Diversity (n): the fact of many different types of things or people being included in something
Diversity is a term that’s become politically charged, thanks to a would-be dictator in the White House. It is not about preferencing one group over another but looking for a broader representation of views that will make collective society stronger.
There can be strong views on whether corporates are friends or foe to the non-profit sector. Regardless of your position, you have to admit that corporates think differently. They are managed differently, measured differently and have different needs and priorities to your non-profit. It doesn’t make them good or bad but presents a big opportunity to work with partners who challenge our view of the world.
The author Matthew Syed in his best-selling book Rebel Ideas looks at the power of thinking differently by embracing diversity. Here’s how it can supercharge your cause.
Which complex problem are you trying to solve? Non-profits are trying to find solutions to everything from world hunger to a cure for cancer. The problems are too complex for any single person or groups to do alone. When COVID emerged, the best scientists and researchers collaborated globally to find a vaccine in record time. The United Nations mobilised all members to create the Sustainable Development Goals that shape a better future for the planet.
Bringing together people who think differently creates a richer and more effective outcome. Housing All Australians leverages corporate partners from property development, construction and commercial real estate to use vacant properties for temporary housing. As approvals for development can often take years, the properties would otherwise be vacant or under-utilised. What a great opportunity for pop-up housing to address the soaring rate of homelessness.
We are oblivious to our own blind spots. We underestimate the extent to which we can learn from people with different points of view. Homogeneous groups mirror each other and can reinforce the blind spots. So when non-profits work together on a common issue it can simply lead on group think and an echo chamber of views. Yes, poverty, gender inequality and the climate crisis are all important issues. But you need more than common agreement on the problems, you need solutions.
We once had a program manager talk about children living in slums in Bangladesh who struggled to get to school during floods. She asked us to reach out to corporates for a truck load of umbrellas. But the response from corporates was to ask how to strengthen the roads and transport infrastructure. We need to work with people who have different lenses if we want to stimulate new solutions.
Teams of rebels beat teams of clones every time. It’s human nature to seek out similar experiences, views, and beliefs. We try to make outliers and rebels conform to group norms and assimilate. That’s why non-profits often get frustrated trying to make corporates think like them. Why aren’t they as passionate about wildlife rescue/ disaster relief/ congenital heart disease etc? And if corporates don’t think the same way, non-profits respond by distrusting them.
Diversity drives innovation, creativity and fresh thinking. It disturbs our assumptions about our world. Invite your corporate partners to collaborate with you more deeply. Share your problems and get them to bring their unique perspectives. When Camp Quality struggled with delivering in-person camps during COVID they workshopped the problem with their partner Fujitsu. Fujitsu helped them develop an app and an online solution to reach vulnerable families with vital information. Collective intelligence emerges not just from the diverse knowledge of individuals and groups but from the differences between them.
People who are unafraid of diversity end up unlocking new opportunities, new thinking and better solutions. They are willing to work with people that don’t look, think or act like them. Corporate partnerships are so much more than sources of new income. They are the opportunity to disturb the status quo and go further than you could do alone. Be the rebels, not the clones and you’ll be way ahead of the pack.