Most managers seek harmony in the workplace. But if you’re truly after better business outcomes, rocking the boat at work isn’t so bad once in a while.
Effective diversity management is not always a recipe for harmony, after all.
Since employees come from different backgrounds, there will inevitably be clashes in opinions, ideas, and values.
They will argue and dispute things, but that’s all part of the package if you want to cultivate creativity, robustness, innovation, or peak performance at work.
Veer Away From the Quest for Harmony
Sure, creating a pleasant work environment is great and well, necessary. But the lack of constructive dissent can also stifle creativity.
When managers focus too much on harmony at all costs, the decisions of the majority prevail. As a result, regular members aren’t encouraged (or expected) to contribute their unique ideas as it will disrupt the majority’s opinion.
Important decisions are often left to the team’s “experts”. This often ends up in the same approach to different problems. Eventually, this can lead to mediocre results.
Give Voice to Your Talents
The best and brightest employees often thrive in a dynamic and challenging workplace where they can speak their minds – even if not everyone will want to hear what they have to say.
Hence, if you want to recruit and retain top talent, give them the chance to speak up, lest you miss out on their unique perspectives.
With the advent of technology and the rise of social media, businesses have to be more creative than ever. To make it, you need everyone to bring their unique points of view to the table.
This won’t happen if you would only listen to the majority. Having a diverse team doesn’t stop at recruitment. It’s not just about inclusion either.
Rather, it’s about getting the right people, bringing them to the table, and allowing each one to contribute.
Rocking the Boat in the Workplace
While rocking the boat can sound disruptive, it can be quite the opposite if you know how to facilitate it properly.
According to research, cognitive diversity in the workplace is an essential ingredient in better problem-solving, quality decisions, high performance, and even increased productivity.
These are brought by the tension created by team members who approach problems from genuine yet unique points of view. It opens up more options and it helps the management produce the best possible outcome for the entire organisation.
However, at the core of this approach is the understanding that diversity management shouldn’t be compromised in favor of harmony.
The Role of Effective Managers
While diversity is exciting and promising, a poorly managed diverse team is a recipe for chaos, conflict, and confusion.
Hence, you’ll need an emphatic and open-minded leader in place to make the most out of it.
This leader must discern that rocking the boat is perfectly natural when you allow team members to share different perspectives and interpretations.
Boat rocking should no longer be seen as a dysfunction, especially in a hyper-competitive digital world. Instead, it has become part of an adaptive management strategy if a company wants to stay ahead.
Remote Staff has been providing Australian SMEs and entrepreneurs like you with skilled remote workers from the Philippines for the last 15 years and counting. So if you’re looking for effective managers who can help you encourage boat rocking and manage diversity without fear or pressure, we’ve got you covered.
Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home.
