Expert cites importance of mixing psychology, organizational design, leadership development
Diversity is a major factor that can contribute to workplace success. But it’s not just diversity in terms of gender and culture that is important — a diversity of skillsets, technical ability and ways of working matter as well, according to Anthony Mitchell, cofounder and chief potential officer of Bendelta.
“I come from a background that includes psychology,” Mitchell said in a recent podcast with HRD Australia. “If our organisation was all psychologists, I don't think it would have the power that it has. Likewise, if we were all strategists – if we're all organisation design people, analysts, whatever the case might be, it wouldn't be quite as powerful. But when we put those two things together… you start to get some of the alchemy coming through.
“[If] you put a strategist together with a psychologist, with an organizational design expert, with a data analyst, and on you go, you start to get a richer kind of solution.”
Bendelta is a business consulting firm that specialises in services including leadership development, strategy, executive coaching and organisational development. Internally, it values a diversity of skillsets rather than siloing workers and having them work in different practice areas.
“We look for every opportunity for people to interact and work in that multidisciplinary way to create more holistic solutions,” Mitchell said in the podcast.
A constant balancing act
With constant external factors affecting businesses, it’s important for managers to balance their employees’ needs and the overall success of the business.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Mitchell said businesses really focused on how important and valuable their people are.
“Kudos to a lot of leaders of organisations that recognise that this was a time that people's happiness and wellbeing really had to be prioritised,” he said.
He added that there's now more of a consideration of getting the right balance between how employee engagement goes hand in hand with organisational effectiveness. However, trying to balance everyone’s needs can be exhausting for business leaders, which is where HR teams can step in.
“I think of people working in the HR function, they are needed to help their leaders strike the right balance between [a] focus on people, focus on the business, focus on other people's wellbeing,” he said.
“So I think HR right now is helping leaders who find themselves in a maelstrom, in a vortex and really helping them to swim successfully rather than drown.”
Check out the full podcast here.
