There is a delicate balance in teams. One of homogeneity vs diversity.
Diversity creates different viewpoints, different ways of problem solving, other ways of looking at the world in general. This clash of perspectives produces creative solutions. Diversity creates resilience.
Homogeneity makes sure the group operates as one. Providing a common understanding, shared beliefs and having a culture ensures the group stays together in rough times and communicates effectively.
Like I said: it’s a delicate balance.
Too much bonding creates exclusion from outsiders, the bullying of deviants, resistance to change and a strong risk of groupthink.
Too much diversity can cause a lack of coherence and low social support.
Diversity is hard to create. Only when the members of the team are selected.
Cohesion is easier to create. By means of culture. Or metaphors.
How is your team balanced?
In my case, project teams are created by pulling the right expertise from the appropriate suppliers of services. And in such scenarios, price & timezones are the factors used to choose the members of the team. Not diversity in the true sense of the word…. as in diversity of thought, character and views.
Hi, thanks for the thoughtful comment. Of course, skills are the fundamental reason why they are on the team in the first place, but to be able to handle increasing uncertainty I think it’s wise to pay much attention to diversity. Perhaps even diversity for diversity’s sake.
Bas, this is a provocative issue to the extent I decided to comment when I should not because I feel I have alreadycontributed my “quota”. Diversity is required now more than before not only to minimize risk by not putting our eggs in one basket, but also in creating more ideas. Diversity is one way of generating ideas in a time when create or evaporate is genuinely a correct statement.
Taken from the book Hot, Flat And Crowded:
“Change is only constant in life … Talk to the financial advisor who puts all his money in one stock … diversity bequeaths resilience…”
No worries about the quota
feedback is always appreciated.
Bas,love your thinking. It’s so in sync with Barry Oshry’s (my business partner/husband). He’s currently working on a paper you might be interested in; he’s exploring love processes (integration, homogenization) and power processes (individuation and differentiation). Let me know if you’d like to see it; I might be able to twist his arm to send it to you.
Hi Karen, thanks for dropping by. Oh yes, I would love to read it… it sounds incredible interesting… I’ll drop you a mail.
Hi Bas, this would be my first comment here. I agree with you on the point that there has to be balance between homogeneity and diversity. Coming form a Asian culture, organisation in Asia are faced with the challenges on how to take in diversity. In my organisation, our top leadership realizes this and responded by crafting a new organisation shared values which one of the value is respect for diversity. At this moment, my team and my department as a whole is in collaboration with other departments are striving to inculcate the new values within our organisation. And it is a like climbing a mountain.
Just sharing.
Arief, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hi Arief, thank you for taking the time to comment. Oh yeah, it’s a mountain alright. The shared values and shared mission and shared goals … are essential in creating this balance. To allow more diversity, but also to allow alignment. With cocreation (exersises like this http://www.basdebaar.com/alignment-by-the-new-iphone-2949.html) you can come a long way.
Thanks for sharing.
And good luck.
Cheers
Bas