This is Tom Peters on Diversity in 1994’s The Pursuit of Wow!:
Diversity problem? Hurdle?
Diversity creates one and only one thing: opportunity.
Business, in the mad global marketplace [1994!], needs a rush of serious creativity. Creativity is, invariably, a byproduct of sparks, new views, juxtaposed interests etc. How does a company acquire those assets? Diversity!
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It seems obvious to me that Cacophony Inc., a wild mixture of colors, sexes, styles and ages will almost automatically generate and pursue more interesting ideas than Homogeneity, Inc. My argument is a simple statistical one: The variety of experiences, from birth onward, captured in a [Diversity, Inc.] executive meeting is immensely greater … bringing hundreds of years of, um, diverse perspectives on everything from soup to software.
Is it a sea of tranquility? Of course not. Diversity implies clashes, subtle and overt. People … will bridle at what they feel are bizarre – and dumb – views held by others from time to time.
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The point of [diversity training] is not to “clear a hurdle” or “solve a problem.” On the contrary it’s too help the company reach maximum possible strategic advantage from its diversity advantage.
Tom Peters – The Pursuit of Wow!
See also: Hybrids