Individual Guiding Principle Series: Principle 3 – Inclusivity

This post is part of an in-depth exploration and evolution of each guiding principle: inclusivity.

GUIDING PRINCIPLE 3

INCLUSIVITY 

We practice inclusivity in everything we do.  We build rooms and doors, not walls.

The scientific process benefits from inclusion.  We believe that through expanding collaboration we do one of two things:

1. We get more work done with fewer resources. (We are more efficient.)
2. The result of our collaborations are greater than they would have been regardless of how much effort we would have put into it on our own.

Inclusivity brings us diversity of background, experience, and perspective.  We are more likely to identify weaknesses in what we do with such diversity — and that can be a scary experience for many to face.  We see fear of being wrong or being shown a different viewpoint as the cause of many errors made in our industry.

A hockey team made of 16 excellent goalies will never compete effectively with a balanced team of players with a variety of position skills.  It does not matter how good those goalies are at making saves, the team with wingers, centers, defense, coaches and trainers will be able to get more creative and move the puck around the ice and into the net.

An example of this principle in practice is how we apply our domains of science.  Our domains of science is used as a tool to guide the decision to launch any new survey.  Prior to a survey launch, we run through a pre-launch checklist that includes 12 domains to check to ensure a successful survey launch.  Anyone involved in a study has the right (and duty) to raise a flag if they believe that any domain has not received the attention it should.  We do not launch a survey without unanimity on this matter.  To be clear – it does not matter what position you are in or your area of expertise, we are inclusive of all contributors when it comes to this critical step in study execution.  

At SoundRocket we value inclusivity with our employees, in our work processes, and in our collaborations with our customers.  We let individuals determine how they contribute.  In our first principle, we stressed unity, in our second, we rested authority in groups, and here, we set our guiding principle for how those groups are formed.  In the next guideline, we will lay the foundation for how our inclusive groups function.