Upon enjoying a walk on a wooded path, the question, do you heed observations, came to mind. The beauty of the varying trees and plants pointing upward to the sky had me equating it to the business question, do you embrace diversity? The wildflowers are diverse in color, adding beauty to the fields, and the same can be true for teams when we employ people of mixed heritage. Equating the outdoor experience to the business, a more robust growth may take hold when diversity and inclusion become the standard practice.
Diversity in Growth
My Story
As I was walking and observing the variety of trees and flowers along the trail, the combined beauty was stunning. If, on the other hand, all trees and all flowers were to appear the same, the dynamics of the beauty would decline substantially. The area would not be as inviting, and guests to the path would be far less likely to return.
When we heed observations, we can apply the lessons to business. Similar to wanting guests to return to trails, parks, and national recreation areas, we want to develop a returning clientele and employ a loyal staff. The diversity of employees leads to diverse experiences and thinking. Accordingly, new and creative thought is more likely to occur in the work environment, leading to new venues for business, a wider audience, branding improvement, and ultimately a more significant income.
Should management embrace teams of varying cultural heritage and diverse thinking for harmonious teamwork, employees will likely feel they belong and stay for the long term.
Those on the sales team will proudly convey the goodwill behind the scenes to prospective clients. As the dialogues deepen, it will become evident that the company embraces diverse and inclusive thinking. Accordingly, the prospects who engage in these conversations will be encouraged to do business with the company.
Your Story: Do You Heed Observations?
If your audience is not as robust or diverse as you like, now may be the right time to examine all practices. Take time to hear out the input of your employees, peers, and clientele. Also, observe how they handle their projects, staff, and clientele. Can you heed observations of how they perform and what you might do differently?
An excellent exercise will be to review your processes for projects and implement new offerings. Do most of your efforts feel like copies, or do you have an intriguing variety to offer prospective clients? Although each may differ, do they work together for a cohesive solution? And does your staff mirror the same?
Consider the following questions and then monitor to observe the answers:
Do You:
- Serve one type of client, or are your communications appropriate for many types?
- Add one new strategy at a time to monitor accurate results. Purposefully move slowly forward to ensure everything works appropriately.
Although a business cannot be all things to everyone, and it’s best to narrow the niche upfront, over time, it’s good to expand outward slowly but surely. An excellent practice is to continually heed observations to realize what may be missing in your approach to acquiring additional business.
In Conclusion
After paying attention to our observations and experimenting with the thought that follows, we can begin making appropriate adjustments for change. It is best to start in-house by modeling a diverse and inclusive team. You will be in a better position to speak to a varied and inclusive clientele. Within this framework, you will be ready and better able to accommodate growth.
