{"id":30172,"date":"2023-11-06T16:08:36","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T15:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/benelux.vps.buzztestserver.co.uk\/en\/?post_type=resources&p=30172"},"modified":"2024-09-04T11:03:11","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T09:03:11","slug":"9-ways-to-embrace-diversity-of-thought","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/benelux.vps.buzztestserver.co.uk\/en\/resources\/9-ways-to-embrace-diversity-of-thought\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Ways to Embrace Diversity of Thought"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article originally appeared on Microlearning<\/a>, our bite-sized online solution for leaders and individual contributors.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It feels good\u2014and efficient!\u2014to work with familiar people, speaking in shorthand and finding confidence-boosting consensus without the conflict that can come from disagreement.<\/p>\n

Yet, research suggests that groups with diverse perspectives tend to be more effective at problem-solving and innovating, perhaps because people work harder to explain unique views and analyze new information than they do when surrounded by people with the same background or experiences. \u201cDiversity jolts us into cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does not,\u201d writes researcher\u00a0Katherine W. Phillips<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And when you seek and embrace new perspectives, you not only help yourself but also foster the kind of workplace where people get excited to share their ideas, even if they challenge the status quo, because they know their contribution will be heard and valued.<\/p>\n

So, how can you leverage thought diversity? For starters, try these tips.<\/p>\n

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1. Take advantage of brief encounters to start expanding your perspective.<\/h2>\n

Getting to know your colleagues as individuals with unique views to contribute is a powerful antidote to groupthink, bias, and the tendency to put on blinders to focus on your own work. Beginning to expand your perspective need not be time consuming; you can start small. Getting more familiar with someone in a casual, low-pressure setting can make it easier to hear them out later when they offer a provocative idea or piece of feedback that could impact your work.<\/p>\n

To benefit from a chance encounter with a colleague at the elevator or during a chat before a department meeting, try asking a simple question like\u00a0\u201cWhat\u2019s the most interesting thing you\u2019re working on?\u201d\u00a0<\/i>or\u00a0\u201cWhat\u2019s your perspective on our company\u2019s big initiative?\u201d\u00a0<\/i>Then\u00a0listen and engage\u00a0with the person.<\/p>\n

Whether or not you learn something that\u2019s immediately helpful, you\u2019re laying the foundation for a more productive relationship. And you\u2019re setting mental markers for how the other person could contribute to your work: For example, if Tariq is focused on expanding government contracts, he could be a helpful source of information on what product features clients value most.<\/p>\n

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2. Push your team to think critically, and hire for critical thinking skills and unique contributions.<\/h2>\n

Early in his career, an experienced sales manager noticed a pattern: His direct reports agreed with him \u201cway too quickly and easily\u2014which was scary, not comforting,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He devised a team session where one rep would pull up an account and the group would analyze it together, encouraging each person (even invited guests from other teams) to offer an insight or idea to bring fresh eyes to the account.<\/p>\n

In addition, this sales manager changed the way he hired, looking specifically for candidates with different backgrounds who could add a new perspective. \u201cThe questions I began to ask were \u2018What unique value will you bring to the team?\u2019 and \u2018How will you make those around you better?\u2019\u2014not just \u2018Can you hit a sales number?\u2019\u201d Over time, he began to see a real difference in team performance. \u201cI\u2019ve looked at the data, and the most successful team I\u2019ve ever managed\u2014in terms of pure sales revenue\u2014was the most diverse team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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3. When it comes to proactively seeking input on your work, challenge any natural assumptions that it won\u2019t be worth the effort.<\/h2>\n

I\u00a0<\/em>know what they\u2019re going to say and it won\u2019t change my mind, so asking will only waste time for both of us<\/i>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Your brain may fall back on common assumptions\u2014that the other person\u2019s views remain fixed, that there\u2019s no feedback that will be helpful, or that the person is too busy to help\u2014trying to dissuade you from reaching out for views that could differ from yours. Don\u2019t let these excuses become habit, or your work will remain untested and grow stagnant.<\/p>\n

Think of the risks if you don\u2019t seek views that challenge your own: A blind spot of yours causes a project to flop or a campaign to offend a certain group of customers. Also consider the potential rewards of making the extra effort to seek others\u2019 views: A crisis averted or breakthrough revealed<\/p>\n

In terms of whom to ask, be careful not to judge someone\u2019s capability or potential to contribute based on your occasional interactions or surface traits like job function or age, says one experienced engineering manager. He once found surprising insight from a financial analyst who was decades younger than he but who had a knack for asking high-level, strategic engineering questions. \u201cThis person really expanded our technical team\u2019s view of what the project should be. From that point on, I started to look for people who had that kind of partnership attitude and could advance my thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

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4. Identify times when proactively seeking a diverse perspective would be especially valuable for your goal or project.<\/h2>\n

Of course, it\u2019s neither realistic nor wise to pause 10 times during every project to hear new people\u2019s ideas and opinions. But alternative viewpoints can be especially helpful when:<\/p>\n