How Do High-Performing Teams Behave?

You probably have encountered some workplaces that are not diverse. There are too few people of color, too few women, everyone is around the same age, everyone’s kids go to the same school, everyone does the same things after work; they shop at the same stores and visit the same places in the community.

But there are some other, more subtle signs that your workplace isn’t actually very diverse – even if it may look like it is based on the statistics. In those workplaces, people who are not white men sit around the edges of every meeting and do not participate. Problems flow up the chain and decisions flow down.

In those workplaces, people frequently don’t talk to each other in a natural way because they’re afraid. They don’t engage with people who are different from them because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing – of offending someone. So, they just skip that part. They continue to engage where they’re most comfortable – with people just like them.

Those are signs that your workplace isn’t actually all that diverse – no matter what the numbers say.

So, what does a truly diverse, high-performing workplace look like?

The leaders understand why diversity is important to their bottom line and they communicate that regularly. They talk about diversity not just to talk about it, not just to look good – they talk about diversity because it’s a priority for them. They need it to achieve their goals. And they say that out loud.

These same leaders don’t compromise standards. To the contrary, they ruthlessly cultivate meritocracies and ensure that the most talented people have equal access to opportunities to rise through the ranks.

When you look around a room, you see a cross-section of people. They look different, they sound different, they have different experiences and perspectives. And most importantly, people are able to show up as they actually see themselves. And they do.

Across the board, diverse cultures are high-performing cultures.

There is real idea generation and real discussion - and that means there are disagreements. People are able to respectfully disagree with one another because they are bringing different perspectives to the table.

Sometimes that feels counterintuitive to people. Disagreement is a sign of a healthy culture? It is. Our brains are wired to grow and learn and solve more problems when we’re challenged. But it has to be done productively and respectfully. Healthy disagreement is based on substance, not style. It’s motivated by a genuine interest in solving problems and making everyone better.

So, in a high-performing culture, there is not unanimous agreement all the time – but most decisions end up driven by consensus because people listen to lots of input and ideas but share common goals and commonly perceived problems.

Every major decision is preceded by a robust conversation about the options – pros, cons, and alternatives.

When an idea is being discussed, everyone at the table has a perspective and is expected to express a point of view.

People say what they think to each other’s face because they want to confront problems, not cover them up. They don’t leave the room to talk about one another or behind someone’s back.

On a high-performance team, people like showing up. They want to bring all of themselves to work. They’re not different people outside of work.