{"id":7555,"date":"2021-09-20T00:00:33","date_gmt":"2021-09-20T00:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ec2-52-95-249-27.ap-south-1.compute.amazonaws.com:8000\/blog\/?p=7555"},"modified":"2023-12-20T18:44:45","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T18:44:45","slug":"what-is-diversity-in-project-management-and-its-importance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ec2-52-95-249-27.ap-south-1.compute.amazonaws.com:8000\/blog\/what-is-diversity-in-project-management-and-its-importance\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Diversity in Project Management and its Importance?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know, 60% of project professionals<\/a> said they work for an organization without a single female member in the C-suite role? Or Only 1% Of Fortune 500 Companies Have African American Or Black CEOs?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a myriad of such statistics that exhibit the dearth of diversity and inclusion<\/strong> at the workplace. It\u2019s not always in the form of gender or race; it exists in ethnicity, sexual orientation, caste, and so on. Indeed, most of you must have experienced it yourselves or at least been a witness to this prejudice.<\/p>\n

Yet, unfortunately, after so many years of struggle and protests, diversity is still not interwoven into the fabric of our workplace culture. The benefits of diversity<\/strong>, as we can see, are underrated in the business industry.<\/p>\n

However, if fostered the right way, diversity can add more value to the projects and promote innovation. It can also enable quick problem-solving, and enhance employee productivity<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, it is needless to say that harnessing diversity in the project management<\/a> realm<\/strong> is imperative. This article is a comprehensive read on diversity and its importance in project-led businesses.<\/p>\n

\"Maximize<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s begin with the basics,<\/p>\n

What are Diversity and Inclusion?- The history and current scenario<\/h2>\n

Diversity- the art of thinking independently together. – Malcolm Forbes<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As rightly put by Mr. Forbes, diversity is defined as all the characteristics and experiences that define each individual. Therefore, practicing diversity implies providing a liberal environment<\/strong> to the workforce to share their views at ease and express their talent. In other words, a diverse work culture<\/strong> provides a safe space for individuals of all kinds to think independently<\/strong> and cohesively<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The rules and policies against diversity were made illegal only after the 1950s. The first case of a step towards forming a diverse culture happened in 1964. Civil rights<\/strong> made it illegal for organizations to engage in employment practices that discriminated against employees based on their race, caste, sexuality, etc. Another executive order was passed in 1965 that demanded government contractors take initiatives to overcome the past patterns of exclusion and discrimination.<\/p>\n

However, only uplifting the rules or making it official wasn\u2019t enough. Organizations were given extensive training<\/a><\/strong> to help them nurture this concept the right way. They started realizing that practicing diversity is a precursor to introducing diversity in the marketplace and yields better business results. As a result, the concept of a diverse work environment stemmed after the 1950s.<\/p>\n

Today, even though diversity is not practiced at every firm or organization, 87 percent<\/a> of HR leaders rank it as a top priority.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the firms who do it the wrong way have seen poor results like increased attrition<\/a>, employee disengagement, etc. Overall, diversity is a stepping stone to organizational success, but it can prove futile if not practiced correctly.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The following section describes how it can influence the project management landscape:<\/p>\n

The influence of diversity in project management landscape<\/h2>\n

According to the PMI survey<\/a>, 88% of project leaders believe that culturally diverse and gender-diverse teams increase project value. It also says that 83% of project leaders believe that international team members increase project value.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Project-led businesses<\/strong> thrive on the success of each project. These projects drive change and innovation<\/strong> in an organization. Every project undertaken takes the firm closer to attaining the strategic goal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But, who is responsible for the successful execution of these projects? It\u2019s the firm\u2019s talent pool.<\/p>\n

To accomplish these results, the team requires a mix of mindsets and multiple perspectives<\/strong>. It is only possible when the firm embeds diversity and inclusion<\/strong> in its work environment. Moreover, with the advent of globalization, clients come from different parts of the world. So, employees from different cultural backgrounds can understand them better and get a more nuanced insight into their expectations.<\/p>\n

Additionally, collaboration<\/a> and problem-solving<\/strong> become seamless when the resources from different backgrounds tap into various approaches to deduce a solution.<\/p>\n

Mr. Mroz, a senior project manager, said, \u2018Success in this globalized world truly depends upon [a project leader\u2019s] ability to embrace diversity and harness the benefits of intergenerational and global project teams.\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

But is fostering diversity always beneficial? Or it can spiral down a firm\u2019s project management process?<\/p>\n

\"Ten<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s see here,<\/p>\n

Every coin has two sides, and so does diversity<\/h2>\n

One of the significant concerns on diversity is that organizations still follow an \u2018add diversity and stir<\/strong>\u2019 approach. However, only increasing the number of underrepresented people in your workforce<\/a> will not spur leaps in your firm\u2019s organizational effectiveness.<\/p>\n

Embedding diversity and inclusion<\/strong> in your firm\u2019s work culture requires dedicated training. If not done properly, diversity can impact the overall project\u2019s performance<\/strong> leading to the derailing of the projects.<\/p>\n

Here is a rundown of both benefits and downsides of diversity in project management,<\/p>\n

Benefits of Diversity in project management<\/h3>\n