The More The Merrier

Is diversity good for the workplace?

I recently came across an article in the Harvard Business Review about design thinking in the workplace. Author Peter Merholz, in his article Why Design Thinking Won’t Save You, explains that businesses have adopted this strategy in order to bring back innovation to a “left-brained, spreadsheet driven crowd.” The idea is to problem solve by thinking outside the box, expressing ideas through drawing, poem, music, etc. By approaching challenges from an unorthodox perspective, proponents of design thinking argue that organizations can reach new levels of success.

Merholz’s issue is not with design thinking, but with the way bloggers and business magazines have emphasized this strategy to the exclusion of others. While right-brain design thinking can foster the development of a winning idea, it is often the number crunching MBA types who will efficiently execute new initiatives. Merholz explains that in his change management firm, there are anthropologists, journalists, librarians, historians, and fine artists. His point is that the ideal working environment is one with a well-rounded inventory of skills, rather than a business that operates from only one particular perspective.

A diverse staff sounds like a great idea in theory, since a variety of personalities and backgrounds will likely incubate a multitude of ideas. But when it comes time to make decisions, attempting to synthesize different worldviews can create tension. To avoid this, managers should use a modified strategy of contingency, whereby every employee is managed a little differently. This is not to say that diversity necessitates a double standard in terms of workplace accountability. Rather, expectations for professionalism should be standardized, while mechanisms for feedback, motivation, and incentive should be customized.

Peter Merholz is spot-on with his contention that design thinking should not be emphasized unilaterally. When working with a diverse talent pool however, strategies for management must be tailored accordingly.