Ask a Coach
Q: I manage a team with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences. While I know that there are lots of benefits here – diverse teams are often more innovative – it has still been hard to create cohesion, and bring the group together. How can I help strengthen this team as a leader?
Uniting and exciting a diverse team can be tricky. If you’re used to building cohesive teams by rewarding merit and loyalty, consider turning that inside out and putting…
- Respect before merit: If any team member feels disrespected, it’s not their problem, it’s your problem. Building mutual respect among all members establishes psychological safety, which Google found to be a more valuable ingredient of successful teams than the “merit” of each member.
- Curiosity before loyalty: Research in Scientific American showed that being around people who are different from us makes us more creative, more diligent, and harder-working. It’s not just that diverse teams bring more perspectives. Each team member also ups their game. Encouraging curiosity can be scary for a leader. Robust questioning can feel like disloyalty, but it’s really a sign of trust.
- Adhesion before cohesion: Cohesion around you might not be enough. Diverse teams need a stronger glue that sticks each team member to each other. Make team meetings so rewarding that members have FOMO.
All of this makes more work for a leader. It’s harder than leading lookalikes. But the payoff can be more innovation and fewer mistakes – a winning team.
Jon Huggett, Torch Executive Coach
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This article was featured in Torch’s newsletter, Curiouser. Each month, we deliver the latest research, stories, questions, and insights about the art and science of coaching to your inbox. Sign-up and join a community of people who are passionate about growth, learning, and leadership.
