(Time to read this Blog section is about 60 seconds)
- What’s your commitment to innovation and market leadership? In my Blog of last May 9th I quoted research showing that fully diverse teams that include age, gender and geographic / racial diversity made better decisions 87% of the time.
The challenge is how do we create a more diversified workforce? It starts by not just hiring people who look like, sound like and think like us, as comforting as that may be. To do this we must first battle our preconceptions that prevent diverse, high-potential candidates from getting in the door.
What commitments will you make to become more open and diverse in your search for talent?
- Speaking of diversity in hiring. Global software company SAP has added a theologian to its staff to help with understanding the ethics of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and other new technologies.
- Another ‘China fun fact’. China is by far the world’s largest producer of honey with output of over 650,000 tons. Turkey is #2, producing 127,000 tons. The USA is #3, with just 85,000 tons.
- Are you listening to your front-line people? In the early 1600s, Sweden’s King Gustav II commissioned a great warship to be built. During construction, he ordered that it be made longer and taller than originally designed. All the workers knew that the ship would not sail, but were afraid to speak up. After all, their boss was the King. When launched, the Vasa immediately tipped over and sank, with 30 lives lost.
How can you create a business environment where your front-line people aren’t afraid to speak up? They know stuff.
- How’s your cash cushion? While most financial experts state that we should have a cash stash equal to six months of expenses, reality is that 1/2 of US households could not come up with $400 in the case of a small financial emergency.
- Don’t forget to pack the hand sanitizer. Recent research shows that the germiest things at an airport are the security checkpoint trays. Also on the list are railings, counters and, of course, the children’s play areas. The most common virus found was rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.
Once on board the aircraft, the germiest place was the tray tables.
