accelerated innovation in digital/web, mobile and social technology has shifted markets and expectation more rapidly and profoundly than we might ever have imagined.
It has:
- Contributed to the demise of long-standing global market leaders, across many industry sectors;
- Spawned a new generation of Tech Giants;
- Transformed the way we engage and interact, socially and professionally;
- Changed buying habits and models;
- Impacted our national economies, workforce profiles and physical spaces.
Thanks to Research & Development (R&D) advances, science, engineering and technology will never stand still. The digital (web, mobile, social) revolution will inevitably be superseded by the next generation of emerging technologies. It’s an exciting time to be involved in technology innovation.
Meanwhile, evidence consistently shows that firms with more diverse and inclusive workforces are more innovative and realise higher innovation-linked revenue.1
So, how can we ensure fair and equal access to technology innovation opportunities and impacts? Think Delta Consulting will pose this question in conversation with stakeholders throughout the emerging tech ecosystem. We’ll also share insights and suggest practical tools and solutions to deliver real impact.
Our Top Tips
Here are our 5 tips to get started in making your technology business a more equal, diverse and inclusive environment, whether you’re established organisation looking to scale via innovation or an early-stage Founder, committed to inclusion from the outset:
- Set a Clear Intention: Committing to equality, diversity & inclusion is a strong first step. Making an explicit, public commitment has even more power. Consider joining diversity panels and forums and making formal pledges if it feels appropriate.
- Listen & Learn: Ask stakeholders about how you’re currently performing or what they’d like to see. Engage with and listen to a diverse range of people about what you do and don’t do so well to broaden your insight and perspective and guide prioritisation.
- Be Brave: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion may feel like a minefield of language and cultural trip-hazards. This can deter leaders and founders from starting or joining conversations. The most important thing is to be open to feedback and critique from stakeholder and public audiences and be ready to say sorry if you make a mistake.
- Start Small: Small, incremental changes deliver progress over time. Identify small yet meaningful actions you can take in the next 3 months and allocate budget, time and resource to them.
- Activate an Action Plan: Set clear goals and targets to maintain focus on ED&I progress and prevent mission-drift. A 6-12 week planning horizon puts the focus clearly on actionable next steps.
Our 90-minute Inclusive Innovation workshops help tech leaders level up on Inclusive Innovation. Email us to enquire.
1 This Forbes.com article presents an overview of research evidence into the relationship between workforce diversity and innovation.