lesson 40: diversity matters

​Research has shown us that corporations with more diverse boards have better outcomes. According to Adam Alter, author of Anatomy of a Breakthrough, the same is true for teams. He says the best teams have three kinds of people.

One. Those who have expertise in the subject at hand. This is the obvious one, as you have to have people who understand what you’re trying to do. The other two kinds of people are more surprising.

The second kind of person that the best teams have is what Alter calls, The Non-Redundant Actor. This is someone who comes from a different culture, background and/or tradition AND has little or no overlapping history with the team. This fosters creative friction that makes it more likely that new ideas and approaches are explored.
In research done on the long-running TV show, Dr. Who, the most successful episodes were written by a highly diverse group of writers who didn’t work together often. On the other hand, the least successful were those where the writers knew each other well.
When your congregation or organization is looking build something important, it will serve you well to involve people that are Non-Redundant Actors.

Finally, the third kind of person you need on your team is The Oddball . This is someone who often offers suggestions that seem off topic or just off the wall. Why would you want someone like this on your team?

According to Alter, researchers found that participants who were trying to solve a puzzle actually did better when given random and unhelpful suggestions. Having an oddball on your team is likely to stimulate creative problem solving, even if they are mildly annoying.
God created a world full of diversity. As a leader, you can do the same for the teams you develop.

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