Diversity of thought - why it matters
Diversity of thought. You know when you hear it: views shift, minds stretch, ideas flow. There can be challenge – uncomfortable perhaps but useful, because this is how innovation grows.
Who wouldn’t want this kind of culture for their organisation? Particularly when building a stronger board or developing leaders for the tough conditions we all face today.
But saying you welcome diversity of thought isn’t the same as making it happen. So how do you it bring it to life?
Supporting diverse representation is the first step to tackling ‘group think’. But to unlock diversity of thought’s real value, an organisation must also foster an actively inclusive culture across the workplace as a whole.
Leading by example
In reality, this means not only recruiting candidates with differing backgrounds and life experiences in the first place, but enabling them to contribute fully once in their roles.
This is particularly important at Board and senior leadership level because of the impact of this group’s mindset and behaviour on a business’s culture and direction. Leaders are vital role models for emerging talent coming through from below.
Today’s International Women’s Day 2022 (8 March) challenges the specific bias that stunts women’s career progression and life chances (#BreakTheBias).
But IWD’s call for a world where difference is actively valued is equally relevant for the UK’s other eight legally ‘protected characteristics’ – which range from disability, age and sexual orientation to maternity, race and religion / belief.
When it comes to diverse thinking, everyone has a role to play.
Harnessing difference as a strength
As JGA Lead Associate Pip Meaden explains: ‘There’s no doubt that our personal experiences shape our values and how we view, think, feel and act – yet I’m not sure that in business we fully utilise this as a strength.
‘At JGA, we know from listening to our clients that an employer who encourages diversity of thought and opinion – and understands how to capture it effectively – is viewed by their workforce in a positive light.’
Are employee-owned businesses generally better placed to do this? In theory, yes.
‘Organisations that share responsibility across the workforce should already have mechanisms in place to channel employee voice and opinion into their core thinking and decision-making process,’ says Pip. ‘This can challenge leadership, but when it works well it can also play a key role in supporting positive outcomes.’
Practical steps to unlock diverse thinking
So how can you harness the power of diverse thinking in your organisation? Pip shares three practical steps.
Encourage your workforce to take an active interest in your business and provide the space for opinion and thought to be shared.
Ensure leadership has the capacity to listen.
Provide individual development for those who require more confidence to voice opinion and share – it’s not always easy.
‘We know that an employer who encourages diversity of thought and opinion – and understands how to capture it effectively – is viewed by their workforce in a positive light’
Pip Meaden, Lead Associate
The role of the ‘critical friend’
Sound advice – but that’s not all, because Adrian Wheale, JGA’s Associate, Executive Resourcing, reveals there’s another step that every Board should take to prevent senior-level ‘group think’ causing the kind of damage seen in recent headline-grabbling organisational failures: appoint an Independent Trustee, Non-Executive Director or similar independent figure to act as a ‘critical friend’.
As Adrian explains: ‘The ‘critical friend’ role is steeped in Company Law, Corporate Governance codes and normal UK practice. But, too often, not enough thought is put into the fundamental engineering of our top teams and, similarly, not enough credence given to the role. We promote on competency and technical skill, but rarely on acumen and independence of thought or views.
‘Engineering a board from a more diverse base will support diversity of thought and address the risks of group think, but it’s the ‘critical friend’ who adds steerage to the process,’ he concludes.
‘When an Independent Trustee, Employee Trustee or NED with real independence, rigour and challenge is present, then a fail-safe exists.’
JGA’s Independent Trustee Resourcing and Executive Resourcing Services can directly help organisations to achieve greater diversity of thought at a senior level. To find out more about these and our other Transition, People and Governance services, please get in touch.