Today’s customers want to see themselves reflected in the companies they support. Research has shown that a lack of diversity within teams is detrimental to business development and customer relationships, especially when your customer base is diverse.
The primary reason that diverse teams are critical to the success of client engagement is due to the unique experiences and intersectionality of the varied perspectives each team member brings to the table. This opens the door to more creativity and improved problem solving that your customers expect from you, which leads to greater customer satisfaction.
Your ability to connect with customers thrives on your capacity to deliver fresh perspectives and how well you anticipate and respond to their needs. The more your team is representative of the markets they serve, the more valuable their insights become – and you can create better solutions for your client.
Lack of Diversity Stifles Progress
Consider the backlash experienced by big brands that create racially or culturally insensitive ads or products. Chances are no one with a varied perspective was present in strategy meetings to challenge the status quo.
Perhaps you have personally experienced a client interaction where you or a peer unwittingly disregarded the position and authority of the primary decision maker based on their race, age, gender, or other misguided assumptions due to a lack of cultural competence. It happens all the time but it doesn’t have to.
Diversity is less about how a person looks or where they come from; it’s more about valuing different points of view and being open to exploring new ways of thinking. It’s about integrating diversity of thought, which comes from the unique backgrounds and experiences of diverse individuals.
Yvette Steele
By contrast, homogeneous teams are composed of individuals with similar backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, which often subjects them to groupthink, blinds them to new opportunities, and hinders exploration of unconventional approaches. Thus, you’ve inadvertently stifled the very progress you aim to achieve.
Create Your DEI Strategy
As you plan your next client interaction or strategy meeting, ask yourself these questions:
- How well do we understand the unique needs, preferences, and challenges of diverse customer segments and/or buyers?
- Which team members’ perspectives are missing? Why are they not in the room?
- How can we adjust our thinking to better connect with our clients and their needs?
The responses to these questions position you to address the gaps, better relate to your customers and their unique challenges, and help them innovate. A diverse team is better equipped to do just that.
Yvette Steele is founder of DEI Insider. She is an equity accelerator and inclusion strategist who believes in the power of living authentically at all times. She draws on her decades of experience to help organizations build diverse workforces by implementing strategies that eradicate the barriers many face in maximizing their potential. Learn more cool facts about her on channelWise.
Have a question? Email our experts now!
Image: iStock
