Diversity and Common Purpose

A shot of Michelle and I on the upper North Saskatchewan in the cedar strip canoe I built - diverse functions, common direction.

How strong is your organizations creativity index? One indicator pair that you can think about is the diversity of your group as it relates to what you are trying to accomplish. People like Richard Florida have been telling us that, among other things, higher levels of tolerance for people who are different than we are accompanies cities and regions with higher creative output (which links to higher economic output, quality of life, and general health).

In my experience, I look at the strength of the common mission and the number of weird people who are meaningfully contributing to that mission. If you don't work in a place that is open to diversity - dress, lifestyle, work habits, personal space decorating, ideology - chances are the 'distinct and highly valuable' indicator gauge is near-empty. But a collection of diverse people doesn't equal top performance - attaining and holding a lead position requires that your eclectic crew is oriented to a deeply held common purpose. That isn't an easy combination to assemble or lead.