OPS03-BP08 Diverse opinions are encouraged and sought within and across teams

Leverage cross-organizational diversity to seek multiple unique perspectives. Use this perspective to increase innovation, challenge your assumptions, and reduce the risk of confirmation bias. Grow inclusion, diversity, and accessibility within your teams to gain beneficial perspectives.

Organizational culture has a direct impact on team member job satisfaction and retention. Foster the engagement and capabilities of your team members to create the success of your business.

Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: Low

Implementation guidance

• Seek diverse opinions and perspectives: Encourage contributions from everyone. Give voice to under-represented groups. Rotate roles and responsibilities in meetings.

  • Expand roles and responsibilities: Provide opportunity for team members to take on roles that they might not otherwise. They will gain experience and perspective from the role, and from interactions with new team members with whom they might not otherwise interact. They will bring their experience and perspective to the new role and team members they interact with. As perspective increases, additional business opportunities may emerge, or new opportunities for improvement may be identified. Have members within a team take turns at common tasks that others typically perform to understand the demands and impact of performing them.

  • Provide a safe and welcoming environment: Have policy and controls that protect team members' mental and physical safety within your organization. Team members should be able to interact without fear of reprisal. When team members feel safe and welcome they are more likely to be engaged and productive. The more diverse your organization the better your understanding can be of the people you support including your customers. When your team members are comfortable, feel free to speak, and are confident they will be heard, they are more likely to share valuable insights (for example, marketing opportunities, accessibility needs, unserved market segments, unacknowledged risks in your environment).

  • Enable team members to participate fully: Provide the resources necessary for your employees to participate fully in all work related activities. Team members that face daily challenges have developed skills for working around them. These uniquely developed skills can provide significant benefit to your organization. Supporting team members with necessary accommodations will increase the benefits you can receive from their contributions.