4 tips for getting the most from diverse teams

Diversity in TeamsImprove Team Performance by

Overcoming Status and Factions on Teams

Overview

A diversity of ideas and perspectives can create tremendous value in work teams

However, it rarely does

OverviewDesired state for diverse work teams.

Overview

Diversity

Desired state for diverse work teams.

Overview

Diversity

Desired state for diverse work teams.

Overview

DiversityIdeas/

Desired state for diverse work teams.

Overview

DiversityIdeas/

Perspectives

Desired state for diverse work teams.

Overview

DiversityIdeas/

Perspectives

Desired state for diverse work teams.

Overview

DiversityIdeas/

Perspectives Creativity

Desired state for diverse work teams.

Overview

DiversityIdeas/

Perspectives Creativity

Desired state for diverse work teams.

Overview

DiversityIdeas/

Perspectives Creativity

High Performance

Desired state for diverse work teams.

Overview

Teams are diverse, but diversity is typically not conducive of good results

Overview

Teams are diverse, but diversity is typically not conducive of good results

Diversity

Overview

Teams are diverse, but diversity is typically not conducive of good results

Diversity

Overview

Teams are diverse, but diversity is typically not conducive of good results

DiversityFactions/

Hierarchies

Overview

Teams are diverse, but diversity is typically not conducive of good results

DiversityFactions/

Hierarchies

Overview

Teams are diverse, but diversity is typically not conducive of good results

DiversityFactions/

Hierarchies Marginalization

Overview

Teams are diverse, but diversity is typically not conducive of good results

DiversityFactions/

Hierarchies Marginalization

Overview

Teams are diverse, but diversity is typically not conducive of good results

DiversityFactions/

Hierarchies Marginalization

Process Loss (poor performance)

Status Hierarchies• Ample research demonstrates that status

hierarchies develop within minutes

• Hierarchies are typically based on work-irrelevant traits

• Gender

• Race

• Age

• Teams may fracture along these task-irrelevant ‘fault lines’

• Factions within teams leads to process loss

Cultural Differences

•Cultures have different norms for participating in groups

• Deference

• Confrontation

• Volume

To Do

1. Establish incentives for group leaders to encourage the participation of (potentially) low status team members

To DoThe Intervention: Reputational Threat

To Do

• Concern for reputation is universal and powerful

The Intervention: Reputational Threat

To Do

• Concern for reputation is universal and powerful

• In economic games, people who are reminded of the possibility of developing a bad reputation give away more money than they keep

The Intervention: Reputational Threat

To Do

• Concern for reputation is universal and powerful

• In economic games, people who are reminded of the possibility of developing a bad reputation give away more money than they keep

• Use people’s concern for reputation

The Intervention: Reputational Threat

To Do

• Concern for reputation is universal and powerful

• In economic games, people who are reminded of the possibility of developing a bad reputation give away more money than they keep

• Use people’s concern for reputation

• Base leader reputation (in part) on inclusiveness

The Intervention: Reputational Threat

To Do

• Concern for reputation is universal and powerful

• In economic games, people who are reminded of the possibility of developing a bad reputation give away more money than they keep

• Use people’s concern for reputation

• Base leader reputation (in part) on inclusiveness

• eBay style leader inclusiveness rating

The Intervention: Reputational Threat

To Do

2. Establish team member status based on expected (or actual) contribution to the team goals

To DoThe Intervention: Prioritize Task-relevant queues

To Do

• Before groups are introduced personally, introduce the team members’ qualifications

• Create/ deliver to the team profiles that do not identify people by irrelevant characteristics, but rather only by task-relevant characteristics

• Qualifications

• Intended contributions

The Intervention: Prioritize Task-relevant queues

To Do

• Before groups are introduced personally, introduce the team members’ qualifications

• Create/ deliver to the team profiles that do not identify people by irrelevant characteristics, but rather only by task-relevant characteristics

• Qualifications

• Intended contributions

• Conduct first interactions through reductive technologies

The Intervention: Prioritize Task-relevant queues

To Do

• Before groups are introduced personally, introduce the team members’ qualifications

• Create/ deliver to the team profiles that do not identify people by irrelevant characteristics, but rather only by task-relevant characteristics

• Qualifications

• Intended contributions

• Conduct first interactions through reductive technologies

• Reductive = those that do not communicate social queues, such as email or IM

The Intervention: Prioritize Task-relevant queues

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To Do

3. Establish working relationships based on task-relevant input

To DoThe Intervention: Prioritize Task-relevant queues

To Do

• Before groups are introduced personally, assign first task

• Conduct first interactions through reductive technologies

• Assign the team and each member a task to be completed “off-line” to establish intra-team reputation based on work product

The Intervention: Prioritize Task-relevant queues

To Do

4. Establish methods of contributing that minimize cultural and status differences

To DoThe Intervention: Anonymous brainstorming, ideation

To Do

• Public brainstorming sessions typically discourage the contribution of low-status, culturally deferential members

• Use anonymous brainstorming techniques

• Reductive technologies - Virtual environments/ Sticky notes

• All contributions are made public but not identified

The Intervention: Anonymous brainstorming, ideation

To Do

• Public brainstorming sessions typically discourage the contribution of low-status, culturally deferential members

• Use anonymous brainstorming techniques

• Reductive technologies - Virtual environments/ Sticky notes

• All contributions are made public but not identified

• Discussion of ideas only after all have been displayed

The Intervention: Anonymous brainstorming, ideation