Cognitive diversity describes the variety of perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds in a work environment. Companies can evaluate the cognitive diversity of their team members to determine if they have adequate representation of many different <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-think-more-creatively' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-think-more-creatively","linkCopy":"types of thinking","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>types of thinking</a>. A team with diverse thinking can have strong problem solving abilities as their [decision-making](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/decision-making-styles) has many different viewpoints.
Cognitive diversity is important because it can:

- __Eliminate bias__: Every company has unconscious biases that go unnoticed due to gaps in knowledge or a lack of workplace diversity. Increasing your cognitive diversity means that there are fewer weak points as different groups of people bring their backgrounds and skills sets to the team. 
- __Encourage teamwork__: One of the benefits of cognitive diversity is that each team member can rely on each other for their unique perspectives. Teams solve problems using each other's strengths and skill sets to eventually become more cohesive.
- __Promote innovation__: Diverse teams in a workplace culture will be able to think out of the box. Having a diverse workforce means having many different minds coming up with different solutions for problems and challenges.
There are several types of diversity that can contribute to a company’s overall variety of thinking and problem-solving. Here are a few: 

- __Culture__: The ethnicity and cultural background of an individual can play a large role in how they view the world. Having demographic diversity on your team will introduce different perspectives that can help solve complex problems.
- __Education__: A person’s educational background can help shape how they confront and solve new challenges. There are many different types of learners who can bring their own methods for processing information and discovering solutions. 
- __Experience__: Previous experience in jobs or in the world is a major factor in what a person brings to the table. A team member may have unique experiences that help inform initiatives at the company and add to the group’s overall diversity of thought.
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Cognitive diversity is a company’s variety of employees—all of whom have different perspectives, backgrounds, ethnicities, and education levels. A company with strong cognitive diversity will have less risk of bias and can have improved employee engagement. Learn about cognitive diversity and how it can benefit your workplace.

Cognitive diversity is a company’s variety of employees—all of whom have different perspectives, backgrounds, ethnicities, and education levels. A company with strong cognitive diversity will have less risk of bias and can have improved employee engagement. Learn about cognitive diversity and how it can benefit your workplace.

Cognitive Diversity: Types of Cognitive Diversity

Cognitive diversity describes the variety of perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds in a work environment. Companies can evaluate the cognitive diversity of their team members to determine if they have adequate representation of many different <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-think-more-creatively' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-think-more-creatively","linkCopy":"types of thinking","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>types of thinking</a>. A team with diverse thinking can have strong problem solving abilities as their <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/decision-making-styles' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/decision-making-styles","linkCopy":"decision-making","category":null}'>decision-making</a> has many different viewpoints.

What Is Cognitive Diversity?

Cognitive diversity is important because it can:<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">Eliminate bias: Every company has unconscious biases that go unnoticed due to gaps in knowledge or a lack of workplace diversity. Increasing your cognitive diversity means that there are fewer weak points as different groups of people bring their backgrounds and skills sets to the team. </li><li class="">Encourage teamwork: One of the benefits of cognitive diversity is that each team member can rely on each other for their unique perspectives. Teams solve problems using each other&#39;s strengths and skill sets to eventually become more cohesive. </li><li class="">Promote innovation: Diverse teams in a workplace culture will be able to think out of the box. Having a diverse workforce means having many different minds coming up with different solutions for problems and challenges. </li></ul>

Importance of Cognitive Diversity

There are several types of diversity that can contribute to a company’s overall variety of thinking and problem-solving. Here are a few: <ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">Culture: The ethnicity and cultural background of an individual can play a large role in how they view the world. Having demographic diversity on your team will introduce different perspectives that can help solve complex problems. </li><li class="">Education: A person’s educational background can help shape how they confront and solve new challenges. There are many different types of learners who can bring their own methods for processing information and discovering solutions. </li><li class="">Experience: Previous experience in jobs or in the world is a major factor in what a person brings to the table. A team member may have unique experiences that help inform initiatives at the company and add to the group’s overall diversity of thought. </li></ul>

Types of Cognitive Diversity

Get the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a> for exclusive access to video lessons taught by business luminaries, including Richard Branson, Kris Jenner, Geno Auriemma, Robin Roberts, Chris Voss, Sara Blakely, Daniel Pink, Bob Iger, Howard Schultz, Anna Wintour, and more.

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Cognitive diversity is a company’s variety of employees—all of whom have different perspectives, backgrounds, ethnicities, and education levels. A company with strong cognitive diversity will have less risk of bias and can have improved employee engagement. Learn about cognitive diversity and how it can benefit your workplace.

Cognitive diversity is a company’s variety of employees—all of whom have different perspectives, backgrounds, ethnicities, and education levels. A company with strong cognitive diversity will have less risk of bias and can have improved employee engagement. Learn about cognitive diversity and how it can benefit your workplace.
