Valuing Diversity of Thought

Mar 16, 2019

Valuing Diversity of Thought

Have you ever thought “there is got to be a better way?” Thought Diversity is valuing the philosophy of “more-than-one-way” thinking.

Companies that bring people together who think differently from one another, are able to tackle business challenges by stimulating creative debate.  Innovation is sparked by a clash of diverse ideas and priorities. Fostering skills that encourage people to both contribute their thinking and be open to the perspectives and ideas of others, avoids group think which is “the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity and encourages conformity to the group.”

Open-mindedness to the recognition of more-than-one-way thinking is both powerful and empowering which creates higher employee engagement.   But what happens if the strengths of each thinking style don’t fit with the predominant culture and are silenced, perhaps publicly?  What can you do to leverage a culture of Thought Diversity?

“Diversity: The art of thinking independently together.” ~Malcolm Forbes

Here are a few ideas for developing Thought Diversity in your organization:

  1. Examine Cultural Norms: Is it an acceptable process in your organization to encourage participation during decision making?  Examine your environment to determine if everyone feels comfortable sharing their views and their authentic selves.  Share success stories when diversity of thought creates positive outcomes.
  2. Encourage Creative Debate: The leaders you select need be comfortable in encouraging productive conflict, allowing healthy debate and challenging the status quo.  Effective leaders utilize a facilitative approach and don’t rush decisions until everyone has expressed an opinion.
  3. Listen to Different Viewpoints: When employees know their opinions and behavioral styles, no matter how diverse, are appreciated, engagement and willingness to contribute increase.  Practice reflective listening by letting people know you hear them and asking opened ended questions to gain more information. Quite often we can learn the most from the people we disagree with the most, if we keep an open mind.
  4. Hire for Thought Diversity: Do you tend to hire people with the same viewpoints? You can shake up the status quo by recruiting candidates who “look at the world” differently and have great problem-solving skills. Continually ask “how can we recruit for different perspectives?”
“Diversity of thought stimulates innovation, creates learning opportunities and actively demonstrates respect.” – Talent Management

Are your leaders trained to value diversity of thought, facilitate healthy debate, and encourage productive conflict?   We would enjoy working with you to achieve your leadership development training goals. http://managementskillsinc.com/

Or contact us at:  Deborah.Avrin@ManagementSkillsinc.com  972 881-5282.