Page 12 - index
P. 12
RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS
Diversity of thought –
the key to unlocking the future?
In 2016, Nkiruka, a sixteen year old African girl, con- Under these pressures, a million new engineering chal-
templates her future. She needs to make education- lenges arose, requiring fresh perspectives. But the in-
al choices. Should she follow her heart and study novators of yesteryear were unable to adjust. Attuned
the sciences? She dreams of becoming an engi- to a different world order, they quickly ran out of ideas.
neer. She’s torn, though: the profession’s not
known for its diversity. So what should she do? Nkiruka was smart. The solution seemed very clear to
Just imagine if she could travel in time to see how it her. How else to find new answers, if not by involving
worked out… diverse people? And if diverse people were not around
to ask, how could an engineering company that thrived
Leap forward to 2066. Nkiruka is now the CEO of a on innovation hope to survive?
large, successful multinational, multidisciplinary, engi-
neering firm. On the eve of retirement, she is satisfied Early on in her career, she saw the opportunity, and
that her sixteen-year-old self would see that the dream reached for it.
worked out. But not without bumps along the way. Or
perhaps because of them. When she was newly qualified, she realized that the
only way to meet the needs of her clients was to repre-
During the intervening years, the world has been turned sent their customers, and that meant change in her
on its head. Climate change has radically disrupted pat- workplace. Her employer was already on the ball, com-
terns of trade. Economies have risen and fallen. The mitted to diversity at all levels of seniority across all
populations of Africa and Asia have skyrocketed, trans- departments. Regardless of the moral need for equal
forming global markets and dramatically altering their opportunity, it saw the potential for internal business
needs. Technology changes have revolutionized socie- benefits.
ties. Health impacts have severely tested healthcare
systems. Digital access has spread to all corners of the Nkiruka painted a more ambitious picture, though. She
planet, empowering new constituencies of people as saw enormous external business benefits, and volun-
never before. Bowing to demand from their better in- teered to help achieve them. She pointed to the ‘Power
formed electorates, politicians have enshrined equality of Parity’ report by McKinsey Global Institute, which
and diversity as a right. predicted a 26% increase in GDP simply if gender ine-
quality could be eliminated. If that was true for gender
12 Data-Driven Marketing: Customer Insights & Predictive Analysis
Diversity of thought –
the key to unlocking the future?
In 2016, Nkiruka, a sixteen year old African girl, con- Under these pressures, a million new engineering chal-
templates her future. She needs to make education- lenges arose, requiring fresh perspectives. But the in-
al choices. Should she follow her heart and study novators of yesteryear were unable to adjust. Attuned
the sciences? She dreams of becoming an engi- to a different world order, they quickly ran out of ideas.
neer. She’s torn, though: the profession’s not
known for its diversity. So what should she do? Nkiruka was smart. The solution seemed very clear to
Just imagine if she could travel in time to see how it her. How else to find new answers, if not by involving
worked out… diverse people? And if diverse people were not around
to ask, how could an engineering company that thrived
Leap forward to 2066. Nkiruka is now the CEO of a on innovation hope to survive?
large, successful multinational, multidisciplinary, engi-
neering firm. On the eve of retirement, she is satisfied Early on in her career, she saw the opportunity, and
that her sixteen-year-old self would see that the dream reached for it.
worked out. But not without bumps along the way. Or
perhaps because of them. When she was newly qualified, she realized that the
only way to meet the needs of her clients was to repre-
During the intervening years, the world has been turned sent their customers, and that meant change in her
on its head. Climate change has radically disrupted pat- workplace. Her employer was already on the ball, com-
terns of trade. Economies have risen and fallen. The mitted to diversity at all levels of seniority across all
populations of Africa and Asia have skyrocketed, trans- departments. Regardless of the moral need for equal
forming global markets and dramatically altering their opportunity, it saw the potential for internal business
needs. Technology changes have revolutionized socie- benefits.
ties. Health impacts have severely tested healthcare
systems. Digital access has spread to all corners of the Nkiruka painted a more ambitious picture, though. She
planet, empowering new constituencies of people as saw enormous external business benefits, and volun-
never before. Bowing to demand from their better in- teered to help achieve them. She pointed to the ‘Power
formed electorates, politicians have enshrined equality of Parity’ report by McKinsey Global Institute, which
and diversity as a right. predicted a 26% increase in GDP simply if gender ine-
quality could be eliminated. If that was true for gender
12 Data-Driven Marketing: Customer Insights & Predictive Analysis
