Are We Benefiting from our Diverse Team?

Have you ever seen a team in which discussions and decision-making are dominated by a subset of team members? Sometimes, a few people have the loudest voices, or the strongest personalities, and they get more attention and influence. How can leaders ensure that team members are functioning as a group, building constructively on each other's ideas, resolving conflict, and ultimately, making decisions together? Research shows teams perform best when there’s equal participation from everyone.?

Yeah, but we just have a lot of introverts on our team, you say. What’s the harm in that??

The biggest hazard is substandard or incomplete decision-making. In other words, have you covered all your blindspots? Not every conversation requires input from everyone. But the patterns matter and as a leader, you should be aware of the communication patterns on your team. Teams function best when leaders feel seen and heard.?

“So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune.”? – Ruth Bader Ginsburg?

Action: At your next weekly meeting, keep track of who you hear from and solicit input from who you don’t. See how the discussion changes as you hear from more viewpoints.