Real Diversity of Thought and Experience: The Antidote to Woke Box-Ticking

In the world of corporate governance, the term 'diversity' has become as fashionable as Oscar Wilde at a soirée in the late 19th century. (excuse my second reference to Wilde in a week.... I was out of ideas!)

Everywhere you turn, from boardroom memos to annual reports, companies are clamouring to show off their credentials in the diversity stakes. However, much like Wilde's satire on Victorian norms, there's a nuanced difference between appearing diverse and actually embracing diversity - particularly the diversity of thought and experience.

The Portrait of Dorian Gray Areas

Diversity is not a monochrome painting to be admired from a distance; it is a complex tapestry of varying viewpoints, life experiences, and abilities. But in the age of 'wokeness,' it's all too easy to settle for what I call 'Dorian Gray Diversity' - beautiful on the outside but lacking in depth and, dare I say it, soul.

In Wilde’s 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' the protagonist remains outwardly young and handsome, regardless of his moral descent. Likewise, organisations may appear virtuous and inclusive on the surface, even when their boardrooms echo with a startling sameness of thought and belief. This surface-level diversity is the corporate equivalent of Dorian Gray’s portrait - a hidden truth that the world doesn't see but that impacts governance nonetheless.

The Importance of Being Diverse, Truly

Being truly diverse means valuing different perspectives, even when they challenge the consensus. It's the non-executive director who questions groupthink, the member who represents a sector of the market previously overlooked, or the individual who has experience with different cultural norms. Real diversity transcends demographics to encompass a broader range of ideas and insights that can enrich decision-making.

An Ideal Board: More Than a Husband or a Handbag

Wilde's farcical plays often revolve around mistaken identities, societal norms, and the importance of marrying well - or at least, marrying conveniently. Similarly, in corporate circles, assembling an 'ideal board' has often meant finding individuals who neatly fit into predetermined categories. But as Lady Bracknell would argue, "An ideal board member is one who adds value. Nothing less."

Instead of searching for board members to tick particular 'woke' boxes, it's crucial to identify individuals who offer a genuine variety of perspectives, drawn from a wide range of professional and personal experiences. For instance, would you rather a board that represents every colour of the rainbow but all went to the same business school, or a board comprising various career backgrounds, cultural experiences, and yes, even educational disparities?

De Profundis: The Deep Value of Thought Diversity

In 'De Profundis,' Wilde wrote, "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." When diversity is reduced to box-ticking, it risks becoming a hollow parody of what it should be. Boards need to aim for a form of diversity that delves deeper, a diversity that questions the status quo and adds layers of richness and complexity to corporate decisions.

A Wilde Conclusion

As with so much else in life and literature, Wilde provides a cautionary tale here. As he wisely put it, "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." The temptation to yield to surface-level, box-ticking diversity is strong, fuelled by social pressure and sometimes even regulatory oversight. But resist, we must! Let us seek out diversity that encompasses not just what is visible on the surface, but what lies deep in the intricate tapestry of human experience and thought.

For it is only by embracing a richer, more nuanced form of diversity that businesses can hope to both reflect the world as it is and influence the world as it could be.