6 ways to foster innovation through diversity at work

“Racism, because it favors color over talent, is bad for business.” — Steven Pinker

Diversity can take many forms, from culture and nationality to gender, race, sexuality, religion, educational background, and more. It does not matter if you have a small start-up or run a large corporation, having a diverse team and promoting inclusiveness, can foster innovation. And innovation is vital for a business to keep up with major disruptions and the ever-changing market. In times of crisis, innovation allows for business to find opportunities and have a competitive advantage.

Here are 6 ways you can foster innovation through diversity at work.

1. Be introspective and be honest about your biases and assumptions. Unconscious biases are deeply ingrained, and it affects us more than we know. More importantly, your actions arising from these biases can impede participation and innovation.

2. Communicate with people from different cultural background to your own. In this way, you develop a better understanding of other cultures. And perspectives can help to improve communication and avoid misunderstandings.

3. Educate yourself — learn about different cultural traditions and approaches to work, keep up to date with global events and international politics. Take the…