Every organization is unique and therefore any cultural transformation journey undertaken needs to be specifically tailored. According to a new report by Walking the Talk, diversity is one area where organizations have an opportunity to drive different behaviors and foster real change that goes well beyond simply recruiting different people or doing different things, to where they are genuinely fostering a different belief system to drive different behaviors.
Diversity brings a difference in experience and perspective that can deliver positive results. The report says that diversity can reduce the impact of ‘groupthink’ and increase levels of healthy debate and challenge in an organization. “As such, it enhances decision-making,” said Amanda Fajak, the report’s author. “As diverse as your employee base is, you can be fairly sure that your customer base will be more so. Increasing the range of profiles within your organization to better reflect the range of profiles of your customers can increase customer understanding leading to improved customer loyalty.” Being open to the best person for the job means you can access the best talent for your business, regardless of gender or ethnicity, according to the report.
One would think that can only be of benefit for your business, but there are challenges. “If you employ a more diverse workforce but fail to adapt and amend the behaviors, symbols, and systems within the business to let them thrive, you will create discord and harm,” Ms. Fajak said. “At Walking the Talk we have a deep understanding of the need to align what you say with what you actually do. It is such an important principle for successful cultures that we named ourselves after it.”
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