Why Diversity Is As Important As Intelligence
It was 2005. I had graduated university and was six months into one of the most entertaining jobs that I have ever had.
I worked retail, like a lot of people in my situation. Working part time (or full time) while going through school was not uncommon.
From 2000–2004 I worked at Staples. The store was fine. Pretty much what you see today when you walk into a Staples. A little bit less flashy, a lot more grey. Their bread and butter was business clients after all.
I worked in the computer department. I'm sure that it had a special name, but I've long since forgotten that internal acronym.
This was the start of the computer craze. The internet was drawing everyone's attention, every month there was a newer and faster computer released. Keep in mind, it was only in 1995 that Java was first announced; and by 1999 AMD was releasing the a 750mghz processor.
Impressive.
With so much activity in the market, you can imagine customers shopped around. Everyone was looking for something new, and everyone wanted a deal.
The biggest competitor we had at the time was FutureShop. For those too young to remember, it was the Canadian Best Buy (before Best Buy bought them of course).
FutureShop was the retail tech big leagues. You actually made stupid money there. Stupid. Money.
One day I'm on the floor and I am wrapping up a sale. I hear a voice behind me and it's a guy that I'm acquainted with through high school ragers.
He was in the store doing a "shop". Before everything was online, FutureShop made their staff shop competitors for price comparisons to refine their edge. How wild is that!?!
He mentions to me that he's working around the corner at FutureShop, and that they are about to start hiring for Christmas. I should come for an interview and work the season.
Even if I don't get to stay on, I'd make more money in 2 months than the next 6 at Staples.
I go over, do the interview. I end up spending the next 2.5 years of my life at that store.
What I didn't know then but I do now, is that it taught me a few fundamental lessons that I still carry with me.
3 Lessons I Learned to Make Better Decisions
Making better decisions isn't about how smart you are.
Sure, being smart helps, but it can only take you so far.
Diversity is as important as intelligence.
First, diversity in the obvious sense. Different people from different backgrounds with different perspectives.
Second, diversity in your own thinking.
See, most of the time we tend to surround ourselves with people we identify with. We aren't aware how easily we do this, it's pretty much a habit. A phenomenon known as homophily.
Homophily creates biases within groups - even groups full of intelligent people. You can't get away from the impact of everyone seeing things the same way all the time. You end up not being aware of what you're missing.
When you're in a group of all like minded people, you're comfortable.
People who aren't frequently outside of their comfort zone are less likely to experience innovative thought. They're locked into what's familiar to them, they stay in their lane.
FutureShop was great for diversity. Their number one focus was on results. Sell more, make more. Not the most altruistic of missions - it did have them bringing in a lot of different people though.
The store also sold a lot of different things. Computers, Home Theatre, Music, Cell Phones, Appliances. It promoted a lot of different thinking from the teams to capture your attention.
When you have hundreds of interactions a day with complete strangers, you build up your muscle to step outside of your comfort zone. You would be constantly challenged with new problems and usually have less than 20 minutes to make a deal. Usually longer than that, and a customer would walk.
Lesson 1:
It's a benefit to get feedback from people with different backgrounds and experiences.
Getting comfortable being uncomfortable keeps you thinking differently. There's no success always thinking the same.
With all that diversity and an engine running on change, there's something you HAVE to have to succeed.
How many times have you been in a meeting and had someone senior to you push a bad idea? You felt it was bad, maybe even knew it, but the environment didn't allow for you to share.
For thousands of generations we have adapted to hierarchical structures. We're social animals at our core. Research has shown that 'leaders' are often those who talk the most, or are the loudest, not always those with best ideas. Given our biology, we have a tendency differ to those commanding authority.
To cut through this, you need to have psychological safety.
It's the idea that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up, asking questions, airing concerns or pointing out mistakes.
It was great to see the guys at the store who made less money come up with a new package or a pitch. To see how they were validated and praised. It helped everyone remember that they were a valued member of the team.
Lesson 2
Don't be afraid to let everyone give their input and provide solutions.
No one person is responsible to come up with the great ideas.
The world at FutureShop was commission based. That can be a powerful thing. Not because of greed, but because it provides RAPID feedback.
Testing, evaluating and getting feedback is the real secret sauce to success.
If you didn't make sales, you didn't get paid - okay, a touch of an exaggeration, but not by much. No one wanted to make base, the store didn't want you making base.
It was a great insulator against echo chambers.
Echo chambers are situations were our own beliefs are amplified and strengthened by being repeated by those around us.
What's interesting is that when conflicting information that enters our echo chamber, it makes us MORE locked into our thinking.
You had a choice. Stay positional on your beliefs and not get paid, or adapt and thrive.
Lesson 3
Never get locked onto an idea. Always be open to changing your mind or seeing things differently.
If you aren't getting the result you want, the position you are holding may be the problem.
Final Thoughts
When I finally left FutureShop to start my "real" career, I begged my manager to not tell anyone. I would rather he say that I had just graduated than let the world know I had been working retail.
I didn't want people to judge me and make it seem like I wasn't able to do the job I was hired for.
It took me five or six years but I came around. I started to see the benefits I gained from those years. The lessons I had learned.
Writing this, you can see that they are still important to me. Those three concepts are integral to the type of leader I am.
Years later, those lessons are more important today than they were then.
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