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.
As a media person,, working with diverse teams in different establishment was a rewarding experience that helped me develop better knowledge, my perspective and as well improved in my broadcasting career
Working in very diverse teams lets the team members use their initiatives in solving problems. This makes the project manager harness or spot the skills of team members. It also reduces time spent on social interactions and increases productive use of time. So, yes it delivers superior work.
It is important to state that oftentimes, diverse teams when they are overly diverse, due to much opinions expressed by different team members can make decisions hard to make and can also slow down processes unless the storming phase is completely absent and the people involved are emotionally stable enough not to make it about how they feel things should be. The beautiful thing is it gives room for new ideas and approaches to be explored.
There is truly a connection between diversity and productivity as see in the previous video.
People with diverse experience bring in diverse approach to same situation. Everyone has their unique style and ways to handle projects.
Additionally, there would be mutual respect amongst the team members because of less familiarity, this will help the team achieve it’s goal in a short time as everyone is focused on delivering their best.
Challenges of working in highly diverse teams in my experience, is the issue of competition. Some of the team members want to outdo others this in a way may be beneficial to the project but can cause rift amongst the team.
Another challenge is in the area of conflicting values, because they come from diverse places they have different ways of approach to situations which may cause conflict. But with the right Project Manager all these can be put under control.
Diverse teams outperform others because they bring together individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This diversity of thought leads to innovative ideas and creative solutions that may not emerge in more homogeneous teams. The varied perspectives help the team analyze problems from multiple angles, which results in better decision-making and more effective problem-solving. Additionally, diverse teams will respect boundaries more than homogeneous groups, maintain extreme focus, enhance healthy competition and better understand the cultural Details of a wider range of customers, providing insights that allow for more tailored and effective strategies.
However, managing diversity also presents challenges like; differences in language, communication styles, and cultural norms, leading to misunderstandings. Diverse teams often have conflicting approaches to solving problems, which can make it harder to reach a consensus or work cohesively.
From what experienced, teams with diverse members often offer a broader range of views, ideas, and ways to solve problems. This can result in more creative solutions and improved decision-making. When people from different backgrounds, skills, and perspectives work together, they can challenge each other positively, encouraging the group to think creatively and achieve better results. This supports the idea that diverse teams do better than those that are more uniform, as suggested by APM.
However, working in very diverse teams can have its difficulties, especially in communication and teamwork. Different cultural norms, work habits, and expectations can sometimes cause confusion or slow down decision-making. Still, with strong project manager leadership and a focus on inclusivity, these issues can be addressed, making diversity a valuable strength for the team.
from what I have learnt and also what that is obtainable in reality, there are positive side of diversity in team work, it brings uniqueness of each personality and originality of doing things thereby getting the job done in a smarter ways, reason being that it brings unique ideas and positive competition and motivation among the team members which would translate in better ways of solving problems and making decisions that would improve the team output and performance
one of the demerits such diversity, may be language barrier which would impact on communication and engagement among the team members, lack of confidence among each other and some unnecessary misunderstanding due to cultural differences as everyone would love to be heard.
Based on my observation, I would say there is a positive relationship between diversity and performance. More diverse teams tend to:
1. Bring unique perspectives and ideas, leading to increased innovation and creativity.
2. Improve problem-solving and decision-making by considering a broader range of views.
3. Enhance adaptability and resilience in a rapidly changing environment.
4. Boost employee engagement and motivation, leading to higher productivity.
Managing highly diverse teams can also present challenges, such as:
1. Communication barriers: Language, cultural, and social differences can lead to misunderstandings.
2. Integration and cohesion: Building trust and a sense of unity among team members with different backgrounds.
3. Conflict and bias: Managing potential conflicts and biases that may arise from diverse perspectives.
4. Cultural and social differences: Navigating varying work styles, norms, and expectations.
I have not experienced working with a diverse team but from what I have read, I think working with a diverse team gives you more insights and experience on how to get a task done. I remember someone talking of working with a man from Netherlands as a consultant and he went on to tell us how this man showed him some sharp ways of getting the workdone and till today he never forget his experience with him,diversity bring people from different places with different technical know -how to get a job done excellently and the challenges there also is that there can be disagreement most times because everyone wants to be heard.
I was once drafted into Emergency Response Team at my place of work some months back. This was a temporary team created set up by Safety unit of the company. The team welcomed all sectors of the Department with our different background and knowledge/skill to bring necessary contribution to the project. The diversity in team was of great benefit in creating a room for increased creativity for innovation, enhanced problem solving skill and decision making, strengthened bonding within the Organization.
We however at the initial phase had challenges experiencing bias among team, slow decision making, communication barriers.
In all, I stand with opinion that diversity when properly managed has a positive contribution to Project Management.
Ebube Usiade
CHORT 17 Team 4
As a healthcare provider, working with diverse teams in a healthcare establishment was a rewarding experience that broadened my perspective and as well improved patient outcomes.