Diversity Delivers – 5 reasons why I build diverse teams

I truly believe in the power of diverse teams. We must continue the societal debate and discourse regarding gender diversity in leadership, pay inequity and inclusion of minorities across our workplaces, sporting codes and media voices. But there is also opportunity within this larger discourse to unleash the benefits of diversity on a smaller scale in our day to day working environments.

 In building my own teams at work, I’ve seen firsthand how diversity drives business benefits; here are my top 5 – not all of them expected! 

1.  We better represent our customers

Our customers are not a homogenous bunch. By building a diverse team we are able to better reflect and understand our customer’s needs.

2.  We’re faster to market and therefore more profitable

A diverse team creates solutions that are well thought out, stress tested and deliverable.

Having a truer representation of our customers and varying professional backgrounds means we are able to deliver more value to our bottom line, more quickly and effectively.

3.  We value each other

By stating explicitly that we all have a distinct role to play, we avoid people competing to have the ‘best answer’ – in a team that seeks out diversity all perspectives warrant consideration.

Recently I looked around the room as one of my direct reports presented to our whole team.  I reflected on the collective wisdom and perspective in the room and the positive business results this would yield. 

Team diversity was the major driver of the positivity and great outcomes we were seeing.  This was not simply because we had a close to 50/50 gender balance or because we have people of numerous ethnic background in the room; it is because we had actively built a team of people with varying backgrounds and experiences and created a structure and culture where they work together on important programmes of work – making different but equally valued contributions. 

4.  We learn from each other

Everyone has something to contribute to the team. This means we have the opportunity to teach and to learn– be it the graduate who helps me with my social media or providing guidance to a new starter myself – learning from each other is a constant and it’s easy to ask for help.

This environment is great for building new skills through enhanced peer learning and creates a great environment for career progression. As a team, we will succeed or fail together.

The day I knew we were onto something was the day one of my ‘strategy’ people told me he was amazed by the insight gained from the ‘operations’ guy who sits next to him … and I got the same feedback the other way around. 

5.  Team culture is enhanced

When I am recruiting for team fit, I am not looking for a candidate that is the same as someone else I have in the team. Of course team fit matters, but I am referring to the uniqueness they bring and how this will complement our team. When I think about ‘team fit’ in recruitment to my team it is more about what difference the person will bring, rather than how many cultural or technical overlaps I can see.

 I am lucky enough to have in my team people with 30 plus years’ experience in our industry as well as people who have just joined us on our graduate programme. I have people with MBA qualifications from prestigious universities as well as people with no university qualifications. I have people who have worked on our front line facing customers or delivering mail each day and people who have deep technical or financial expertise. 

 And they are not all in the roles you would expect them to be.

 Most importantly, our differences make for a more supportive and enjoyable work environment. 

So how as a leader can you drive true diversity and inclusion? It’s when we, as leaders, create a climate in our team that is unwavering in respecting all the different perspectives and opinions in the room. It’s when we actively hire, promote and provide opportunities for people who have a broad range of experiences and perspectives to share. And it’s when we all have a lot of fun and success together!

 There’s no doubt in my mind that diverse teams are happier and create better outcomes. Over the holidays I encourage you to reflect, how truly diverse is your team and, indeed, your network and how can you unleash the benefits of this diversity to drive your success?