Cognitive Diversity for Innovation

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is at the frontage of almost every discussion around organization’s culture and people strategy. The lack of diverse representation in the workforce is a critical issue that limits all industries and the level of leadership.

As organizations are working to address these inequities, it’s critical to consider all types of diversity as part of DEI strategy. The concept of "Diversity of Thought" or Cognitive Diversity is often overlooked in the creation of the DEI charter. Organizations with cognitive diversity are more innovative, and their employees collaborate more effectively.

So, what is “Cognitive Diversity”?

Cognitive Diversity means involvement of people with different thoughts, ideas, problem solving methods, approach & prospective. Culturally acquired ways of thinking can also be considered a form of cognitive diversity, resulting from racial, class, and regional differences.

Why Cognitive Diversity Important for workplace and how it helps to build a great workplace?

It’s very well known that different thoughts create more innovation, Diversity of thoughts or Cognitive diversity leads to more innovative and simpler ways to solve any problem and even it influences business decision making as well.

It has been found that teams with greater thought diversity can solve problems up to three times faster than teams populated by members with similar views.

Various workplace diversity studies reveal that individuals often gravitate toward those who think, act, and look like them. Creating a homogenous working environment through unconscious bias can lead to "groupthink" and discourage individuals with different viewpoints or ideas from speaking up. In such a workplace, innovation is inhibited, and employee morale is low.

As opposed to this, encouraging and hiring a diverse workforce creates a safe environment that encourages employees to come up with out-of-the-box ideas which enhances employee engagement. In addition to improving empathy among colleagues, cognitive diversity also fosters collaboration and inclusion.

How can we create a Cognitive diverse workplace?

1.  Instead of finding someone who fits the culture, consider adding more culture to the hiring process

This means looking for talent that brings in a fresh perspective, instead of people who share similar ideas as the employees already on the team. Adding a culture to a company means hiring a candidate who won't hesitate to challenge existing practices - after all, this is how innovation happens.

2. Hire for skills & competency:

By hiring based on skills, organizations gain access to a large pool of talent, which ultimately leads to a spike in cognitive diversity.

3. Encourage continuous learning and provide employees opportunity to learn and look for external expertise and training to increase innovation and “Cognitive Diversity”.

4. Establish a culture of knowledge sharing as well as an environment that fosters cognitive diversity.

Organizations with diverse teams and who value "Cognitive Diversity" have high engagement levels as well as a high level of creativity and innovation.

“Welcome new ideas and thoughts, increase the innovation in one shot.”