By Brian Bissett, The MFP Report

Traditional definitions of propriety dictate that one steer clear of controversial topics in conversation, especially in the world of business, but today I’m going to ignore that dictum. I want to talk about diversity — more accurately the embarrassing and counterproductive lack thereof — in every corner of the hardcopy industry, and most particularly in the office imaging business.

Take a deep breath. My intention isn’t to harangue my readers with a moral, political or social argument in favor of far greater and faster movement toward racial and sexual diversity in this industry, although I could easily and justifiably do just that. Instead, I want to focus only on your bottom line, and what the lack of diversity does to impede business … now and tomorrow.

I should backtrack for a moment here, and offer well deserved kudos to the Business Solutions Dealer group at Lexmark for spurring this piece. Lexmark took a bold and unprecedented step at its BSD meeting in May by inviting the Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion from the Professional Golfers Association of America (the PGA) to speak on this critically important topic to an audience that would have much preferred almost any other speaker on any other topic.

I couldn’t have been the only person in that ballroom who so easily noted the remarkable irony — and the overdue appropriateness — of having this topic addressed openly and directly in an MFP business forum. Indeed, it took just a quick scan of the audience to understand that, only when judged against the MFP industry, does the PGA probably have the upper hand in diversity. And after some years of concerted and overt focus on broadening its reach beyond a historic constituency, PGA membership today still remains about 90% white and male.

I’m part of that same past. I’m a 57-year old, US- born, white guy. But I’m also in a position to see a very different future. My daughter and sons are part are at the forefront of a changing world. They’re multiracial millennials with an immigrant mother. Their professional and personal lives are intertwined with people of all races and backgrounds. And their approaches to business and to people in business reflect that diversity.

We should also acknowledge there are certain institutional factors that help explain the relative lack of diversity in office imaging. The vast majority of MFP dealerships have white male roots that often trace back to a far different era. And ownership has frequently been passed down from father to son. Likewise, Japanese vendors who dominate office MFP sales have lacked a deep and strong orientation toward diversity. And a historic insularity in this industry, when combined with an advancing average age among managers and sellers, does not predispose this business toward diversity, let alone introspection and a commitment to change.

I’m not arguing that the underwhelming diversity in imaging is due to some overwhelming combination of knowing actions or nefarious intentions. But let’s also keep clearly

in mind that explanation does not equate to justification, nor does it negate the obligation and opportunity to pursue change.

Why then — strictly from a perspective of self-interest — is greater diversity critical to the well-being of the office MFP business? Well, a growing body of research reveals that a more diverse leadership and work environment enables better selling, superior decisions, and greater innovation.

People buy from people they trust and?with whom they have some sort of affinity. Similarity in sex or ethnicity isn’t the only factor in making a sale, but obvious misalignment be- tween those who are selling and those who are buying is a proven impediment. Today’s buyers of tech products and services are decidedly less male, white, straight and religious than the typical MFP dealer or branch salesperson. Sales is all about overcoming customer objections. And an evolving sales force that better aligns with changing buyer demographics can overcome one objection, even an implicit or unstated one.

The office imaging business also suffers more from “groupthink” than a lot of industries. But research shows diverse work teams at any level of the organization create a certain imbalance or tension that ultimately leads to questioning of assumptions, better information, greater creativity, and more spontaneous breakthroughs.

Indeed, it’s been shown the exact kinds of changes an organization must make in order to embrace diversity — greater personal trust, empowerment, respect and open-mindedness — align exceedingly well with the kinds of changes that are necessary to spur innovation. True innovation arguably has never been needed more than it is today in the MFP space. With challenges abundant, relying on the same narrow talent pool is surely a prescription for decline.

But diversity doesn’t just happen. Hiring decisions lag demographic changes, often by quite a while. Nor is diversity without intentional inclusion a viable path forward. A quote I found summed up the dynamic perfectly: “Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making the mix work.” Let’s mix up this industry and make it work better.