Workplace diversity must be built in, not a byproduct

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But that is not all there is to it: It also encompasses less tangible diversity areas such as work style, personality and cultural background.

The proactive management of creating an inclusive culture and work environment can pay off in an exponential increase in an organization’s growth and competitiveness.

While I think many of us believe this on the surface, I think, at times, we lose sight of why? Many reasons exist. Two that I think are extremely important are:

1. A variety of viewpoints informs a more complete and robust decision. An innovative idea gets better as we refine it with alternative viewpoints.

2. Organizations that embrace diversity are more adaptable. This adaptability translates into an ability to provide an increased level of customer service and broader service offerings.

I firmly believe that individuals show up at work to do the best job possible and try to be inclusive. However, our inertia sometimes gets in the way of the best possible intents.

For example, it is sometimes easier to ask one person who sits next to you their opinion rather than go to three different individuals and get a variety of opinions that you need to synthesize into one fabulous decision. It also requires more time and sometimes less autonomy.

That said, workplace diversity is something that must be planned and reinforced systematically in the culture, values and processes of an organization.

Leadership must be committed to workplace diversity and encourage inclusion in decision making and service outreach. It must be built into the processes and not just left to be a byproduct of what “good people do.”

How do you make this happen? You review your systems, policies and processes, and make deliberate choices to provide an inclusive and diverse perspective.

Need help taking a look at these activities? Consider a management consultant firm such as Momentum to guide your organization towards one that embraces diversity and works towards common goals from every perspective.

Jennifer Oswald currently serves as vice president for Momentum Inc., a small, women-owned IT and management consulting firm based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. As a Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®), she leads the Momentum team in providing services in management consulting, process improvement, project management and implementation support.