Diversity, Weakness and Business

We ran across this big boy yesterday and since he posed for me, I had to take a picture.  He seems to be frowning a bit, perhaps because I was an unknown intruder in his domain, but he seemed gentle enough.  I kept adequate distance between us, however, simply because his temperament was also an unknown.  The "zoom" function is an incredible invention!

Being married to a Realtor has its perks because occasionally a new property will come on the market which she thinks should be investigated.  That is how we happened to run across this hombre; we were out looking at a piece of property.

I'm not a Brahman cattle guy by any stretch, however, they intrigue me.  They have made a tremendous contribution to the U.S. cattle industry by adding a level of heat and insect tolerance through their genetics that is a valuable attribute in the Southeastern part of the country.  I stopped by a friend's place the other day who also raises Brahman cattle; they were licking the flies off of each other.  That isn't a behavior I have ever noted in English or Continental type cattle.  It was definitely something different, but perhaps it is part of why they are more insect tolerant.

It is easy to become focused on certain types of cattle that produce the product most desired by consumers while forgetting the many steps it took to get us to that point.  In that "forgetting" is a great loss, because we continually select for a narrow group of characteristics and often "breed out" things that are just as important.  Where I'm heading with this is that diversity is a good thing.

I have observed similar behavior in business.  Small organizations have a tendency to hire employees that are "most like" those already part of the team.  Often, it allows them to become very proficient at a specific task, but tends to prevent their growth over time.  Focus can be good, but it can also be limiting in such a way that opportunities are frequently missed.

Large organizations typically fall into two categories; just like the small ones described above, or so focused on diversity they fail to hire competency.  That second type is what gives a bad name to diversity.

The best approach to hiring is simply to do a self-evaluation prior to establishing the criteria for hiring.  That inward look is to determine strengths and weaknesses of the organization so that the job description for an open position can be shaped to hire a candidate that "checks the boxes" which overcome the weaknesses rather than simply to reinforce the strengths by being "most like us."

It is difficult for many in management to hire based on covering their own weaknesses.  It is an ego thing and it is not easy to overcome the fear that the new hire will outshine themselves.  Admitting you have weaknesses is not a behavior that is encouraged.  Think back to some of my previous posts regarding genetic programming for survival -- we are programmed to hide our weaknesses rather than to expose them.

Building a successful organization that is equipped for growth requires a willingness to constantly examine and evaluate areas of strength and weakness.  We go to a doctor for a physical exam to look for signs of disease; we should perform similar tasks on our businesses -- perhaps by utilizing outside expertise.

Diversity is a good thing.  It is the way we can improve and grow, but it must be done intentionally as a tool to overcome internal weakness, not simply as an exercise in "political correctness."