4 Dimensional Diversity

A book’s cover captures only one dimension of the full story. Diversity is no different. For organizations to be truly diverse, the effort must be four dimensional.

Xpand Thoughts introduces ideas, poses suggestions, and prompts thought concerning corporate culture.

"Without diverse leadership, women are 20% less likely than straight white men to win endorsement for their ideas; people of color are 24% less likely; and LGBTs are 21% less likely. This costs their companies crucial market opportunities, because inherently diverse contributors understand the unmet needs in under-leveraged markets."

Diversity is 4D. The two main dimensions are internal (inherent) diversity and external (acquired) diversity. Going further, the organizational diversity complemented by the personality (psychometric) diversity expand these two dimensions. Organizations must dedicate efforts to intentionally design their corporate culture to be multi-dimensional.

Companies with “two-dimensional” diversity (internal and external) are 45% more likely to report that they had captured a larger portion of the market and 70% more likely to have entered into a new market in the past year. (Harvard Business Review). Inherent diversity includes attributes someone is born with (e.g., sexual orientation or ethnicity) and external or acquired diversity speaks to characteristics developed through life experience, such as alternative schooling or growing up in a foreign country.

Despite the improved performance sparked by 2D diversity, most companies lack this diversity in leadership. According to HBR, "[w]ithout diverse leadership, women are 20% less likely than straight white men to win endorsement for their ideas; people of color are 24% less likely; and LGBTs are 21% less likely. This costs their companies crucial market opportunities, because inherently diverse contributors understand the unmet needs in under-leveraged markets."

Simply, with enhanced dimensional diversity, companies are better able to empathisize with the consumer resulting in more effectively designed marketing efforts, improved product development, and stronger sales. Built on this data, XpandCulture strives to introduce exponential impact on performance and culture adopting the 4D framework. External performance is fostered through a cohesive internal team. We know that a well-designed 4D culture will be both seen and heard by its employees. From cognitive diversity (defined as the differences in our thought and problem-solving processes - a necessary element for innovation) to demographic diversity, the sights and sounds of your culture will enhance a sense of belonging for all employees.

Borrowing from graphic design, employees must like the “look and feel” of their workplace to gain a sense of belonging. By fostering a strong sense of belonging for all employees, employees will feel safe bringing their best selves to work.

A recent LinkedIn study found that 47% of professionals value working at a company where they can be themselves. As Glassdoor Chief Economist Dr. Andrew Chamberlain explains, “[b]y building a culture of belonging, underrepresented employees can feel more at home in the workplace emotionally and culturally—so that they’re more likely to stay, be engaged and creative at work.” Superior business outcomes often associated with having diverse teams can only be achieved when organizations amplify everyone’s voices and value each other for their unique backgrounds.

XpandCulture amplifies the voice of all employees and empowers employees to share their thoughts and feelings - in real-time - to ensure the organization sees and hears all its employees. XpandCulture helps you continually refine and design your culture in 4-D.