Preference, tradition
or requirement (PTR)
Global Diversity, Equity & InclusivenessImproving the quality of our decision-making
is most important when decisions impact ourpeople’s career trajectory and advancement —such as selection for teams, projects,
opportunities and promotions.
Surfacing different perspectives allows us to
identify blind spots and leads to better andmore creative solutions.

Surfacing different perspectives has a positive
impact on team performance
Research shows that homogenous teams, on average, are lessaccurate and actually less effective than diverse and inclusive
teams, even though working on a homogenous team often feels
better and more effective.
We all have unconscious preferences and biases that canunintentionally influence our decisions. It can be difficult torecognize our own biases, so it’s important to seek out different
perspectives when making decisions and to pause, reflect andchallenge our decision-making criteria.

Deliberate reflection on preferences and traditions
can help us get closer to what is actually required
and minimize the influence of personal andsystemic biases. It can also mitigate the impact of“insider/outsider dynamics”, e.g. situations whereindividuals or groups are subject to inequity.
The Preference, tradition or requirement (PTR) tool
can help achieve this.
Perceived effectiveness

Actual results

6.4

90

6.2

70

650

5.8
5.630
Homogeneous
team

Diverseteam

Homogeneous
team

Diverseteam

Source: Phillips, Liljenquist, & Neale, 2009

What drives our decisions?
Inclusive leaders challenge decision-making by explicitly asking “Is this criteria or standard based on a preference, tradition orrequirement?” This can help surface the thoughts and biases that may be underlying certain processes, facilitate self-reflection andopen a dialogue with team members about whether the criteria being used are relevant, equitable and appropriate. Below are examples
on how PTRs may show up in our daily decision-making.
Examples of how our thought process shows up

Criteria being used

Preference“It’s much better to hire an extrovert — they’ll fit right
into the team.”

Choosing based on one’s own personal inclinations.

Tradition“This new software has features that allow forDeciding based on historical practices and pastcollaboration, but we have been using this other tool decision‑making.
for many years, so let’s stick with it.”

Risk: Making decisions on preferences or traditions may unintentionally limit options that actually meet our requirements.
Requirement“She was selected for her financial analytics skills
and exceptional client service, which are needed
for this role.”

Selecting based on fitting a set of essential criteria.

This is optimal for most inclusive decision-making.

Improving the quality of our decision making by using PTR
Building a habit to explicitly ask ourselves and others, “Is this a preference, tradition or requirement?” — in other words applying“PTR” — can be an important tool to reveal the underlying assumptions of our thought processes and facilitate better decisions.
What is PTR?

PTR is a reflective tool to interrupt and surface hidden assumptions and biases that limit decision quality.
We use it to pause and consider what factors are truly relevant to the decision at hand. It’s a set of questions
that challenge existing processes and ways of operating.

Why use it?

PTR minimizes the influence of personal likes and tendencies, and the ways we have always done things. If
we don’t do this, it may lead, unintentionally, to inequitable decisions.

When should weapply it?

It is particularly important to apply PTR where decisions may affect someone’s career or future — such as
hiring, team selection, assignments, promotions, secondments, leadership roles or any decision that affects
the team overall.

How does it work?

Explicitly asking, “Is this a preference, tradition or requirement?” helps surface the thoughts and biases
that are underlying certain processes. It also helps facilitate self-reflection and open a dialogue with teammembers about whether the criteria being used are relevant and equitable.

Below are a few questions to consider for progressing inclusiveness and advancing equity, together
with creating an environment where all differences are valued, practices are equitable, everyone
experiences a sense of belonging and finds ample opportunities to succeed.
• Do we consider the diversity of perspectives of ourteam members when we decide who we should bring toclient meetings?
• What workstyles do we have on our teams and how do wecapitalize on them to enable people work more flexibly toachieve their goals and deliver exceptional work?
• What preferences and traditions may result in certain
populations not being picked for visible assignments, orbeing deferred or not promoted?

• How do we assess leadership potential? How might our criteria
be limiting our pool of talent? Are we in any way giving an
advantage to those who are like us, or a disadvantage to those
who are different from us?
• Does our succession pool match the supply and demographic
mix of those coming up the ranks?
• What barriers or divisions — that might be limiting the successof some — do we need to remove in order to unlock unforeseen
potential of people? (this might include examining behaviors,structures, norms and practices)

To find out more, visit ey.com/diversity.

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