These days, the terms ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ are commonplace. Yet it’s up for debate whether their value and significance within an organisation’s culture is truly embraced. Fulfilling diversity quotas is not enough. So much more needs to be done by companies to inspire and evoke an innovative mindset in all its employees. The strategies for doing this effectively are surprisingly basic.
We are living in a constantly changing world, where innovation is essential for overcoming the challenges that brings. As Charles Darwin said: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change.”
The process of innovation has itself changed over the years. In the past we forged it with our intelligence, believing that in gathering interdisciplinary groups of elite academics, optimum solutions could be found. This approach worked for a while. Yet today, we live in a very different world. Through...