Diversity as Innovation: let more women into corporate boards

According to Nordic standards transparency in a company is vital, not only for the stakeholders, but for the board itself, in order for it to know in what direction to take the company, where to head and what measures to take. The first sign in quite a few Icelandic companies ahead of the financial collapse was that there was hardly any transparency, nobody answered questions, according to Hoel.

- A company board should be as diverse as possible. If everybody has the same thoughts and perspectives it will take the company nowhere, she underscores.

Corporate diversity is not only a question of gender. The Centre for Corporate Diversity uses an iceberg to illustrate not only the full range of diversity but also to illustrate what is directly visible and what lies under the waterline. Types of diversity like age, language skills, nationality, race, physical ability and gender are visible as the part of the iceberg above the waterline. Underneath the water a number of additional and important types of diversity are found; education, talents, perspectives, skills, family status, thought processes, heritage, religion, life experience, value systems, sexual orientation and beliefs.

Marit Hoel points out that it is essential to have high expectations for what an organisation can do to advance diversity. A diversity strategy can succeed only if it is communicated as part of the business strategy and preferably at all levels of the organisation.

- Instead of assuming what people can't do at work, provide opportunities for employees to prove what they can do, says the Centre for Corporate Diversity in Norway. Have high expectations for their contributions, and challenge them with meaningful work. Have equally high expectations for what your organisation can do to advance diversity.