Why diversity is critical to solving problems
Diversity of perspectives and thoughts changes the outcomes
Note: this post was written several months ago. While it does not directly address the issues of race, oppression and systemic failure, the entire underlying rationale and thesis stem from the overarching belief that when a society limits the input and contributions of any members of its society, we all lose. By changing how we view and embrace the concept of diversity - not simply relegating it to a forced “quota exercise” focused on race, religion, gender, sexuality - but a true understanding and acceptance of the full merits of how different views and perspectives make us better on every level, we will be a species that is truly meeting its potential. I will be writing more on the specific topics that surround us but hope this post further underlines why it is so incredibly important to reach out and connect with those who have perspectives and experiences which differ from ours.
I welcome your comments to the thoughts below and look forward to sharing more with you.
Open Rivers has 5 guiding principles. When I set out to create Open Rivers, identifying the underlying motivation and capturing how I prefer to work was critical. Hence, these 5 principles developed as I reflected on the attributes that mattered the most to truly impactful outcomes based on my experiences and observations working with organizations over the years. Diversity is one of the 5 areas highlighted that frame and shape the work.
“Diversity” has a strong societal connotation. Too often, people see that word, see me, and assume, since I’m a woman and brown, that I am espousing those phenotypic and biological attributes often associated with diversity. However, I use the term diversity quite differently.
In biology, diversity has value unto itself. Biodiversity is the breadth of different species. However, philosophically, it represents the beauty and strength coming from a world with so many varying species. That is the motif that ran through my childhood - diversity in itself bred wealth (used in its true form, not simply for material wealth) and joy and opportunity. On a practical level, diversity was the antidote to boredom and complacency. As a child I felt the concept but did not have the language for it.
Not until graduate school, when I received the “Diversity of Views and Perspectives” Fellowship, did I find the phrase for this concept - “diversity of views and perspectives”. My choices have organically trended towards incorporating diverse views, e.g., my dissertation committee (comprised of economists, a statistician, a forest ecologist and an entomologist), my research focus areas (microcredit institutes, invasive species, financial aid for higher education, lion conservation, hunting, etc.), and my own communities. It was what made McKinsey attractive after graduate school - colleagues from a range of backgrounds and expertise (in 2008, they touted ~50% of their incoming class were non-MBAs) came together to focus on a broad, diverse range of projects and industries where we could apply our “diverse perspectives”.
Through my career, I have seen the benefit of diverse thoughts. Interdisciplinary teams in research find better solutions, with those involved seeing both connections to their expertise and finding (innovative) pathways for research they may have otherwise overlooked. Additionally, organizations drawing from diverse backgrounds and ensuring those voices are all heard, indeed perform differently. The environments that are inclusive of differing views tend to be ones that are better for ALL employees. And that is clearly reflected in their performance and productivity, on a range of metrics that tend to be fairly important to many, including their Boards and shareholders.
Why focus so much on diverse perspectives, cultures that nurture openness and sharing, and the environments that incentivize employees to look broadly for solutions? It is actually a simple answer to a complex situation - the challenges facing global agriculture and the world are immense and quite complex and we need the best talent and input we can bring to the table. This means gathering diverse perspectives and experiences, by bringing in different people than who conventionally participate in these spaces.
The solutions that worked in the past will not help us move forward. The mindsets that brought us here will not take us forward. As we have all intimately experienced during this pandemic, our food systems and food security are essential to a healthy, sustainable existence.
What better reason to ensure that we bring all perspectives and utilize that diversity to find better solutions to take us forward?