Posted by Trust is the foundation of every relationship. In families, it flows naturally. At work, it’s earned — and often unevenly. In today’s workplace, teams can’t build trust through a single picnic or quarterly meeting. It takes shared experience and genuine connection. At Venture Up, we’ve seen that diversity of thought — not just background — is the most powerful catalyst.
A 2019 Deloitte Global Study found that Millennials define diversity as a blending of different backgrounds and experiences, not just race, gender, or religion. Given that Millennials will make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, that broader lens is the future.
When diversity is seen as variety — not division — walls come down. People stop thinking in boxes and start engaging as individuals. Everyone thinks differently, shaped by life experience, and that mix of personalities, perspectives, and problem-solving styles is what makes a team work.
Voices on Diversity
When Venture Up teams meet client employees for the first time — often in a two-hour break from a conference — the conversations are surprisingly forthright. People tell us things they’d never tell HR. They joke, they drop their guard, and they talk about what’s really happening. Not because they’re rebellious, but because they feel safe for once.
One participant summed it up well:
“Diversity and Inclusion means be kind to everyone — but you also have to tippy-toe around sometimes for fear of offending someone.”
She went on to say that she had once made a “harmless” joke that didn’t land well with a colleague from India and regretted it ever since. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can please some of the people all of the time … but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” The same holds true at work. HR walks a fine line between advocate and enforcer, and employees know it. But work shouldn’t feel like a battlefield over thin ice either. HR can help bridge cultural gaps by hiring the right people — those who create an environment where ideas flow freely, without fear of being shot down, and while keeping sensitivity in check.
Hiring the Funny One
The modern workforce doesn’t need a passport to experience diversity — it’s built into every office, every Zoom call. In an era where the value of a degree is being questioned, savvy HR leaders look beyond résumés. They hire people who not only have the skills, but also the temperament and curiosity to bring out the best in others. Diversity can play an important dynamic in motivating teams.
One HR director told us she hired an engineer simply because “she was funny.” That humor turned out to be a cultural glue — helping introverts relax, teams bond faster, and collaboration thrive.
No Boundaries, No Boxes
The ideal team member is open-minded, willing to listen, and ready to set personal judgments aside. When everyone on the team adopts that approach, the environment changes. Risk-taking feels safe. Creativity flourishes. Fear fades.
Harnessing the Power of Diversity of Thought
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Inspires innovation and creativity
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Encourages cross-pollination of ideas
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Boosts productivity
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Builds a functional — and fun — work culture
Venture Up is one part of that process. Our goal is to help employees relax, open up, and reconnect with one another — and, yes, with HR too. Because while HR represents the organization, its success rests on the same foundation as any good team: trust.
Venture Up (est. 1983) is the original team building company helping organizations build trust and collaboration through real-world experiences.
© 2025 Venture Up Inc. | ventureup.com
keywords: trust in the workplace, employee engagement, diversity of thought, team building, HR relationships
