(Dr. Tony Byers)
Have you ever wondered how leveraging diversity and inclusion (D&I) within your own business can help create a collaborative culture and solve problems faster?
Some companies and executives struggle with diversity and inclusion, not because they're not committed to the values, but they don't know where to start.
In this edition of BBB Business Leaders Unplugged, we sit down with Dr. Tony Byers, a global diversity and inclusion expert. He has an impressive track record of leading highly respected D&I programs in large multinational organizations, including Starbucks, Heinz Company, and Cargill, Inc.
We asked him how he defines D&I.
"Think about it from two different perspectives," Dr. Byers explained. "Diversity is people – do I have diversity in terms of people? And inclusion is how am I gaining those perspectives to help our business be successful."
Dr. Byers says businesses can leverage D&I through their brand and their product or services. By allowing more voices and perspectives at the table, companies have an opportunity to increase their value reach new customers.
"It is a small tweak on an already existing product or service that you provide that makes consumers want or desire your product more," Dr. Byers said. "You can do that by including different voices to help you think about how to adjust and tweak to make your product or service more palpable to your end-user."
2020 created its share of challenges and opportunities for many people. Still, Dr. Byers said one of the most valuable lessons we can learn from consumers is that they are demanding and expecting more from businesses – especially around valuing people.
"You demonstrate value by your actions – by what your organization looks like or what you support, or how you engage with the community. And if you're not doing those things, I think what you will find is that your consumer base will choose other options."
When asked how the BBB Standards for Trust align D&I, Dr. Byers says diversity, equity, and inclusion are all about trust.
"When the trust breaks, and you spend a great deal of time and effort to repair it, you end up losing customers or employees or losing leverage. You don't want to lose trust – you want to leverage trust to help our community and customers," Byers told BBB.
To learn more, check out Dr. Tony Byer's website and his book, The Multiplier Effect of Inclusion. See moer business tips from BBB on our business news feed.
View the interview below or on YouTube.
BBB sits down with Dr. Tony Byers, a global diversity and inclusion expert.