Enhancing Innovation and Profiting from Diversity

For Boards

Written by Dr Atul Shah and Roland Azor

Diverse Ethics and Innovations at Work, April 2012

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M: 07879655877

1.0Introduction

Diverse leadership is better for business - what is your Board's view?

Dr Atul Shah, founder of Diverse Ethics and Roland Azor, founder of Innovations At Work have decided to pool their business and equality skill sets and invite Board's such as yours to review this question in more depth. Dr Shah, author of Boardroom Diversity - The Opportunity 2012 has undertaken extensive field research in this area and has found that Boards with Diverse Leadership are 'comparatively better able to deliver certain behaviours'. These small but significant differences about ways of working, demonstrating integrity and understanding the ethics and values that customers, suppliers and staff value want, do make a difference on the 'triple bottom line’ for organisations - economically, socially and environmentally. Whilst Roland Azor, as a professional trainer who works with Boards and their Executive and Non-Executive members brings the practical experience of merging Diversity and innovation as complimentary drivers to deliver quality to the 'bottom line'.

So what is professional leadership in diversity? Does the apparent lack of diversity in British Boardrooms mean that we lean towards favouring 'group think, uniformity and comfort zones'. Does this harm or assist your companies intellectual capacity to be innovative and develop perspectives that encourage 'thinking outside the box', to win credibility and those desired contracts? How are you harnessing your diversity to maximise performance and productivity?

If you would like to look at these issues with 'different eyes' and see this as an opportunity to develop your Board, and in turn the service offer you present to your customers and suppliers - we would like to hear from you!

In summary, this is an opportunity to 'get ahead', be innovative and find that edge to set you, your Board and your company apart in the race for success.

2.0Benefits

We imagine like you that the benefits for undertaking such work would be at different levels. These are:

1.Merging Diversity with Innovation to improve performance and productivity

2.Developing Diversity leadership to better understand the pressures and aspirations of your own company workforce and your customers;

3.Investing in Diversity and innovation to develop your people, their intellectual capital, and the services and products they deliver;

4.Embedding Diversity into the work structures and recruitment and HR practices to attract and retain the desired talent ;

5.Turning the vision of Diversity into a reality that delivers the company values of respect, access and inclusiveness.

3.0Ways forward

These are suggestions offered as choices for you to consider to start the work you would value. Every company is different, here's a menu of choices:

  • A one-to-one with your CEO and / or Chair of your Board to decide what would be an appropriate starting point;
  • A shadowing opportunity where Dr Atul Shah or Roland Azor are invited to observe a future Board meeting and provide a brief report on the excellent practice being exhibited and the potential for improving 'professional leadership in diversity';
  • An informal Needs Analysis meeting with a sample of Board members for 30- 45 minutes to find out the current good practice being delivered and where the gaps are that may provide opportunities for learning. This could be attached to a Board meeting;
  • A formal invite to present to the Board (time negotiable) on the key questions raised in section 1 of the introduction above, to explore an agenda for a future meeting;
  • An invite to present the key findings of ‘Boardroom Diversity - The Opportunity’, a publication written by Dr. Atul Shah;
  • An invite to undertake an audit of the diversity strategy, actions and responsibilities of the Board and feedback on findings.

4.0Innovation

Often an innovative way forward is to consider the Board's current agenda and build a 'personalised pathway forward', that helps deliver the Board agenda and their responsibilities. This can even build in the talents of individual Board Members and their qualities in leading on Diversity that they have experienced or currently demonstrate in their various roles at work.

We would welcome talking to you about 'personalising a fit' that delivers your Board's agendas. This would be a free consultation.

5.0Contact details

Our contact details for you to explore this first step are:

Dr. Atul Shah Roland Azor B.Ed (Hons), MA

t:07804294903 t: 07879655877

e: e: roland.azor@ innovationsatwork.co.uk

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We look forward to hearing from you and hopefully meeting you and your colleagues in the near future.

Dr. Atul Shah, CEO of Diverse Ethics

Roland Azor, CEO of Innovations At Work

April 2012