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Our differences can make a positive difference – Maxwell
A few years ago in Harvard Business Review they gave a definition of TEAM. “A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.” (Katzenbach & Smith, “The Discipline of Teams”. March-April 1993).
To underscore an important truth, our differences really can make a difference in our teams, organizations and personal lives. Here are three powerful truths about team diversity.
- Diverse Teams Fill in The Knowledge Gap
- Diverse Teams Fill in The Perspective Gap
- Diverse Teams Fill in The Experience Gap
Consider these six barriers to diversity
Fear of Conflict – All great relationships that last over time require productive conflict in order to grow. This is true in marriage, parenting, and business. Conflict does not have to be taboo.
Insufficient Personal Work – It has been reported that 75% of white people don’t have any non-white friends. It is reported that 65% of black people don’t have any non-black friends. Do you think that personal work is required? More specifically it requires humility, intentionality, time, love, and energy.
Unwillingness To Deal With Prejudice – From an unknown source; “The world is like a hand and all of the people its fingers. If you hate and destroy one group of people, you lose a finger, and the grasp of the world is less.”Arrogance – Some leaders are so confident in their own genius that they can’t imagine other people adding value to their work – the less similar they are, the less they can contribute.
Personal Insecurities – The best antidote for personal insecurity is to think about helping other people and putting them first.If your insecurities surface because of other’s strengths of differences – start working on them. If not, then the team and your leadership ability will suffer greatly. Failing To Be Inclusive – If there people in your charge that do not feel included, they will disconnect and will not bring their best talents and gifts to the table.
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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!
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