Your engineering team is divided on diversity and inclusion. How will you navigate conflicting viewpoints?

Navigating conflicting viewpoints on diversity and inclusion within an engineering team requires a balanced and thoughtful approach. I would start by fostering an open and respectful dialogue where every team member feels heard and valued. It's important to establish a common understanding that diversity and inclusion are not just moral imperatives but also critical to innovation and team success. I would emphasize the benefits of diverse perspectives and how they contribute to better problem-solving and creativity. By creating a culture of mutual respect and emphasizing the importance of collaboration, we can bridge divides and work towards a more inclusive and productive team environment

It can be helpful to reinforce that diversity and inclusion are not just abstract concepts but practical tools that can directly enhance our work outcomes. For example, in an engineering context, diverse teams often produce more innovative solutions because they bring different perspectives to problem-solving. I agree that creating a culture of respect is crucial, but it’s also important to tie these values to our team's goals and success metrics. This approach can help shift the focus from personal beliefs to shared objectives, making it easier to find common ground.

By creating a safe space for team members to express their views, leaders can ensure that all perspectives are heard and respected. Personally, I believe that when team members feel genuinely listened to, it diffuses tension and promotes understanding. Facilitating structured discussions, where everyone can share without interruption, allows the team to collaboratively explore the root causes of their differences. This approach not only resolves conflicts but also strengthens the team’s unity and commitment to shared goals.

It can be helpful to establish clear guidelines before starting these discussions to ensure that everyone feels comfortable participating. An example I’ve seen is implementing a 'no interruption' rule during meetings, which allows each person to voice their thoughts fully before others respond. This not only ensures that all perspectives are heard but also fosters a deeper level of understanding among team members. By setting these norms, you create an environment where open dialogue can thrive and lead to meaningful progress.

One of the most important tools in bridging divides in teams, in respect to diversity and inclusion, is indeed education. Often times however, these initiatives tend to feel exceptionally "corporate" in nature, with not enough focus on each team's and organization's genuine purpose. One of the key factors that led to my success in incorporating diversity has been an understanding on it can contribute to our core purpose. As a former military leader, in my ships, diversity was our secret weapon. It was the result of all of my team member's different origins, backgrounds and personal experiences, that lead us to becoming an amazing multi-faceted team who was able to find unique solutions to challenging problems.

An example I’ve seen is a training course I completed on unconscious bias. This training highlighted the importance of keeping our biases in check to ensure equality and fairness within the team. It’s crucial for high-performing teams to be aware of these biases, as it helps reduce tension and conflict, creating a more collaborative and productive environment. Educating the team on these aspects can significantly contribute to fostering a more inclusive and harmonious workplace.

I was leading a technically solid product from an acquisition, but it didn’t match our brand’s look and feel and had poor visuals. We made changes to improve its appearance, sticking to our brand guidelines where possible in a short timeframe. One day, I was with a big customer whose lead engineer struggled to use the software interface. He couldn’t see the icons and buttons on the screen because of his visual impairment and needed a special device on his monitor. Diversity isn’t abstract. It’s about real differences in perspectives, insights, and abilities that add genuine value to any company.