In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, businesses must continuously seek ways to gain a competitive edge and foster innovation. One key factor that can significantly impact a company’s success is the composition of its workforce. While there is often a tendency to hire individuals who align closely with an organization’s values, beliefs, and processes, the question arises whether there’s merit in hiring staff with differing points of view.
It is common within the events industry to say we embrace diversity of thinking, but the reality is that you are unlikely to last within an organization if you don’t think about and do things the way they were done in the past or ‘how the boss likes them done’. Melissa Majors states in her book The Simple Habits of Inclusive Leaders that 68% of respondents to her research indicate that they would hire candidates who are likely to ‘get along with the rest of the team’, rather than risk hiring people who would ‘make management uncomfortable.’
Embracing diverse perspectives and welcoming potentially dissenting voices can be both challenging and rewarding. This article explores the benefits and challenges of hiring staff with differing opinions.
The Potential Benefits:
It is common within the events industry to say we embrace diversity of thinking, but the reality is that you are unlikely to last within an organization if you don’t think about and do things the way they were done in the past or ‘how the boss likes them done’. Melissa Majors states in her book The Simple Habits of Inclusive Leaders that 68% of respondents to her research indicate that they would hire candidates who are likely to ‘get along with the rest of the team’, rather than risk hiring people who would ‘make management uncomfortable.’
Embracing diverse perspectives and welcoming potentially dissenting voices can be both challenging and rewarding. This article explores the benefits and challenges of hiring staff with differing opinions.
The Potential Benefits:
1) Encouraging Innovation – When individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are allowed to express their opinions, they bring a wide range of ideas to the table. These opinions can challenge the status quo and lead to discussions that can trigger innovative approaches to problems. Companies that value diversity often find themselves better equipped to adapt to changing market conditions in ways that are superior to their competitors. There’s nothing worse than an executive team that claims to welcome input, but rejects every idea except their own.
2) Avoiding Groupthink – Groupthink is a phenomenon where conformity and consensus are valued over critical thinking, to the detriment of successful decision-making. Hiring staff with “different voices” helps break down groupthink and fosters a culture where employees are encouraged to express their concerns and provide alternative viewpoints.
3) Improved Problem Solving – When team members all share similar opinions, they are more likely to overlook the flaws or possible biases in their ideas. Hiring staff with different points of view encourages robust debates and a more thorough analysis of potential solutions, thereby leading to more complete and effective problem-solving. What’s more, fostering differing opinions actively encourages staff who want to be active contributors to the organization, rather than functioning merely as units of work who do what they are told.
4) Enhancing Creativity – Diverse perspectives fuel creativity and open the door to unconventional approaches. Being open to such thinking enables companies to tap into the collective creativity of their team, resulting in innovative products, services, and marketing strategies that appeal to a broader audience.
5) Proving a Substantive Commitment to the Principles of Diversity – To date, many Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have not lived up to expectations. Hiring new staff with varied backgrounds can help broaden your perspective, in addition to giving opportunities to those who may previously have lacked the chance to shine.
6) Showing You Don’t Hide Behind Your Spreadsheets – I find that people who run their business solely on analytics make decisions for the future based on data from the past. Embrace the future by trying new things – including hiring staff with different perspectives.
2) Avoiding Groupthink – Groupthink is a phenomenon where conformity and consensus are valued over critical thinking, to the detriment of successful decision-making. Hiring staff with “different voices” helps break down groupthink and fosters a culture where employees are encouraged to express their concerns and provide alternative viewpoints.
3) Improved Problem Solving – When team members all share similar opinions, they are more likely to overlook the flaws or possible biases in their ideas. Hiring staff with different points of view encourages robust debates and a more thorough analysis of potential solutions, thereby leading to more complete and effective problem-solving. What’s more, fostering differing opinions actively encourages staff who want to be active contributors to the organization, rather than functioning merely as units of work who do what they are told.
4) Enhancing Creativity – Diverse perspectives fuel creativity and open the door to unconventional approaches. Being open to such thinking enables companies to tap into the collective creativity of their team, resulting in innovative products, services, and marketing strategies that appeal to a broader audience.
5) Proving a Substantive Commitment to the Principles of Diversity – To date, many Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have not lived up to expectations. Hiring new staff with varied backgrounds can help broaden your perspective, in addition to giving opportunities to those who may previously have lacked the chance to shine.
6) Showing You Don’t Hide Behind Your Spreadsheets – I find that people who run their business solely on analytics make decisions for the future based on data from the past. Embrace the future by trying new things – including hiring staff with different perspectives.
The Potential Downsides:
1) Loss of Control – If the organization’s management style and priority is to control all decisions, you are going to have a rough ride with this. Introducing staff who question the status quo is likely to create issues with the priorities, objectives, and methods of getting things done.
2) Conflict Management – Encouraging different – potentially dissenting – opinions can lead to conflicts within the team. Managers must be skilled and comfortable with conflict resolution. They need the trust of all staff that they’re open to hearing all ideas, evaluating them fairly, and showing the resolve to make decisions that allow the team to move forward. Managers must also be able to foster a positive, respectful environment that promotes healthy disagreements without fear of personal attacks.
3) Slower Decision-Making – While open discussions and diverse viewpoints can lead to better outcomes in the long run, they may also slow down the decision-making process. Organizations must find a balance between thorough discussions and timely actions to remain a competitive edge.
4) Concerns about Cultural Fit – Hiring staff with differing opinions may lead to concerns about cultural fit within the organization. It’s essential to differentiate between different opinions based upon objective analysis of facts or alternative approaches vs. differences that are rooted in a lack of alignment with the company’s core values.
5) Resistance to Change – Organizations accustomed to a certain way of doing things may resist changes proposed by those with alternative perspectives and different experiences. It requires strong, effective leadership, transparency about decision-making, and effective communication to manage this resistance and help the team embrace positive transformations.
2) Conflict Management – Encouraging different – potentially dissenting – opinions can lead to conflicts within the team. Managers must be skilled and comfortable with conflict resolution. They need the trust of all staff that they’re open to hearing all ideas, evaluating them fairly, and showing the resolve to make decisions that allow the team to move forward. Managers must also be able to foster a positive, respectful environment that promotes healthy disagreements without fear of personal attacks.
3) Slower Decision-Making – While open discussions and diverse viewpoints can lead to better outcomes in the long run, they may also slow down the decision-making process. Organizations must find a balance between thorough discussions and timely actions to remain a competitive edge.
4) Concerns about Cultural Fit – Hiring staff with differing opinions may lead to concerns about cultural fit within the organization. It’s essential to differentiate between different opinions based upon objective analysis of facts or alternative approaches vs. differences that are rooted in a lack of alignment with the company’s core values.
5) Resistance to Change – Organizations accustomed to a certain way of doing things may resist changes proposed by those with alternative perspectives and different experiences. It requires strong, effective leadership, transparency about decision-making, and effective communication to manage this resistance and help the team embrace positive transformations.
In conclusion, the desire to hire staff with potentially different opinions is not a simple choice, and there are both advantages and challenges associated with embracing and encouraging different voices. Fostering a culture that encourages open communication, constructive feedback, mutual respect, and the willingness to listen to and implement new ideas can drive innovation, improve decisions, and improve morale. Embracing diversity of thinking is a powerful way to ensure long term success and maintain a competitive edge in an ever-evolving business landscape.