Is Your Company Resilient? Diverse Thinking Is The Key

Failure to listen to others who offer a contrary viewpoint can hamper progress, profitability, and performance. Here’s how to encourage diverse thinking in your organization for optimal resiliency.

Sustainability Isn’t Just About Protecting The Environment

The standard concept of sustainability is the capacity of biological systems to remain diverse and productive over time— like healthy wetlands and old growth forests.

In the workplace, sustainability is equally important in considering the two-legged biological “systems” that sit in cubicles, drive to sales calls, conduct virtual meetings, write manuals, handle customers, and a host of other activities.

Resiliency Translates To Staying Power

For an organization to survive and thrive in this competitive, 24/7 world, resiliency translates into staying power—staying power that keeps great employees and clients; staying power that offers innovation and collaboration; staying power that fosters smart productivity without exhausting the people who perform.

Without that staying power, there is NO sustainability. And there can be no staying power without diversity.

Imagine an ocean heavily weighted with sharks. In time, food would be depleted and the sharks would turn on each other (this might sound like some companies you know).

If everyone in an organization looked alike, spoke alike, and thought alike—in time, the organization would shrivel and disappear because customer bases do not resemble a singular entity.

How Diversity of Thought Creates Resiliency

From my vantage point as both a teacher and student of resiliency, I believe that resiliency is the next horizon for Diversity and Inclusion programs.

This article is designed to add another dimension: do we both seek and listen to others whose THOUGHTS are different from ours?

From my work within a variety of organizations, failure to listen to others who offer a contrary viewpoint can hamper progress, profitability, and performance. Here are two recommendations to encourage the fostering and acceptance of diverse thought.

Whose Input Matters When Fostering Diverse Thinking For Resiliency And Staying Power

1. The Youngest or Newest Employees.

   Here’s why. They come with fresh eyes, un-jaded by politics or personalities. Do something with the input and let them know what you did. Thank them for their input.

   Use what you can and let them know what pieces you cannot put into action and why.  Do this on a regular basis and I guarantee you will create a wellspring of enthusiasm and commitment.

2. Those “Closest” to the Action.

   Soldiers on a battlefield have a far different view of the terrain and the enemy than generals sitting in a war room. The truck driver who makes long-distance hauls knows more about what is needed in a dependable 18-wheeler than someone sitting in purchasing.

   Be sure to recognize all those who seek input and report out what they learned from others.

Post a “what did I learn today” message on social media that reflects a new way of looking at something. The more you encourage diversity of thought, the more resilient and sustainable your organization becomes.

Ultimately, people follow people that they like, trust, and believe in. In People Follow You, managers will learn five levers critical to influencing the performance of the people they lead. Download your FREE chapter of People Follow You here.