Swimply is an app to rent pools. Sort of an air b & b for pools. The company is little over two years old and in the time corona, the company is experiencing a 2,000% increase in growth. Corona has shifted demand. Clorox has a 15% increase in sales and Wayfair turned a profit for the first time since going public in 2014. Virtual increased business for both Zoom and Slack. Demand fueled by the pandemic has shifted profitability. The answer to diversity and inclusion, create demand.
Building a pipeline means nothing without demand. None of the aforementioned businesses built a pipeline. Demand shifted. Wayfair experienced a jump because people needed to create home offices. Once that was done the focus shifted to home improvement and creating backyard oases. Clorox was readily positioned to offer disinfectant options. Zoom brought the ability to meet virtually. In organizations, there is not a pipeline problem, there is the placement of value and demand. Wealth is increased and maintained through a diverse portfolio. Diversity yields a better result. Acceptance of the fact that success is the result of diversity will drive demand. Once the success of diversity becomes a part of the culture, the numbers follow.
If organizations truly want diversity, create the culture. Contactless payments, the pandemic has pushed faster and broader acceptance, but, once the shift is made, it’s a done deal. There will be no going back.
Rather than promises of looking at the pipeline, real change is positioning and marketing the value of diversity and excellence. Financial success is diversity in the portfolio. Diversity in the workplace can be a done deal. If executive leadership believes in the power of diversity, market and go all out, do a full campaign and work it into the fabric of the corporation. What does that look like? Show the value, Google history video. Champion diversity, the Nike ad. This week, consider, diversity is not a pipeline problem, it is a demand problem.
Balancing on Unstable Surfaces 
Diversity is often a matter of enabling a multitude of aspects an opening many possible avenues. Over here in Sweden, at least, when talking diversity in the workforce, there’s a tendency to limit the concept to ethnicity, gender and sexuality only. I think that’s too narrow. I suppose it’s different elsewhere. We should also aim for diversity in age, background – both professionally and geographically (as in city vs. countryside for example) as well as in education. Take any kind of group that seems diverse but all studied at the same college and you will miss out on your purpose. The main point is diversity of thought. The reasons for it may be many.
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Great post Sheila, good point about diversity leading to better results, it’s proven, there needs to be the will and commitment. We know that despite the data pointing to women lead companies being more profitable, we still see a significant lack of female leadership among American corporations.
Sadly, America seems more committed to maintaining the status quo of white male dominance, even willing to loose profit to keep things as intended.
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