Diversity

What about workplace diversity? I have just read the recent Human Rights Commission recent report into treatment of Women in the Defence Force. I am sure that you have your own views on this from experiences that I have never had but this is my take:

I wholly agree with one of the Principles outlined for success: Diversity of leadership increases capability. I have seen this first hand. As a leader of improvement for one of the world’s largest mining companies I see diversity of thought building long lasting and stable improvements in all processes. This is not achieved by ticking a box though…

□ Female

□ Homosexual

□ Aboriginal

□ Old

□ Disabled….

It is about understanding and including different norms and values. While this range of thinking is theoretically possible with say ‘a group of with middle class 40 year old mining engineers’, your chances of diverse thinking are far greater with a mix.
So – do we need targets? 

I guess the perfect answer is no. Every organisation understands that it will perform at its best, with sound decisions and high performance by seeking out the widest possible range of thinkers to deliver for them. It’s very hard to do this though in organisations with strong traditions. The norms are so often built around a very narrow determination of merit. My belief is that some organisations at some times, will require targets if only to wedge in some individuals with different backgrounds and experiences to support the organisation while its traditions and norms change.

What about not being the best 'man' for the job?

So if an organisation has targets, the immediate concern to many individuals is that there will be preferential treatment, and a weakening of the fabric of the organisation. Let me be very clear that all promotions and appointment should be based on merit. The advice I give all women in my industry is that they must pitch their skills and attributes to the organisation well. Merit can have a broad definition and so it should. You need to ask yourself: are there any particular skills you bring to your organisation that others aren't quite as good at?

In my case, it is relationship building, collaboration and networking. I am great at finding common points of view, building strong teams and connecting the right people together to make change. So while I know I am not the best mining engineer based on a purely technical assessment, I know that I have been appointed based on merit.