DIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABILITY: DRIVING BUSINESS GROWTH AND INNOVATION

Topic: There’s More to Diversity Than Multiculturalism

Scenario: Trade secret – diversity can be one of the ultimate sources of competitive advantage in business. But diversity is about more than multiculturalism: It’s all about appreciate the value of bringing a wide range of perspectives and ideas to the table. That means looking beyond socioeconomic and cultural factors when creating a diverse organization if you want to get ahead.

Insight: As a business leader, don’t surround yourself with people with similar backgrounds and ideas – look to put leaders on your team who help fill in gaps in your awareness and skill set. Likewise, cultivating diversity of thought and opinion is crucial to getting ahead today: You need colleagues who boast different experiences, perspectives, and insights to help you bolster and augment your competitive capabilities. Diversity of age is important too: Generations Y (Millennials) and Z are now a huge population amongst today’s workforce – you need to get their feedback as well. In general, when we talk about diversity, what we’re really talking about is bringing a broader array of voices to the table.

Topic: What Does Sustainability Really Mean – and How to Do it Right

Scenario: Customers feel that it’s more of a mandate for businesses to be sustainable, green, and eco-friendly than ever, just as a growing number of business leaders feel that it’s their responsibility to help safeguard the environment as well. But sustainability in the context of companies is also about being more than Earth-conscious too – it also speaks to how you operate and find ways to create profitable and self-sustaining internal engines for growth and innovation.

Insight: There are many simple ways to go green while also boosting the bottom line or find ways to grow your business by being more socially responsible. Likewise, many new alternatives to traditional packaging, logistics, and energy consumption can help you be more cost-effective as a company while generating goodwill amongst forward-thinking shoppers. What’s more, you can also adjust your business strategy to be more sustainable from an internal standpoint, allowing you to create ways to routinely produce new windfalls and innovations without having to break the bank. Sustainability isn’t just about creating more self-fueling systems – it’s also a state of mind we should all be striving for.