What does diversity in the workplace mean for your organization? Studies show that companies are thinking about diversity in a much more expanded way – and it’s good for business.

Organizations look at diversity through the filter of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age and physical abilities. These are the essential elements of diversity measurement, but it doesn’t need to stop there. Companies are now looking at diversity of thought and diversity of styles, approaches and personalities as factors in their diversity assessments.

This expanded perspective on diversity in the workplace is due to the overwhelming evidence that organizations with more diverse teams outperform their less-diverse counterparts. Think about it – how effective is a team of people who look alike AND think alike? Or a team full of dominant personality types? Or a team comprised of people solely focused on the details?

It’s pretty easy to see the value of diverse teams and finding out where people are coming from is the first step. It’s not always obvious – most people don’t have that level of self-awareness. That’s where a comprehensive and professional personality assessment tool comes in. My personal favorite is DiSC, by Wiley. Here are some guiding principles for choosing an assessment tool:

• ALL personalities and styles are valuable; none is viewed as better than others and all people are a blend of styles.
• Your work style is influenced by life experiences, education and maturity. You don’t leave your opinions, insecurities and biases at the door when you come to work.
• Understanding yourself better is the first step to becoming more effective when working with others.
• Healthy, positive relationships come from having an accurate understanding of yourself and others. Learning about other people’s styles can help you understand their priorities and how they may differ from your own.
• There are no cut-and-dried personality types. Based on assessments, you discover where you fall on a spectrum.

In many ways, teams are like families. Diverse personalities and opinions enrich the experience and create better outcomes. Of course there will be disagreements. But it’s the trust, understanding and mutual respect that makes it work.

Think your company would benefit from DISC certification? Powers Resource Center is hosting a DISC certification event this September in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Space is limited. For more information and to save your spot, visit our Everything DiSC Certification Workshops registration page.