How Hybrid Work Can Help Encourage Diversity in Thought

I am a proud leader of a skilled and diverse team of business professionals focused on enabling smarter collaboration for SMEs and enterprises all over the world.?

With over a quarter of a century’s worth of experience in technology, I have worked across various departments and verticals, led complex business transformations, organizational restructures, team and company mergers, and driven end-to-end incubator programs.?

And out of all of those achievements, one of the elements I am proud of in hybrid work is its ability to enable equity, diversity of thought, and inclusivity on every level.

Communication across cultures

I lead a remote team that is responsible for global accounts, so I know it is important that all of us are cognizant of the potential differences in communication styles and perspectives across multiple cultures, especially in the context of hybrid work. I’ve asked everyone on my team to read Erin Mayers’ The Cultural Map, which provides a field-tested model for decoding how cultural differences impact international business. She combines a smart analytical framework with practical, actionable advice for succeeding in a global world.

The book was written 7 years ago - but in the hybrid world we’re working in today, its relevance has sharply increased. Lenovo is an incredibly diverse company: with over 77,000 employees in 180 different markets, our teams, and our customers are in all corners of the globe.?

Navigating these subtle complexities with respect and empathy can feel pretty daunting, but with greater awareness of where we’re all dialing into the conversation from (both physically and metaphorically), it becomes easier to tune into the individuals on the other side of the screen or table, and connect on the same level.

I’ve noticed the benefits in the way we’re able to empathize with our global clients and their diverse needs, deeper relationship building, and better stakeholder management. Ultimately, this has translated into?better business .?

The power in difference

The bottom line is this: diversity of thought is integral to business success, and environments that do not build systemic and sustainable inclusivity into everything they do, stand to lose out - both on talent and innovation.?

Virtual collaboration technology with the best quality audio and camera features available, at least makes it possible for people to collaborate who aren’t able to attend in person. Multi-lingual meeting transcription services can allow deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees from all over the world to access and contribute to meetings in real-time. Lenovo and our partners have done a lot of work to?address DEI in the workplace .

Knowing that the greater the perspectives, opinions, experiences, and knowledge of a wide and diverse range of employees leads to better and more lucrative results, business leaders today must enable everyone with equal access to the tools they need to perform at their best. If they don’t have hybrid and work-from-home options in their policies, results will suffer.

Hybrid for-the-win

78% of employees and 83% of IT leaders ?say collaboration powered by technology has unlocked opportunities to recruit a more diverse workforce and skill sets. The examples I’ve given above illustrate how companies can leverage technology to create more inclusive workplaces, empower their employees and unlock greater innovation.?

But technology can only go so far; it must be partnered with humanity and empathy to truly become smarter. I speak about leading with empathy a lot in my work: but if all of us can utilize this tool, we can achieve incredible things in partnership with hybrid work.?