Read.Watch.Listen. The Real Value of Diversity
September 2026 Issue
A monthly forum to share diversity, equity, and inclusion resources.
Welcome to the next installment of Read.Watch.Listen. This month, we delve into the meaning and value of the idea of diversity. Diversity can mean many different things- a diverse investment portfolio is more resilient against the whims of the market, a diverse ecosystem more vibrant and adaptable than a monoculture that could be wiped out by a single blight. When we think about diversity as it applies to people and industries, we frequently think primarily of gender and ethnicity. But diversity can, and should, be acknowledged to include aspects of an individual such as age, economic status, disability, parenthood, cultural background, sexual orientation, and so much more. These variables of human experience lead to a wealth of diversity in perspective, attitude, and knowledge that allow for creative problem solving and teamwork. The resources below delve into the specifics of how individual diversity of experience is critical to teams and organizations, and how cultivating diversity in the industry leads to better solutions and increased financial success.
Image via Magnific
Diversity Matters Even More | McKinsey
It is widely recognized that diverse teams offer more creative solutions and perform better, but there is often a dearth of data providing factual support for this fact– no longer. This article summarizes the results of a research study conducted over ten years by international management consulting group McKinsey, delving into the long-term effects of diverse workforces and management practices at global firms. Their data paint a clear picture of the intrinsic value that diverse teams bring to their companies, and the direct financial benefits gained. Over the course of ten years, firms with gender and/or ethnic diversity were significantly more likely (by up to 27%) to financially outperform their less diverse counterparts in the industry. The gap is also growing, with less diverse organizations underperforming by larger margins over time. The data are clear- diverse teams lead directly to financial performance, and organizations not actively seeking to diversify their talent pools will continue to be left behind.
Published December 2023; Estimated Read Time - 10 minutes
Why is Diversity and Representation Important Within the STEM Industry? | LIYSF
This short but deeply important video featuring Dr. Tollulah Oni touches on the far-reaching impacts of science and technology built by teams that don’t consider diversity, and reflects on the dangers of considering science as inherently objective and sterile when in fact there is always human perspective and error in play, in ways that may be easy to overlook.
Originally aired March 2021; 00:1:30
Engineering Solutions that Benefit from Diversity | The National Academy of Engineering
Engineering is, at its heart, a creative industry. As engineers, we leverage our education, experience, and individual perspectives to come up with creative solutions to problems on a daily basis. By recognizing the added creative value of diverse perspective and experience, we can build teams that are better at solving the new problems of a rapidly changing world. Data has consistently shown that the more diversity exists in a group, the more adept at multidimensional thinking and problem solving that group is. From Lockheed Martin to Human Systems Engineering at Arizona State University, this episode covers the many benefits of diversity in the engineering world.
Originally published June 2024; 00:29:25
This article was originally published in the NCSEA's Structural Connection newsletter.
Read.Watch.Listen is a monthly forum hosted by the NCSEA SE3 Committee to share and promote conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion within the structural engineering profession. Each month, we will curate a series of articles, audio-visual and digital media to facilitate self-education in matters that affect our professional practice as structural engineers. Whether you choose to read, watch, or listen (or all three!), we hope you will join us in this important conversation. Missed the previous issue? Check out the NCSEA SE3 Committee News and Publication page.
Share your thoughts and/or recommended resources for the next issue at ncsea@ncsea.com.
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