Chief Executive Officer at Safeguard Global.
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A couple of years ago, companies everywhere were quickly assembling diversity initiatives to better support their teams and remain competitive when recruiting. Today, continued instability in the market and the decisions needed to respond to it have meant business leaders are less focused on building and supporting diverse teams. However, leaders who take their eye off diversity to focus on spreadsheets and profit aren’t thinking long-term.
Across the world, diverse teams are building better solutions and collaborating on world-changing projects. Moreover, though leaders' business objectives of leaders may have changed, the wants and needs of top talent remain the same: They want to work for diverse organizations. According to a 2021 CNBC study, around 80% of the workforce wants an employer that cares about diversity, equity and inclusion.
To build a truly diverse company, it's essential to consider how diversity manifests in demographics and thoughts. Extensive research has proven cognitively diverse teams achieve better results. When done effectively and managed properly, an array of viewpoints can enable teams to develop holistic strategies, anticipate complications and capitalize on opportunities beyond what a homogenous workforce can handle. It's now vital for companies to accommodate the needs of a diverse workforce and use individuality to strengthen teams and performance.
Understanding Unique Perspectives
More recently, company executives are beginning to see the power of personality in the workplace. People’s personalities are influenced by their individual cultures and experiences, and with unique personalities come different perspectives, approaches, skills and strengths. For example, confident people can encourage a sense of stability, while some people with a strong sense of humor can make teamwork more enjoyable and foster collaboration. A team where personality traits work together can be powerful. When everyone can be authentic in the workplace, it creates a unified team identity and spirit.
To build teams that can adapt to different needs and demands, your organization's hiring teams will need to evaluate employees' interpersonal traits in addition to their hard skills. Spend time getting to know a candidate’s background outside of their professional experience. Learn about any community organizations they're a part of, what sports they've played or what their favorite thing to do on the weekends is. This will give you insights on how this potential hire will engage within the team.
Building Better Bonds With Every Interaction
One operating rule we’ve embedded at Safeguard Global is “Speak openly and bring context.” Creating a space to freely discuss ideas and strategies may seem difficult, but when people feel a sense of emotional safety, differences in communication styles and cultural expectations are understood as context.
Effective teams create an atmosphere where people aren't judged for the way they approach problems and solutions. Building strong bonds and trust can be as simple as casual meetings where members can talk about where they're from and what they're interested in.
This is especially important for global teams that don't have the ability to engage with each other in person. If team members don't take time to bond across borders, communication can get muddled and hinder cohesion. When teams know and trust each other, people with different personalities—like direct communicators working alongside more contemplative types—can successfully navigate conversations and collaborate.
Leaders who foster opportunities for true engagement, like allowing for five minutes of authentic connection in team meetings, create environments without ego and judgment. For example, coworkers can learn that my sense of humor stems from my culture and experiences, not an inability to take things seriously.
Steering Diversity For Better Results
Common goals are unifying, and unified outcomes are empowering. Cultivating diverse teams that embrace openness, candor and respect takes time. But encouraging compatibility and higher levels of connection can be a fertile ground for innovation and transformation outcomes. Diversity of perspective can be a key that unlocks innovative ideas and methods that accelerate teams to their growth goals.
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