{"id":2413,"date":"2020-12-01T11:34:43","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T16:34:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/?p=2413"},"modified":"2023-12-12T16:40:41","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T21:40:41","slug":"geoffrey-moore-dei-diversity-innovation-stay-competitive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/geoffrey-moore-dei-diversity-innovation-stay-competitive\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of DEI as Companies Shift to the Collaboration Culture Model to Stay Competitive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><button id=\"listenButton1\" class=\"responsivevoice-button\" type=\"button\" value=\"Play\" title=\"ResponsiveVoice Tap to Start\/Stop Speech\"><span>&#128266; Listen to this article<\/span><\/button>\n        <script>\n            listenButton1.onclick = function(){\n                if(responsiveVoice.isPlaying()){\n                    responsiveVoice.cancel();\n                }else{\n                    responsiveVoice.speak(\"When thinking about diversity, equity, and inclusion, their connection to innovation might not immediately come to mind. According to Geoffrey Moore, author of Zone to Win: Organizing to Compete in an Age of Disruption, \u201cWe are living in one of the most radical disruptions to the economic order ever, one in which the industrial product economy is everywhere being displaced by a digital services economy.\u201d Put another way, companies are shifting from being product-centric to being customer-centric.\u00a0 In order to effectively compete in a customer-centric world, Moore says companies must be innovative enough to transition to new organizational models and new pools of talent. If a company cannot connect its services and products to an increasingly diverse world, they won\u2019t reach their full potential. That\u2019s why effective innovation requires hiring and retaining a diverse talent pool. Diversity is a competitive advantage.\u00a0 Moore spoke at length about this in the \u201cDiversity Beyond a Checkbox\u201d podcast with The Diversity Movement\\'s Kurt Merriweather. You can listen to the entire podcast here. Below are some of the key takeaways from their conversation about DEI\u2019s role in enhancing innovation. The world is shifting from a product-centric world to a customer-centric world According to Moore, as the world shifts to being more customer-centric, having a diverse talent pool will be increasingly important for companies to stay competitive. Being customer-centric means being able to innovatively adapt a company\u2019s products and services to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base. And the most effective way to do that is to employ a diverse talent pool that understands those needs.\u00a0 \u201cIf I have to go after a diverse set of customers, I need a diverse set of sensibilities. I have to be like them. They can\\'t be like me,\u201d said Moore. \u201cAnd so all of a sudden, the problem becomes much more oriented around diversity and inclusion because the customer is so diverse and so varied.\u201d\u00a0 Moore likens the product-centric world to being an actor in a play, where you know what the product is, and learning and improving the script is beneficial to corporate performance and success. However, as the world shifts to being consumer-focused, it\u2019s more like being an improv actor.\u00a0 \u201cIn times of disruption, it\u2019s all improv. It\u2019s all about being in the moment\u2026 just be present in the moment and align with your values,\u201d said Moore. \u201cThis is where diversity becomes so important because if you have a diverse team, somebody on your team has seen something like this\u2026 or at least there\u2019s a much bigger chance that somebody [has], and that person can then orient the rest of the team because they have a way of connecting to that new phenomenon.\u201d As a company grows, transitions, and transforms, different leaders are needed for each stage In his book, Moore describes four different zones, each with its own culture that\u2019s optimized for the mission of the zone. The four zones are: Performance Productivity Incubation Transformation \u201cThere are these stages you go through in a life cycle where you have to change your focus on innovation from being incredibly technologically innovative, to being very application use-case oriented, to being very competitive against other product guys, to being very customer-centric,\u201d said Moore. Companies with a rigid command-and-control hierarchical model are more likely to keep the same leader in charge during those four stages. A more innovative company will find the right leader to guide employees at each stage based on the goals of that stage. For the zones to work effectively in achieving their respective goals, it\u2019s important to know which zone you\u2019re in and understand the playbook for that zone. Moore says honoring and respecting all four zones and understanding how they fit into the overall corporate mission will optimize success for the company.\u00a0 To honor the other zones, Moore says \u201cyou have to listen to them, you have to be empathetic with them.\u201d Listening is critical for learning and development. In order to hire the right leader, it\u2019s important to cast a wide net to capture diverse talent. DEI combined with innovation at all levels can help position companies for competitive success during a time of transformation and growth. The wide variety of skill sets, experiences, perspectives, characteristics, and traits will help companies better serve their diverse customer base. The collaboration culture model is better suited to serve a customer-centric world In the 20th century, the product was the scarce ingredient. Now, the customer is in high demand. Companies that are innovating based on how to solve customer problems are the ones gaining market share. But they can\u2019t serve their customers if they don\u2019t understand them. That\u2019s why diversity and inclusion is so critical to competitive advantage. As we shift from a product-centric world to a more customer-centric world, Moore says the collaboration culture model is increasingly more important and necessary to be competitive. The collaboration model differs from the competitive model, which is better suited to serve the product world. Companies will always have both models, but the collaboration culture model is winning share.\u00a0 To better compete, company executives must shift away from the hierarchical command-and-control model from the 90s and be intentional about creating a company culture that fosters a collaboration culture. Companies are now seeing more collaborative infrastructure designed to nurture teamwork and collaboration among employees at different levels in the company (and oftentimes from different generations). Examples include: large shared flexible workspaces instead of assigned cubicles, virtual meetings such as Zoom and Google Meet, and communication platforms such as Slack and Google Hangouts. The collaboration culture model requires a diverse talent pool and an inclusive corporate culture to have competitive advantage Increasing the diversity of talent is necessary for companies to become or remain competitive. Another analogy Moore uses is comparing a homogeneous team (a team made up of people with similar points of view, skills, and life experiences) to a single-crop agriculture economy. When the crop grows well, the economy is great. But if a bug takes out the crop, the entire economy is doomed. That\u2019s why growing a bunch of different crops is important to protecting the economy. That\u2019s why diversity is important. Heterogeneous teams made up of a mix of genders, races, cultures, and ages allows for a wider range of perspectives, ideas, and life experiences, all of which can benefit -- and protect -- the company. \u201cHiring for diversity, however, is easier said than done,\u201d said Moore. \u201cToo often we start with a diverse pool of candidates and end up hiring someone all too similar to ourselves. We say they are the best person for the job, or we say they are the best fit for our culture. Thus, homogeneity quietly suppresses heterogeneity.\u201d Below, Moore shares two questions to ask during the hiring process to avoid hiring similar people. A diverse talent pool is just the first piece of building a collaboration culture. Creating and fostering an inclusive corporate culture that nourishes diversity and allows it to thrive is critical for success.\u00a0 Fostering an inclusive corporate culture is key to retaining a diverse talent pool that optimizes a collaboration culture\u00a0 Hiring a diverse talent pool isn\u2019t effective if you can\u2019t retain the hires due to a corporate culture that doesn\u2019t understand or value diversity. It\u2019s critical that all leaders and employees understand their role in creating and nurturing an inclusive culture. This means making the work environment a place where everyone can not only survive, but thrive.\u00a0 The way to do that is to proactively take steps to learn and understand what DEI means, how to incorporate it into your company\u2019s culture, and how to communicate it consistently company wide so that everyone shares the same vision. Without ongoing retention of a diverse talent pool, a company cannot realize the full potential of a collaboration culture model. Partnering with companies like The Diversity Movement can be an effective first step toward that goal.\u00a0 Leading heterogeneous teams requires humanity-trained leadership\u00a0 If you ask any company executive how they feel about diversity, equity, and inclusion at their company, they will tell you it\u2019s important and they value it. They\u2019ll also likely tell you they\u2019re trying -- and have been trying -- to improve DEI.\u00a0 Why is it so difficult? And why are so many companies falling short? It\u2019s not because they don\u2019t want it. It\u2019s because it requires a systemic shift in culture and attitude that can be challenging to execute. Improving DEI isn\u2019t like a new software program or technology platform that can be rolled out across a company with training sessions. It involves humanity-trained leadership that requires soft skills and emotional intelligence. This means leaders who value each of their team members as a human being, not just someone who performs tasks or fulfills a specific need. Leading with humanity means using emotional intelligence to go beyond what their team members are doing, to understand what they\u2019re thinking and how they\u2019re feeling. Open, transparent, and authentic communication is key to fostering a culture of mutual respect and decency. DEI is a social value as opposed to a skill set. You\u2019re not teaching a new skill; you\u2019re teaching a new or different way of thinking. It requires self-reflection, an open mind, and for some, an attitude shift that may cause feelings of discomfort. That\u2019s not something that can be easily taught or learned without the appropriate and necessary soft skills. One of the challenges many organizations face is the lack of soft skills among their leadership teams. Many companies also lack the diverse talent pools needed to optimize the effectiveness of a collaboration culture. During the podcast, Kurt Merriweather from The Diversity Movement\u00a0discusses an upskilling crisis in the area of soft skills. Upskilling describes a corporate trend that provides or facilitates continuous learning for their employees by providing training and development programs. Most of the time, upskilling occurs in the area of technology to expand employee skill sets and minimize skill gaps. By upskilling employees, companies can improve retention and productivity by allowing existing employees to advance in their jobs or find new opportunities within the company.\u00a0 \u201cOne of the things that we talk a lot about when we think about diversity, equity and inclusion is building high-performing multi-generational, multicultural teams as being the core to being successful,\u201d said Merriweather. What TDM\u00a0is seeing among their clients is that there\u2019s a gap in soft skills that starts in college; that universities and organizations that hire recent college graduates are not preparing young people with the soft skills they need to be successful in building diverse teams. Organizations can solve this by proactively providing ongoing training and development to ensure they\u2019re fostering a culture of respect and inclusion, open and transparent communication, and continuous improvement.\u00a0 A commitment to a DEI-enhanced collaboration culture must come from the top Executive leadership\u2019s vocal commitment to creating and maintaining a collaboration culture inclusive of DEI is essential for success. Moore points to the CEO of Salesforce Marc Benioff as a great example; specifically, Salesforce\u2019s V2MOM alignment process. V2MOM stands for Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures.\u00a0 \u201cA management system which doesn\\'t engage the heart is a mistake in a team-oriented culture because you need the team to make sacrifices -- personal sacrifices, team sacrifices -- to succeed,\u201d said Moore. \u201cPeople will only make sacrifices when they\\'re brought into [your] vision and values. And if you don\\'t articulate vision and values, then you\\'re just leaving it to chance as to whether they buy in or not.\u201d\u00a0 CEOs must hold themselves accountable and be intentional about seeking diversity Moore says that it\u2019s not enough to say you support and value diversity. You must hold yourself accountable to achieving diversity. Company leaders cannot fall back on the excuse that they can\u2019t find diverse talent; they must go seek diversity, welcome it, and create a culture that embraces it and allows it to thrive. Near the end of the podcast, Merriweather asks Moore what CEOs who lead homogeneous teams of primarily white men can do to make a positive difference. In his response, Moore references head of Ellevest and former Citigroup CFO Sallie Krawcheck\u2019s talk at Dreamforce in November 2019:\u00a0 Instead of asking: \u201cIs this person the best fit for our culture?\u201d Ask: \u201cIs this person the best add to our culture?\u201d Instead of asking: \u201cIs this person the best one for the job?\u201d Ask: \u201cIs this person the best one for the team?\u201d \u201cThe idea was, instead of asking somebody to be like us, we\u2019re actually trying to say, \u2018what new characteristic could we add to the capability that would give us the most leverage from the novelty of that skill?\u2019\u201d said Moore. Corporate leaders hold themselves accountable to metrics like profit, sustainability, and growth, but they aren\u2019t holding themselves accountable to DEI metrics, even though there is data that shows improving diversity improves overall company performance. Moore closes by saying that when leaders don\u2019t hold themselves accountable to improving diversity, \u201cit\u2019s not okay. Not only for social reasons, which is a big reason, but it\\'s also not okay for competitive reasons either.\u201d\u00a0 In short, when it comes to supporting DEI efforts, it\u2019s not only the right thing to do from a social equity perspective, it\u2019s also the right thing to do from a competitive and bottom line perspective.\u00a0 To hear the full interview, check out the podcast episode here.\", \"US English Male\");\n                }\n            };\n        <\/script>\n     <\/br><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When thinking about diversity, equity, and inclusion, their connection to innovation might not immediately come to mind. According to Geoffrey Moore, author of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/zonetowin.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zone to Win: Organizing to Compete in an Age of Disruption<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201cWe are living in one of the most radical disruptions to the economic order ever, one in which the industrial product economy is everywhere being displaced by a digital services economy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put another way, companies are shifting from being product-centric to being customer-centric.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to effectively compete in a customer-centric world, Moore says companies must be innovative enough to transition to new organizational models and new pools of talent. If a company cannot connect its services and products to an increasingly diverse world, they won\u2019t reach their full potential. That\u2019s why effective innovation requires hiring and retaining a diverse talent pool. Diversity is a competitive advantage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moore spoke at length about this in the \u201cDiversity Beyond a Checkbox\u201d podcast with The Diversity Movement&#8217;s <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kurt Merriweather. <a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/geoffrey-moore-podcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">You can listen to the entire podcast here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below are some of the key takeaways from their conversation about DEI\u2019s role in enhancing innovation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8874 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-1024x341.png\" alt=\"TDM Library. Your one-stop-shop for update DEI Resources. Explore with a free trial. Click here to learn more.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"341\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-600x200.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-768x256.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/341;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4><b>The world is shifting from a product-centric world to a customer-centric world<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Moore, as the world shifts to being more customer-centric, having a diverse talent pool will be increasingly important for companies to stay competitive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being customer-centric means being able to innovatively adapt a company\u2019s products and services to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base. And the most effective way to do that is to employ a diverse talent pool that understands those needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>\u201cIf I have to go after a diverse set of customers, I need a diverse set of sensibilities.<\/strong> <strong>I have to be like them. They can&#8217;t be like me,\u201d<\/strong> said Moore. \u201cAnd so all of a sudden, the problem becomes much more oriented around diversity and inclusion because the customer is so diverse and so varied.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moore likens the product-centric world to being an actor in a play, where you know what the product is, and learning and improving the script is beneficial to corporate performance and success. However, as the world shifts to being consumer-focused, it\u2019s more like being an improv actor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn times of disruption, it\u2019s all improv. It\u2019s all about being in the moment\u2026 just be present in the moment and align with your values,\u201d said Moore. \u201cThis is where diversity becomes so important because if you have a diverse team, somebody on your team has seen something like this\u2026 or at least there\u2019s a much bigger chance that somebody [has], and that person can then orient the rest of the team because they have a way of connecting to that new phenomenon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>As a company grows, transitions, and transforms, different leaders are needed for each stage<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his book, Moore describes four different zones, each with its own culture that\u2019s optimized for the mission of the zone. The four zones are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Performance<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Productivity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incubation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transformation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere are these stages you go through in a life cycle where you have to change your focus on innovation from being incredibly technologically innovative, to being very application use-case oriented, to being very competitive against other product guys, to being very customer-centric,\u201d said Moore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Companies with a rigid command-and-control hierarchical model are more likely to keep the same leader in charge during those four stages. A more innovative company will find the right leader to guide employees at each stage based on the goals of that stage. For the zones to work effectively in achieving their respective goals, it\u2019s important to know which zone you\u2019re in and understand the playbook for that zone. Moore says honoring and respecting all four zones and understanding how they fit into the overall corporate mission will optimize success for the company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To honor the other zones, Moore says \u201cyou have to listen to them, you have to be empathetic with them.\u201d Listening is critical for learning and development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to hire the right leader, it\u2019s important to cast a wide net to capture diverse talent. DEI combined with innovation at all levels can help position companies for competitive success during a time of transformation and growth. The wide variety of skill sets, experiences, perspectives, characteristics, and traits will help companies better serve their diverse customer base.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>The collaboration culture model is better suited to serve a customer-centric world<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the 20th century, the product was the scarce ingredient. Now, the customer is in high demand. Companies that are innovating based on how to solve customer problems are the ones gaining market share. But they can\u2019t serve their customers if they don\u2019t understand them. That\u2019s why diversity and inclusion is so critical to competitive advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we shift from a product-centric world to a more customer-centric world, Moore says the collaboration culture model is increasingly more important and necessary to be competitive. The collaboration model differs from the competitive model, which is better suited to serve the product world. Companies will always have both models, but the collaboration culture model is winning share.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To better compete, company executives must shift away from the hierarchical command-and-control model from the 90s and be intentional about creating a company culture that fosters a collaboration culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Companies are now seeing more collaborative infrastructure designed to nurture teamwork and collaboration among employees at different levels in the company (and oftentimes from different generations). Examples include: large shared flexible workspaces instead of assigned cubicles, virtual meetings such as Zoom and Google Meet, and communication platforms such as Slack and Google Hangouts.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>The collaboration culture model requires a diverse talent pool and an inclusive corporate culture to have competitive advantage<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increasing the diversity of talent is necessary for companies to become or remain competitive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another analogy Moore uses is comparing a homogeneous team (a team made up of people with similar points of view, skills, and life experiences) to a single-crop agriculture economy. When the crop grows well, the economy is great. But if a bug takes out the crop, the entire economy is doomed. That\u2019s why growing a bunch of different crops is important to protecting the economy. That\u2019s why diversity is important. Heterogeneous teams made up of a mix of genders, races, cultures, and ages allows for a wider range of perspectives, ideas, and life experiences, all of which can benefit &#8212; and protect &#8212; the company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHiring for diversity, however, is easier said than done,\u201d said Moore. \u201cToo often we start with a diverse pool of candidates and end up hiring someone all too similar to ourselves. We say they are the best person for the job, or we say they are the best fit for our culture. Thus, homogeneity quietly suppresses heterogeneity.\u201d Below, Moore shares two questions to ask during the hiring process to avoid hiring similar people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A diverse talent pool is just the first piece of building a collaboration culture. Creating and fostering an inclusive corporate culture that nourishes diversity and allows it to thrive is critical for success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Fostering an inclusive corporate culture is key to retaining a diverse talent pool that optimizes a collaboration culture<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hiring a diverse talent pool isn\u2019t effective if you can\u2019t retain the hires due to a corporate culture that doesn\u2019t understand or value diversity. It\u2019s critical that all leaders and employees understand their role in creating and nurturing an inclusive culture. This means making the work environment a place where everyone can not only survive, but thrive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The way to do that is to proactively take steps to learn and understand what DEI means, how to incorporate it into your company\u2019s culture, and how to communicate it consistently company wide so that everyone shares the same vision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without ongoing retention of a diverse talent pool, a company cannot realize the full potential of a collaboration culture model. Partnering with companies like <a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Diversity Movement <\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can be an effective first step toward that goal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Leading heterogeneous teams requires humanity-trained leadership\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you ask any company executive how they feel about diversity, equity, and inclusion at their company, they will tell you it\u2019s important and they value it. They\u2019ll also likely tell you they\u2019re trying &#8212; and have been trying &#8212; to improve DEI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is it so difficult? And why are so many companies falling short?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not because they don\u2019t want it. It\u2019s because it requires a systemic shift in culture and attitude that can be challenging to execute. Improving DEI isn\u2019t like a new software program or technology platform that can be rolled out across a company with training sessions. It involves humanity-trained leadership that requires soft skills and emotional intelligence. This means leaders who value each of their team members as a human being, not just someone who performs tasks or fulfills a specific need. Leading with humanity means using emotional intelligence to go beyond what their team members are doing, to understand what they\u2019re thinking and how they\u2019re feeling. Open, transparent, and authentic communication is key to fostering a culture of mutual respect and decency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>DEI is a social value as opposed to a skill set. You\u2019re not teaching a new skill; you\u2019re teaching a new or different way of thinking. It requires self-reflection, an open mind, and for some, an attitude shift that may cause feelings of discomfort. That\u2019s not something that can be easily taught or learned without the appropriate and necessary soft skills.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the challenges many organizations face is the lack of soft skills among their leadership teams. Many companies also lack the diverse talent pools needed to optimize the effectiveness of a collaboration culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the podcast, Kurt Merriweather from The Diversity Movement<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0discusses an upskilling crisis in the area of soft skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Upskilling describes a corporate trend that provides or facilitates continuous learning for their employees by providing training and development programs. Most of the time, upskilling occurs in the area of technology to expand employee skill sets and minimize skill gaps. By upskilling employees, companies can improve retention and productivity by allowing existing employees to advance in their jobs or find new opportunities within the company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOne of the things that we talk a lot about when we think about diversity, equity and inclusion is building high-performing multi-generational, multicultural teams as being the core to being successful,\u201d said Merriweather.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What TDM<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0is seeing among their clients is that there\u2019s a gap in soft skills that starts in college; that universities and organizations that hire recent college graduates are not preparing young people with the soft skills they need to be successful in building diverse teams. Organizations can solve this by proactively providing ongoing training and development to ensure they\u2019re fostering a culture of respect and inclusion, open and transparent communication, and continuous improvement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>A commitment to a DEI-enhanced collaboration culture must come from the top<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Executive leadership\u2019s vocal commitment to creating and maintaining a collaboration culture inclusive of DEI is essential for success. Moore points to the CEO of Salesforce Marc Benioff as a great example; specifically, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/blog\/how-to-create-alignment-within-your-company\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salesforce\u2019s V2MOM alignment process<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. V2MOM stands for Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA management system which doesn&#8217;t engage the heart is a mistake in a team-oriented culture because you need the team to make sacrifices &#8212; personal sacrifices, team sacrifices &#8212; to succeed,\u201d said Moore. \u201cPeople will only make sacrifices when they&#8217;re brought into [your] vision and values. And if you don&#8217;t articulate vision and values, then you&#8217;re just leaving it to chance as to whether they buy in or not.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>CEOs must hold themselves accountable and be intentional about seeking diversity<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moore says that it\u2019s not enough to say you support and value diversity. You must hold yourself accountable to achieving diversity. Company leaders cannot fall back on the excuse that they can\u2019t find diverse talent; they must go seek diversity, welcome it, and create a culture that embraces it and allows it to thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Near the end of the podcast, Merriweather asks Moore what CEOs who lead homogeneous teams of primarily white men can do to make a positive difference. In his response, Moore references head of Ellevest and former Citigroup CFO <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/salliekrawcheck\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sallie Krawcheck<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019s talk at Dreamforce in November 2019:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of asking: \u201cIs this person the best fit for our culture?\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask: \u201cIs this person the best <\/span><b><i>add<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to our culture?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Instead of asking: \u201cIs this person the best one for the job?\u201d Ask: \u201cIs this person the best one for the <b><i>team<\/i><\/b>?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe idea was, instead of asking somebody to be like us, we\u2019re actually trying to say, \u2018what new characteristic could we add to the capability that would give us the most leverage from the novelty of that skill?\u2019\u201d said Moore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corporate leaders hold themselves accountable to metrics like profit, sustainability, and growth, but they aren\u2019t holding themselves accountable to DEI metrics, even though there is data that shows improving diversity improves overall company performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moore closes by saying that when leaders don\u2019t hold themselves accountable to improving diversity, \u201cit\u2019s not okay. Not only for social reasons, which is a big reason, but it&#8217;s also not okay for competitive reasons either.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, when it comes to supporting DEI efforts, it\u2019s not only the right thing to do from a social equity perspective, it\u2019s also the right thing to do from a competitive and bottom line perspective.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>To hear the full interview, check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/geoffrey-moore-podcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">podcast episode here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-8047 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-1024x85.png\" alt=\"Display ad for TDM Library. Text says &quot;Find more content like this in TDM Library. Start my free trial&quot;\" width=\"1024\" height=\"85\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-1024x85.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-600x50.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-300x25.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-768x64.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/85;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When thinking about diversity, equity, and inclusion, their connection to innovation might not immediately come to mind. 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