Your team is struggling to meet its goals. How can you use diversity to help them succeed?

1 What is diversity and why does it matter?

Diversity is the variety of characteristics that make people unique, such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, education, experience, and personality. Diversity matters because it can enrich your team's creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and customer service. Research shows that diverse teams can outperform homogeneous ones, especially in complex and dynamic environments like the insurance sector.

2 How to assess your team's diversity

Before you can use diversity to your advantage, you need to understand your team's current level and type of diversity. You can use tools such as surveys, interviews, or assessments to gather data on your team members' demographic and psychological attributes. You can also observe how they interact, communicate, and collaborate with each other and with external stakeholders. This will help you identify the strengths and gaps of your team's diversity, as well as the potential sources of conflict or misunderstanding.

3 How to foster a culture of inclusion

To make diversity work for your team, you need to create a culture of inclusion, where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. You can do this by setting clear and fair expectations, providing regular and constructive feedback, recognizing and rewarding achievements, and encouraging learning and development. You can also promote a sense of belonging by celebrating diversity, facilitating social interactions, and addressing any issues or concerns promptly and respectfully.

5 How to manage diverse communication styles

Another challenge of having a diverse team is that you may encounter different communication styles, preferences, and expectations. You can manage this by adapting your communication style to suit your audience, using clear and simple language, avoiding jargon and slang, and checking for understanding. You can also use multiple channels and formats to communicate your message, such as email, phone, video, or face-to-face. You can also seek feedback and input from your team members, listen actively, and acknowledge different opinions.

6 How to resolve diverse conflicts

Conflict is inevitable in any team, but it can be more frequent and intense in a diverse team. You can resolve this by adopting a collaborative and respectful approach, focusing on the issue rather than the person, and seeking common ground and mutual benefit. You can also use mediation or arbitration if needed, or seek external help from a professional or a trusted colleague. You can also learn from the conflict and use it as an opportunity to improve your team's diversity and performance.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?