Diversity is definitely a word of the moment, but what does it really mean and how do you include it in and around your workplace?

Many people when questioned only look at things on the surface and consider the physical aspects of diversity, be that gender, race or mobility, but in its truest sense it goes far deeper than that and involves cognitive diversity - the differences in thinking style, perspective or information processing style.

For an organisation to be truly dynamic and progressive, especially at board level it should embrace the rich differences that exist in the way that different people look at different scenarios. Leaders need to be equipped with the tools, practices and skills to embrace cognitive diversity. Unfortunately though, all too often management will pick more of the same because that in their minds is easier and safer as it ‘fits the culture’ of the business or industry.

Recent times have encouraged more conversation about diversity and inclusion, and that is a positive first step, but without guidance businesses and their leaders will often continue to make the same mistakes and miss opportunities. The quick fix is to include a female on the board or management team, and preferably one who is younger than the mean age of the rest, and then consider also adding in someone of a different colour or creed, but that is so superficial and disrespectful.

Gender, ethnicity or age may influence a person’s thought process, but there is no guarantee of that. Cognitive diversity is based more on the different life experiences and training of individuals, and yet all too often when a company is looking for a non-executive director to join the board they will plump for a lawyer or an accountant. What about marketing, PR, operations and HR professionals?

And then there is the next step to actually embrace the different suggestions put forward by the alternative thinkers, and that is where inclusion comes into the equation. - Diversity is essentially the “what” and inclusion is essentially the “how”. When employers and colleagues understand what diversity really means, then they understand how to include others and take the action to promote positive change.

I undoubtedly have a bias towards marketers and PR practitioners as that is my professional training, but I’ve also worked in operations and of course respect the numbers!

Taking the topic of diversity and inclusion one step further, it is imperative to embrace this when considering your target audiences because diversity generates revenue. A product or service may be designed with one sector of the population in mind, but with diversity of thought and a broader approach a business could easily capitalise on other markets too, and we haven’t even got on to the topic of influencers and the value that they can add.