The Impact of Inclusion on Innovation: Why Broader Perspectives Lead to Better Business Outcomes
Innovation thrives on perspective. The best ideas, the most effective solutions, and the biggest breakthroughs don’t come from one person sitting in a room alone, thinking in a vacuum. They come from conversations, collaboration, and the willingness to see a challenge from multiple angles.
But here’s where many businesses miss the mark: they rely on the same voices, the same experiences, and the same ways of thinking- over and over again. And then they wonder why they’re struggling to stay ahead.
If you want real innovation, if you want better business results, then you have to make space for different perspectives. Not just because it’s a good idea, but because it leads to better ideas.
Innovation Needs Perspective
Think about it: when a team of people with similar backgrounds, skills, and approaches work together, they’re naturally going to think along the same lines. They’ll approach a problem the same way they always have. And that can be comfortable- but comfort rarely leads to groundbreaking ideas.
Now, introduce a fresh perspective. Maybe someone who has worked in a different industry. Or someone who sees the customer’s experience from a different angle. Or even someone who simply asks, “What if we tried it this way?”
Suddenly, you’re not just repeating what’s been done before. You’re opening the door to new possibilities.
The Best Solutions Come from Different Angles
Let’s break this down in practical terms. Imagine you’re developing a product or service:
A team of engineers will design something that works.
A team that includes engineers and marketers will create something that works and sells.
A team that includes engineers, marketers, and people with different experiences- maybe someone from customer service, maybe someone who has worked in a completely different industry- will create something that works, sells, and truly meets the needs of the people it’s designed for.
It’s the same with problem-solving. A challenge that feels unsolvable to one group might be easily tackled by someone with a different perspective. But that only happens if you make room for those perspectives in the first place.
Why Some Teams Struggle to Innovate
If a company is struggling to stay ahead, to generate new ideas, or to solve problems creatively, one of the first questions to ask is:
Who’s in the room?
Because if the same voices are driving the conversation every time, it’s no surprise when the same ideas keep showing up.
Here’s what happens when fresh perspectives are not included:
Missed Opportunities. If you’re not thinking from multiple angles, you might be overlooking an entire market, a new approach, or a better way of doing things.
Slower Growth. The most successful businesses evolve. Sticking to what’s always been done doesn’t just limit creativity- it limits progress.
Lack of Connection. If your business serves a variety of people, your decision-making process should reflect that. Otherwise, you risk creating solutions that don’t truly resonate with the very people you’re trying to reach.
Building a Culture That Welcomes New Ideas
Creating space for fresh perspectives doesn’t happen by accident- it happens by design. Here’s how to make sure your team isn’t just talking about innovation, but actually fostering it:
Encourage Different Perspectives. This isn’t just about who’s at the table-it’s also about whose voices are heard. Ask for input from people who see things differently. And more importantly, be open to what they have to say.
Challenge “The Way We’ve Always Done It.” If the response to a new idea is, “That’s not how we do things here,”- pause. Is the existing way truly the best way, or just the most familiar?
Look for Unexpected Expertise. Sometimes the best solutions come from people outside of a given field. Someone in finance might have an idea that streamlines operations. Someone in customer service might identify a product improvement that would never have been obvious from the development side. Great ideas don’t always come from where you expect.
Make Room for Experimentation. If people don’t feel safe bringing new ideas to the table, innovation will stall. Create an environment where testing new approaches is encouraged- even if they don’t all work out. Because the best ideas often come after a few wrong turns.
Innovation Happens When You Open the Door to It
If your business or organization is serious about innovation, it has to be serious about bringing in new perspectives. The best solutions, the strongest ideas, and the biggest breakthroughs rarely come from one person sitting alone, thinking in a straight line.
They come from the meeting of different minds, different experiences, and different ways of seeing the world.
So the question isn’t just, “How do we innovate?”- it’s, “Are we creating the environment for innovation to happen?”
Because the businesses that do are the ones that will lead the way forward.
