EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine May 2018 | Page 17

and decision-making about company practices and initiatives. Feeling Diversity Avila said the evidence of his company’s diversification can be seen on any given race day. “When you walk onto the grounds during an event weekend, you see it, you feel it, you hear it, you smell it. Everything from the music to the food to the experience is diverse,” Avila said. “We try to create an environment that speaks to everyone and doesn’t alienate anyone, and that makes everyone feel welcome.” Photos from the 2017 Lean In event promoting women in ISC and NASCAR at the International Motorsports Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo Credit: International Speedway Corporation) Diversity is good for business. In a recent survey of 1,362 business professionals at multinational organizations, RW3 CultureWizard, a New York-based global training group, found that the companies that put a priority on promoting intercultural proficiency are more likely to achieve their business goals. Cloverpop, a San Francisco-based decision-making consultancy, recently published a study showing that companies with teams with a wide range of ages and origins make better business decisions up to 87 percent of the time — and twice as fast with half the number of meetings. The decisions of a diverse team yield 60 percent better results, the study found. Avila compares the importance of diversity to the proper functioning of the human body. “It has different parts and it is only able to function at its highest level when those different parts work toward the same objective,” he said. “Having a variety of employees with broader skill sets, experiences and points of view definitely has helped us adapt to that ever-changing consumer demographic of the national landscape.” Diversifying the workforce is a big help, but can the sport keep filling the pipeline with new minority racers? That is a challenge facing women racers. A handful of upstarts are trying to repeat the success of Danica Patrick, who retired this year as the only woman in the Monster Energy Series — and in one of the most inclusive sports there is because men and women race together. Natalie Decker, a 20-year-old from Wisconsin, is making her mark, finishing fifth in a recent race at the Daytona International Speedway. Another contender is Hailie Deegan, a 16-year-old from Southern California who came out of the Drive for Diversity program in 2016. She’s cautiously optimistic. “I think there are a lot more barriers that need to be broken for another girl coming in and that can be broken,” Deegan said recently on the Sirius XM NASCAR radio show “Happy Hours.” Will the barriers come down? If the sport continues to diversify and more talent like Deegan, Suárez and Wallace get the chance to emerge, there is little doubt that it will get easier to advance in the sport - further energizing motorsports and leading to continued growth. Charles Newbery is a freelance journalist and writer. His work has appeared in the Financial Times, LatinFinance, The New York Times and other publications. He also writes business content for companies and ghostwrites op-eds for executives. He can be reached at [email protected]. Chiropractic is safe, effective, affordable care. www.palmerclinics.com/po Main Clinic [phone] Nova Road Clinic [phone] MAY 2018 | 17 |