IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 27
Photo by: Sophia Hernandez/EyeEm
says. "That's how you expose the
amazing capabilities on your team
that would otherwise sit dormant."
At HOK, emerging
professionals are encouraged
to share their perspectives in
design meetings, regardless
of their seniority. "We give
everyone the opportunity to make
presentations," says director of
human resources Jan Harmon,
Los Angeles, California, USA. "It
gives them a platform and ensures
the strongest voices in the room
are hearing from all of their team
members and understanding the
value of their contributions."
This tactic lets HOK find the
best ideas from wherever they may
bubble up in the company, says
Polucci.
On a recent healthcare project,
for example, HOK selected a
team leader who specialized in
hospitality design. "She was the right fit for the client in
terms of their goals, aspirations, and mindset, and that was
more important than the fact that she lacked experience in
healthcare interior design," Polucci says. "Her team included
good people who knew healthcare design, and they came
together to create something special."
HOK has also introduced one-on-one and group
mentoring across disciplines, roles, and geographic locations,
says Harmon. "The more interaction our teams have, the
more they begin to see what is missing from the mix, which
sparks conversations about how to bring in diverse points
of view."
For all the benefits of cognitive diversity, it can leave
teams mired in a cacophony of voices. Leaders must find ways
to ensure the diversity of opinions is heard, and that teams
still make the decisions necessary to move projects forward.
Google Ventures relies on a "note-and-vote" approach,
combining independent brainstorms and group votes to keep
things moving.
There's no question diversity requires serious leadership
management chops, which is why many companies don't move
beyond paying lip service to the idea.
But all the effort is worth it, Harmon says.
"There are challenges in bringing any team together
because people and personalities are complicated. But we're
so dedicated to the idea that we'll have better design if we
have multiple points of view looking at it that we are willing
to embrace that challenge." n
Stop and Listen
Companies can tout diversity all they want in their vision
statements, but unless those grand ideas are reflected in
the trenches, it won't mean much. "It all comes back to the
behaviors you reward on a day-to-day basis," says Andre
Martin, chief learning officer at global brands including Nike
and Mars Inc., Portland, Oregon, USA.
When companies promote authoritarian leaders and
celebrate individual results over team efforts, it sends the
message that diverse opinions aren't valued-and may even
incur ire from the C-suite.
That toxic brew can be
avoided if leaders actively create a
Companies in the top
collaborative team culture. "The
quartile for racial and
goal is to create a space where
ethnic diversity are
everyone's opinions can be shared
and debated," Martin says. That
requires leaders willing to listen
and get out of the way.
Martin doesn't try to drive
brainstorming. Instead, he
writes a detailed brief laying
to have higher
out the challenge, the required
criteria, and any boundaries. He
financial returns than
then leaves team members to it.
their industry average.
"This model gives them a clear
-Diversity Matters,
understanding of the problem and
McKinsey, 2015
empowers them to solve it," he
35%
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fall/winter 2016
perspective
27
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016
From IIDA
Contents
Next
World View
Sum of Its Parts
Talk, Talk
Pre/Post
I Design
Data Viz
The Happiness Principle
Designs on Diversity
What’s Old Is New
Retail Reboot
Futureproof Now
Scratch Pad
Insider Intel
Sound Bytes
IIDA News + Updates
Why This Design Works
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Cover2
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - From IIDA
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Contents
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 3
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 4
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 5
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Next
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 7
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 8
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 9
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - World View
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Sum of Its Parts
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Talk, Talk
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Pre/Post
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - I Design
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Data Viz
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - The Happiness Principle
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 17
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 18
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 19
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 20
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 21
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 22
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 23
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Designs on Diversity
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 25
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 26
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 27
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - What’s Old Is New
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 29
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 30
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 31
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 32
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 33
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Retail Reboot
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 35
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 36
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 37
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 38
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 39
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Futureproof Now
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 41
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 42
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 43
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 44
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 45
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 46
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 47
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Scratch Pad
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 49
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Insider Intel
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 51
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Sound Bytes
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 53
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - IIDA News + Updates
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 55
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Why This Design Works
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Cover3
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - Cover4
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