How to harness the power of cognitive diversity in teams
You may have heard of the DISC (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow) or Hermann (Left, Right, Brain, Lymbic) psychological models and tests which are theories about individual preferences (1) (2). These tests are based on a simple idea: that each of us has a different way of thinking and solving problems, and by combining these different styles, we can accomplish more than just thinking and standing alone.
More diverse teams benefit from a greater range of cognitive differences and preferences. They are much more efficient than homogeneous teams. But it’s not enough to create a blue, red, green and yellow profile and expect them to work well together. They need to be orchestrated, they need to communicate and collaborate.
“It’s like having an orchestra: you can have all the instruments you want, but if they don’t play in harmony, you won’t get good music.”
When faced with a challenge, balanced teams are better able to offer different options to overcome it. For example, if you have a team of mostly blue-green engineers, they tend to do the same things over and over. They find it difficult to think outside the box, to find alternative solutions. On the other hand, if you have a team of yellow-red people, they tend to go everywhere and have a hard time concentrating, finding solutions to real problems. They sometimes create problems that don’t even exist.
How cognitive differences affect Team performance and Leadership style
Cognitive differences are variations in how people think, learn, remember, and process information (ex : Spatial-visualization, Verbal fluency, Cognitive dissonance, Orientation). They can be influenced by many factors, such as genetics, brain structure, environment, culture, and experience.
A study conducted by a University of North Carolina showed that skill diversity reduces the risk of error by 5%, while diversity of cognitive styles reduces the risk of error by 15%.
Why is that? Because when you put an expert in his field on a team, you don’t question him, you leave the responsibility to him, you take his word for granted. But when you put people with different cognitive styles in a team, they force themselves to explain themselves, to justify themselves, to challenge themselves.
“Cognitive diversity is encapsulated in a single question: faced with a problem, how do you solve it?”
Mai Lam Nguyen-Conan
When it comes to creativity, there is a diagram created by the English psychologist Graham Wallas (3) which describes four phases: preparation, incubation, enlightenment and verification.
- Preparation involves clearly defining the problem.
- Incubation is about generating ideas and imagining solutions.
- Enlightenment is when you choose the best evidence-based solutions.
- Verification involves testing the solutions and seeing if they work.
Strategies that consist of creating teams that are diverse in terms of thinking styles to produce and deliver decisions are much more effective than creating homogeneous teams of people who get along well, who include a maximum of psychological profiles and brain preferences.
We are stronger together than apart. Our diversity is our strength. That we can learn from each other and grow together. This is how we can build an effective team.
How to create a team that works?
Share a common vision, values and culture:
This is the first role of the Leader, to create links, cohesion around a vision, a common mission. This mission results in clear collective and individual objectives. Your team must share both the vision and the common values that guide its actions and decisions. Your team members should have clear roles and responsibilities that match their skills and interests.
Adopt collective intelligence as a force for change:
To succeed, you have to evolve, change, progress. Experiment regularly. Your team must be ready to try new things, to learn from failures. It must capitalize on successes and formalize performance processes to adapt to changing situations. You must give them the means to improve and implement the proposed progress actions. To do this, the team must value and respect the different points of view, backgrounds and strengths of each member. Diversity is a force for driving change.
Great leaders communicate effectively:
Your team should communicate frequently, openly and respectfully with each other and with other stakeholders. As a leader, you support the teams and structure the performance system. You provide vision, direction, support, feedback and guidance towards everyone’s personal development.
Common demotivators in the workplace:
- Micromanagement.
- Lack of progress.
- Lack of recognition.
- Bad managers.
These steps can help you create a productive and effective group that works well together.
5 ways to motivate your team members
- Establish employee incentive programs.
- Provide leadership and growth opportunities.
- Create a welcoming and fun workspace.
- Give your employees continual positive feedback.
- Be okay with failure.
In summary, How to build and lead diverse and creative teams
- More diverse teams benefit from a greater range of cognitive differences and preferences, but they need to be orchestrated, communicated and collaborated effectively.
- Cognitive differences are variations in how people think, learn, remember and process information, and they can be influenced by many factors.
- A study showed that diversity of cognitive styles reduces the risk of error by 15%, because it forces people to explain, justify and challenge themselves.
- Creativity involves four phases: preparation, incubation, enlightenment and verification. Diverse teams can offer different options and solutions for each phase.
- Strategies that consist of creating teams that are diverse in terms of thinking styles are more effective than creating homogeneous teams of people who get along well.
“Cognitive diversity is the immune system of a team; it is the invisible layer that has proven benefit in terms of performance. Having said that, it has the potential for success or disaster. It depends on the level of psychological safety and cultural intelligence.”
Csaba Toth
References :
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