More and more companies are stepping back from their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, even though research has shown that these efforts help businesses grow and succeed. A report from McKinsey & Co. states that companies with diverse leadership teams tend to perform better financially and have happier employees.
Numerous Black tech executives have personally witnessed the advantages of embracing diversity for both people and businesses. When diverse individuals collaborate, they provide a range of perspectives, experiences, and ideas. This prevents “groupthink,” in which everyone has the same perspective and might overlook crucial information. Everyone is impacted by technology, therefore it’s critical to take into account all viewpoints when developing new tools and services, according to healthcare technology consultant Christopher Kunney.
Diversity improves corporate outcomes and isn’t simply about being fair. Humanitarian and technologist Christopher Lafayette thinks that bringing people from different backgrounds together produces better goods and stronger ideas. He calls this a “”polycultural ecosystem,”” meaning that a mix of cultures and experiences leads to innovation. When companies build products with only one group in mind, they miss out on making something that works well for everyone.
This is especially true in artificial intelligence.AI systems can be prejudiced if the data they use to learn isn’t diverse. Lafayette emphasizes how crucial it is to incorporate a range of viewpoints when training AI in order to ensure that the results are accurate and equitable. Since AI will affect everyone, he thinks more voices should be incorporated in its development. Companies like Apple have been successful partly because they value inclusivity and understand the importance of different viewpoints in developing their products.
Keith W. “”Mac”” McIntosh, CIO at the University of Richmond, prefers to think about diversity as “”leading inclusively.”” He believes that being inclusive means making sure everyone has a fair chance to contribute and grow. He uses a tool called the “”Diversity Wheel”” to understand the many factors that shape a person’s identity. When he became a CIO at a previous job, he noticed that women on his team felt unheard.He contributed to the development of an atmosphere where everyone felt appreciated by adopting inclusive leadership concepts. Employee engagement increased as a result, and the team’s performance improved. One young employee even took the initiative to fix a significant business problem, something she may not have done previously.
McIntosh also started a program where employees work on both familiar and challenging projects. This keeps the same small group from making all the decisions and aids in the development of new abilities. Additionally, he established a weekly discussion club called Intersections where students, educators, and staff explore significant social topics. Numerous participants have mentioned how these discussions have altered their perceptions and increased their receptivity to alternative points of view.
Ibrahim Jackson, chairperson of the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF), shares a story about how a lack of diversity can hurt a product. While working with a company on an AI-powered learning platform, he noticed that all the avatars in the program were white, middle-aged men. This happened because the team creating the product lacked diversity and used incomplete data. Once this was pointed out, the company worked quickly to fix the issue by adding more diverse datasets and involving a wider range of testers. If they hadn’t done this, the product might not have appealed to many potential users.
Diversity initiatives benefit individuals as well as businesses. Jackson remembers a day he spoke at a corporation about diversity. After listening, one attendee acknowledged that he had only gone because it was required, but he discovered that he had more in common with other people than he had initially believed. He was able to broaden his perspective and become more receptive to working with individuals from other backgrounds as a result of the chat.
Diversity, according to ITSMF vice president Robert Scott, is having a variety of individuals, equity is ensuring that everyone is treated equally, and inclusion is establishing an environment where people feel like they belong. He notes that studies have consistently demonstrated that diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones. However, it takes work to create an inclusive workplace.
Scott tells the tale of a Black lady he coached who believed that putting in a lot of effort on her own would help her grow in her profession. She was unaware, though, that establishing connections and having mentors were as important. She finally rose to the position of CIO thanks to Scott’s advocacy. He explains that the lack of networking opportunities for disadvantaged professions causes them to struggle.. Being left out of social events, meetings, and conversations can make it harder to move up in a company.
Scott and his team at ITSMF help companies recognize these challenges and create fairer workplaces. He calls this approach “”inclusive excellence,”” emphasizing that diversity efforts should be about more than just meeting quotas—they should create environments where everyone can thrive.
In the end, accepting diversity is not only the moral thing to do, but also a wise business move. It results in stronger teams, better products, and a more prosperous business. Businesses who put inclusion first will be the ones that survive as the industry changes.
