Why Diversity Matters...

Posted on November 07, 2016 by Mark Myette, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

Assuming we didn’t vote early or absentee, the timing of this blog is before our nation goes to the voting booth and casts our ballot for new or returning leaders to be stewards to what our founding fathers set the vision for 240 years ago. Rather, this blog post’s focus is on the principles of how YOU and YOUR TEAM can achieve your / its full potential – approach it from the grassroots…people! Although, those pulling a lever, punching a hole, or tapping a screen to cast a vote might benefit to read…

I submit the answer to the question “How can you achieve your full potential?” is simple. Embrace diversity.

Diversity is defined as “the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc.”

New research makes it increasingly clear that companies with more diverse workforces perform better financially. According to McKinsey & Co, companies in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to have financial returns above their national industry medians. Companies in the bottom quartile in these dimensions are statistically less likely to achieve above-average returns. And diversity is probably a competitive differentiator that shifts market share toward more diverse companies over time. Source: Mckinsey & Company

​Let’s talk about diversity @ the Micro level – people!

We cannot succeed in our careers with a singular gift, talent, strength, input, thought or outcome. The only way we will achieve our FULL potential is through diversity.

Diversity of gifts.
Diversity of talents.
Diversity of strengths.
Diversity of inputs.
Diversity of thought.
Diversity of outcomes.

Gifts

Each of us has UNIQUE combinations of talents. These talents make us unique. Which is why we usually won’t succeed with those just like us. One of the assessments I work with supports this.

Fact: the likelihood two people have the same 5 gifts, in ANY order, is 1 in 285,000! (Gallup)
Fact: the likelihood two people have the same 5 gifts, in the SAME order, is 1 in 33.4 million! (Gallup)

Talk about diversity!

Identifying gifts is sometimes a challenge for folks / teams. Sometimes people are too close to themselves or their teammates to able to see the gifts. They may see the gifts and choose to ignore them. The opportunity is to take a step back, assess your gifts, and NAME them!

Talents

When gifts are identified, they only become talents when you CLAIM them as YOUR gifts. If you ignore or bury your gifts, you’re destined for underwhelming results. Talents only become strengths when you AIM them…don’t AIM them and you are destined for underwhelming results. Aiming requires strategies to use the talents, work on the talents, get coaching on how you are doing with your talents. By executing the talents it is then, over time, those talents become strengths. In a previous blog, I define this process as G X P = Strengths! (SEE: Passion Is OK But It’s Not All of It! Just A sk Tim Tebow…). It’s more than just gifts / talents. That’s where having the passion to develop those gifts / talents will enable you to achieve exponential results.

Strengths

Here’s the thing, your strengths are going to be different than someone else’s. Which is great because the likelihood that you by yourself would have all the strengths required to be successful is shortsighted. Don’t fool yourself to believe that you, acting by yourself are the only one person who could do everything successfully. If you hear someone say they are the only person who can do everything be careful hitching your wagon to them and their claim.

Inputs

By trying to lean in on your strengths from one or singular input source you will miss the perspectives from others / sources about your strengths. The inputs may come from those close to you, those you know casually, or those or have only met by chance. The inputs can also come from data, news, events, customers, happenings around us. Don’t be blind or close minded to those inputs…

No accident, this explains why, when I work with individuals and teams, I DON’T rely on ONE input. I seek multiple inputs to gain perspective and context.

Thought

You are what you think. If your thoughts center only on you, you are destined for underwhelming results. Your thought should be shaped by the inputs above.

Outcomes

You will (God-willing) have a long life. More important, it’s what you do with the time you have will make or break the results. Your outcomes will vary during that time. The sources of those outcomes will vary as well which is why being open to diversity is so important. If not open to that diversity, you are destined for underwhelming results.

Embrace diversity and you are destined for exponential results!

My best in your quest!

​Mark
​I believe each of us is a gift. I create trusted relationships where individuals, teams and leaders NAME, CLAIM and AIM their gifts to achieve optimum ​performance.