build strong team-based work, effective teams have to be diverse and be encouraged to share their ideas and feedback to get bigger and better results.
Hiring diverse, creative and innovative teams is one thing, but retaining them is another story. Employees need to have a sense of worth in their jobs and feel valued, involved and constantly challenged. A workplace culture that performs well will reflect an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their diverse ways of thinking. In this way, emphasizing a cross-functional structure that promotes teamwork and collaboration is essential for solving complex problems. This can have a positive impact on the organization as it will reflect a culture shaped by individuals who bring their uniqueness in a broader sense and thrive in their job roles.
If we are relying on teams, it is because we want to make sure that we’ve got the appropriate level of diversity to fill in all the gaps. A diverse team environment will enhance skill sets such as communication, critical thinking and problem solving. It will also contribute to accept different viewpoints and expertise that different employees bring to the table. Working together in a diverse environment will expand and develop employee’s existing skills; at the same time it will celebrate and recognize each others’s differences and contributions.
In Tekton, diversity and inclusion are more than a mission statement. We exist to improve people’s lives and believe different cultures provides us with a balance of unique ideas and perspectives. As Michelle Obama once said: “We need all voices at the table to make the best decisions.”