The first thing to acknowledge about diversity is that it can be difficult. In the U.S., where the dialogue of inclusion is relatively¹ advanced, even the mention of the word "diversity" can lead to anxiety and conflict. Supreme² Court justices disagree on the virtues³ of diversity and the means for achieving it. Corporations spend billions of dollars to attract and manage diversity both internally and externally, yet they still face discrimination lawsuits⁴, and the leadership ranks of the business world remain predominantly white and male.

 

It is reasonable to ask what good diversity does us. Diversity of expertise⁵ confers benefits that are obvious -- you would not think of building a new car without engineers, designers and quality-control experts -- but what about social diversity? What good comes from diversity of race, ethnicity, gender⁶ and sexual orientation⁷? Research has shown that social diversity in a group can cause discomfort⁸, rougher interactions, a lack of trust, greater perceived interpersonal conflict, lower communication, less cohesion⁹, more concern about disrespect, and other problems. So what is the upside?

 

The fact is that if you want to build teams or organizations capable of innovating¹⁰, you need diversity. Diversity enhances creativity. It encourages the search for novel information and perspectives, leading to better decision making and problem solving. Diversity can improve the bottom line of companies and lead to unfettered discoveries and breakthrough innovations. Even simply being exposed to diversity can change the way you think. This is not just wishful thinking: it is the conclusion I draw from decades of research from organizational scientists, psychologists, sociologists, economists¹¹ and demographers¹².

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