Experts have a clear understanding of the potential advantages that diversity brings to teams and organizations.
APM acknowledges that diverse teams generally outperform homogeneous ones. This correlation is increasingly evident in the performance and financial outcomes of organizations.
Does this align with your personal experience?
In a previous section, you explored exceptional and high-performing teams. Based on your own observations, do you see a connection between diversity and performance? Do teams with greater diversity produce superior work? Additionally, what challenges arise when working in highly diverse teams?
We are genuinely interested in hearing about your experiences and thoughts regarding these questions in the discussion section.
Having a diverse team outweighs a homogeneous team in many ways.
Firstly, a diverse time often time comprises people who haven’t worked together on a particular kind of project and these people must have been selected based on their skills and uniqueness. The diversity in the skills of the team members gears towards success and greater performance because the team would have enough skills required to execute the project successfully. Oftentimes, there is zero to little need for external contractors because the required skill set would be available on such a diverse team.
Moreover, Having a diverse team will create room for the division of labour as well as specialization in roles. Compared to a Homogenous team, where there is similarity in skills and less diversity, certain skill sets are absent and the need for contracting the role is cogent.
In my opinion, there is a lot of connection between diversity and performance. A diverse team with enough skills required for a project tends to face little hurdles in delivering or carrying out certain roles and duties, and in this kind of team, roles are disseminated and results are gotten quickly and accurately.
The above being said is quite embedded with certain challenges. A diverse team if they are not oriented well can delay the progress of the project. If a project manager fails to do a launch event properly, outlining the roles and expected duties of each team member, there can be a clash of interests or unclear expectations. Storming is inevitable and can be difficult to maintain if the project manager doesn’t have a clear charter. Of course, a homogenous team can also face the same challenges but it is minimal.
Above all the project manager needs to understand the principle of building a team, the needs of the project in selecting team members and giving a clear brief of the roles of each team member, I believe that with these sorted the team will work with cohesion and deliver a good project.
Diversity can achieve superior performance but the relationship may be complex. It brings benefits like increased creativity, innovation and problem solving ability by combining different skillsets. However it may pose challenges around areas of communication and interpersonal dynamics which can hinder functioning if not managed effectively. Challenges that may arise in highly diverse teams include, communication barriers and misunderstanding due to differences in language, cultural norms and communication styles. Interpersonal tensions du e to lack of shared social identity
Diversity is a strategic advantage that can lead to better project outcomes, higher innovation, and a more dynamic and engaged workforce. By embracing diversity, project managers can create a more inclusive, effective, and competitive project environment.
The success of an organization is achieved by bringing new creative ideas. Thus, adopting diversity management and diverse workforce inside organization, will create a behavior to add several traits that will enhance the organizational performance by adapting the current work environment to the future work plan.
Diversity can help a team become more agile and be better equipped to pivot and adapt as necessary to remain competitive.
The challenges of working in a more diverse teams are Communication issues, Cultural misunderstandings, Slower decision making, Inequitable inclusion and Discrimination
Diversity is important in a project team because it has a higher performance rate than homogeneous team.
Also, diversity is important in project team because they a variety of experiences and solutions to problem that may arise in a project.
Disadvantages of a diverse team are communication and language barrier.
Igwebueze Cynthia Nkechi
Team-5, cohort-16
Diversity of thoughts, skills and intellects brings out the best in a team. reasons are, there is a strict regard for understanding and acceptance of each others opinion irrespective of gender, age and socio-cultural background. Diverse teams only work on the major goal of the project by bringing their top skills to the table. Diversity encourages inclusion that creates a positive environment needed for executing complex and complicated projects.
The major challenge that might possibly arise in working in diverse team might be language barrier or a longer list of highly intellectual individuals who might find it difficult coming to terms with whose opinion to go with. However, that it why it is important for a good project manager to assemble the best team and make use of the chattering technique while assembling the team.
Diversity of thought elevates teams by fostering communication around individual perspectives and creating a posture of thinking that’s beyond yourself. It’s a key ingredient to candid conversation, innovation and execution.
It’s very important to me that everyone I work with feels safe, accepted, and valued and has an equal opportunity to grow and succeed. Together, the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion help create a workplace culture that drives the business forward.”
Cohort 16
Team 6
In my experience, there is a significant relationship between diversity and performance. Working in a diverse team at an environmental company has shown me that diverse teams often produce better work. Diversity brings together different perspectives, ideas, and problem-solving approaches, which can lead to more innovative solutions and comprehensive strategies. For instance, in our team, individuals from various cultural and educational backgrounds contributed unique insights that enriched our environmental projects and allowed us to address complex issues more effectively.
However, working in highly diverse teams also comes with challenge. One challenge was the need to manage and integrate diverse viewpoints, which could occasionally slow down decision-making processes. Fostering an inclusive environment where everyone felt valued and heard required continuous effort and sensitivity.
Despite these challenges, the benefits of diversity far outweighed the difficulties. The team’s ability to approach problems from multiple angles and the increased creativity and innovation were clear indicators of the positive impact of diversity on performance. Through open communication, team-building activities, and a strong emphasis on mutual respect, we were able to overcome the challenges and leverage our diversity to achieve outstanding results in our projects.
In summary, my experience confirms that diverse teams do indeed do better work, provided that there is a conscious effort to address the inherent challenges and create an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
Diverse teams just as homogenous teams have their advantages and disadvantages; however, the Diverse team has lots of benefits it brings to the table such as; a good blend of various expertise and experience, and a wide range for creative innovations which are of significant benefits to the project.
Disadvantages such as language or culture or work style differences may play out, but these are simple challenges that can solved with either the chattering or Tuckman’s technique without it affecting the projects outputs and outcomes.
Diversity is important in project teams because they bring a variety of experiences and solutions to problems that may arise in a project.. Disadvantages of a diverse team includes language and communication barrier