Diversity Is a Gift

I recently participated in a round table about diversity with Magali Anderson, Group Head of Health & Safety at LafargeHolcim. She shared her impressive career path with us and some of the best practices that she has implemented to ensure diverse teams and an inclusive work environment.

It triggered some thoughts that I would like to share with you.

I lived in several countries, mostly in Asia Pacific. I have always worked with multicultural teams. I witnessed that the most successful ones are always the most open, curious and positive towards each other and their foreign colleagues. They fully understand the benefits of combining and leveraging their differences to turn them into powerful assets. They listen to and embrace new approaches. Working in multi-cultural environments in one of the things I like the most in my job!

Studies have shown that organizations perform better when they have diverse teams. McKinsey ran a study about Inclusion and diversity and found that, “Companies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 21% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile. For ethnic/cultural diversity, top-quartile companies were 33% more likely to outperform on profitability.”

This is not surprising. Proof of the efficiency and innovation that results from diversity are simply everywhere we look.

In organizations, diversity is the contrary of uniformity and monotony. Diversity brings together people with unique skills, behaviors, values and mindsets. It brings creativity, complementarity and in the end efficiency, progress and growth. I believe that a truly diverse team of ten individuals will have a much higher impact on our performance than a team of ten similar individuals, no matter how high-potential they are. A uniform team might be good at one given task. A diverse team will find a way to do it even better. A diversity of thought requires a diversity of people. We are at work changing the way the world is powered – we can’t afford to leave anyone out of the solution.

Magali Anderson reminded us that if diversity starts with recruiting and promoting various profiles; it goes on with retaining them. Welcoming and celebrating what makes us different requires everyone to be curious, open-minded, confident with their teammates. It is also about being aware that we all have unconscious bias and need to actively correct them. It is about creating the right conditions around us that will allow all our colleagues to express their talents and bring their best selves to work every day.

At GE Renewable Energy, we have the will and the means to champion diversity and inclusion. Let’s all walk the talk!