Diversity of Thought: How Did We Get Here?

Diversity of thought is the newest development in the conversation on increasing diversity and inclusion in business. The idea behind diversity of thought is that ultimately, regardless of what a person looks like, leaders want people at the table who think differently. Several questions stem from the 'diversity of thought' perspective:

• How do we quantify 'diversity of thought'? Many organizations are struggling to accurately quantify physical and social diversity. Less than 3% of Fortune 500 companies are fully transparent about their workforce demographics. How in the world do we successfully and fully quantify thoughts?
• Where does 'diversity of thought' formulate? In order to thoroughly understand this concept, we need to know what comes before it and what comes after it. Diversity of thought doesn't just appear out of thin air. Let's give it some context.
• Without diving too deep into metacognition or other psychological theories, do we know how we think? While people may eventually come to the same conclusion, it is safe to say that most people aren't aware of how they think. The scientific community still has questions about how we think.

Believe it or not, diversity of thought stems from our intersectional diversity!

Our physical and social traits and characteristics have a direct impact on diversity of thought. The stereotypes people possess about the way we look and live are the basis for how we experience the world. For example, being a multiracial, transgender woman, living in the suburbs brings with it a whole host of stereotypes that dictate how she is treated by those around her. In order to survive in this world where she is treated differently because of how she looks and lives, she begins to do things differently. She may shop for groceries at a different hour so she doesn't run into her judgmental neighbors. She may even look into a grocery delivery service to avoid those weird looks and whispers. She may go one step further and begin growing the fruits and vegetables she needs because the delivery service doesn't always have the produce she needs to cook cultural dishes passed down to her from her great-grandmother.

The adjustments that she has to make due to the way she is treated because of her physical and social characteristics, lead her to think differently about the shopping experience. She may think that her nearest grocery store needs to add more products. She may think about starting her own specialty store selling her unique products. She may look to work at the grocery store to change the culture of service. But diversity of thought isn't enough.

Thoughts are only valuable if they are formulated into a perspective, or point of view, on a service or product.

Perspectives turn thoughts into a tangible picture of how one sees the world. It is a diversity of perspectives that is needed at the table. Often, successful music artists attribute their success to the reality of their circumstance. Through their music, they enlighten listeners to a world most have no idea exists. It is this perspective that lends itself to innovative products and services. The Greek philosopher, Plato, once said, "necessity is the mother of invention".

How do we get and utilize a diversity of perspectives? First, we have to prioritize intersectional diversity in recruiting, retaining, and developing talent. Unfortunately, we cannot harvest thoughts and it is difficult to measure perspectives (unless we're music artists documenting our perspective to a sic beat!). Intersectional diversity has concrete and measurable data points that can be compared year after year for progress. But this is just the start!

It is the leader's responsibility to guide talent through this diversity cycle and foster a culture of inclusiveness by remaining curious.

Asking questions, listening to answers, providing support, and attributing ideas are just a few ways that leaders can remain curious. To learn more about the diversity cycle or how to utilize it in your every day leadership practice, contact Decide Diversity today!