leadership & diversity

There is a severe skills shortage in the Western World, driven by demographics. Clearly the talent pool needs to be deepened, but the question is how. It is not just a matter of recruiting talented people in all their many permutations, it is also a matter of how an organisation can create an inclusive environment and culture in which diverse people flourish and stay.

Numerous organisations we have observed in relation to inclusion has already identified diversity as a major focus. For most of them, this is narrowly interpreted to mean ‘women’. Ask a senior executive about diversity and the conversation usually turns to the fact that there are insufficient women in the senior ranks and on the Board. These executives are concerned that the organisation is hiring the ‘best and brightest’ (which means at least half the graduate intake is female), but that within ten years, despite the investment in training and skills development, the majority of the women leave. At the outset, it is necessary to reposition the focus away from just women because it diverts us from the real issue. ‘Diversity’ in these organisations in fact means inclusion of ‘other’ or ‘different’.

There is increasing recognition, backed by research that inclusion, with its resulting diversity, is key to an organisation’s ability to innovate and therefore ensure its successful long term survival. Developing a culture that incorporates an appreciation and an understanding of the valuable contributions of ‘other’ and ‘different’ is critical to attracting and retaining talent for the workforces of today and the future.

further reading

 Different Stroke | The Australia Finanical Review | Nov 2007 | BOSS

 Not one of us Mate - Diversity Changing Mindset | Mettle Detector Paper | Oct 2007 | Rene Nathan