Diversity by Default
The world doesn’t encourage diversity by default. In most cases, diversity is accommodated through exceptions or special requests. A special request for gluten-free food on a plane. Special assistance in buildings for wheelchair users. An exception to work remotely. And so on.
In many companies, diversity is pursued through mandatory trainings as a means to avoid lawsuits, rather than as an honest practice to empower people to succeed regardless of their circumstances and lead innovation.
Diversity, in all its forms, is about opening the game to more people and giving them the opportunity to succeed.
This is a complex topic and I don’t pretend to address all the nuances in this post. However, I really believe there are practical benefits to advocating for diversity.
When you close the game, you limit your innovation potential. You restrict your talent pool to people in the same location, with relatively similar circumstances and experiences. When you open the game, access to talent becomes unlimited. There are no geographic boundaries, physical limitations are no longer a barrier, and people's skills and experiences are varied.
When you start hiring and have to filter by location, visa status, university, and current company, you realize you're not diverse enough. You're seeking people with very specific characteristics without much room to bring new ideas to the table.
Opening the game drives innovation. When you work not only with Stanford engineers and Harvard MBAs, but also with sociologists, designers, physicists, journalists, lawyers, etc., and not only with single white men, but with single mothers, people working remotely while taking care of their parents, better ideas and outcomes emerge.
Innovation happens when people with different backgrounds and experiences work together to solve common problems. Teams of people with similar characteristics, working in the same building are likely to produce predictable solutions.
I’m still optimistic that most companies will end up opening the game. What do you think?
