Diversity = Creativity

Diversity is not just about gender, but also race, age, neurodiversity, disabilities, upbringing or other aspects that might make us different. Embracing diversity in all sorts of ways is particularly vital for the design industry, because diversity fuels creativity. In terms of gender alone, teams with more women are shown to demonstrate higher collective intelligence and bigger innovative success. Diversity encourages the search for new information and perspectives. It leads to better decisions and a greater level of problem solving.

So if the results are so great, why is diversity lacking in so many teams? The reality is that internal cultural and organisational issues often prevent businesses from achieving diversity, even if the intention is there. Cultural fit can mean familiarity, (the easy recognition of looking, sounding or behaving ‘like us’), which doesn’t bode well for diversity, and in some organisations is deemed more important than professional skills.

Another major problem is that we all hold biases (even if we think we don’t), so whilst we might persuade ourselves that we understand and encourage diversity, we can continue to carry a very deeply held inner belief of preferring people that are just like us. And a consequence of that can mean that being amongst people who are not like us can cause discomfort. And if that happens without facilitation or support, it inhibits communication and make cohesion harder.

So, we only reap the rewards of diversity if we work to overcome it intentionally and strive toward change. Because if we don’t actively seek to widen the diversity of our teams, we will unintentionally exclude by default.

So here are seven practical things that can be done to improve the diversity, and therefore the creativity, of your project teams or your agency. Some of them are small, but it can be the little things that sometimes make the biggest difference. And it is worth making changes, because even though we can be more comfortable with those who resemble us, creative strength lies in embracing differences and the friction of disagreements, not in looking for the safety of similarities.

Speak-up: to encourage diversity you have to discuss it and open up the subject to other people around you. It needs to be visibly recognised, supported and celebrated.

Flex: offer flexible working options to suit different needs. It makes people more productive and more satisfied. It will open up a wider talent pool and helps to retain staff.

Don’t interrupt: patronising or biased remarks often begin with an interruption. Look for anyone who cuts someone else off. Point it out as unacceptable.

Reword/reformat: for example, studies show that women will apply for jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications, whereas men will apply if they meet 60%. Rewording job descriptions, or allowing applications in different formats, can boost the number of applicants.

Refuse: question teams, events or meetings that have a lack of diversity and consider a refusal to participate unless things are rectified.

See life outside: encourage people to show their range of abilities. Sharing hobbies, interests and life experiences will reveal another valuable layer of diverse experience. 

Share: if you have diversity in your senior people, share them around as mentors to others, judges on award panels, or public speakers at events.