Diversity and Teamwork

In a diverse working team, where people come from different disciplines, from different departments of a company, or different cultures, they converge very diverse opinions, different attitudes, and disparate views. We can see this as an obstacle, or as an opportunity. It is best to see it as an opportunity, as the results of the work of a diverse team may be much richer than those of a homogeneous team. Some of the benefits of the diverse working teams, according to Iván Sala, Co-Founder and VP at Talent Clue, are Creativity and innovation. When we bring together people from different cultures, skills, ages, professions, etc., in one work team, the ideas of all members are added. More ideas are more likely when members are diverse because they think differently. Working with people who are different from us and who think differently, causes us to open our minds and discover new possibilities, opportunities, and perspectives, for the project we are working on and for new projects.

The diversity makes it possible to reach more customers. Companies with employees from different backgrounds and experiences will be able to reach all segments of customers, from different cultures, men and women, young and old. etc. because within the company there are people who know and are close to the clients of the different segments, knowing better how they think, what they need, where they are, etc.

Diversity multiplies creativity, the creativity of each individual, and that of the group. The benefits of diversity bring great value to the company. But diversity needs to be managed to make it profitable. The keys to managing diversity are:

Accept other views. An organizational culture that is not tolerant of different ideas and opinions will see diversity as a generator of conflict. For diversity to be beneficial to the enterprise, we must promote tolerance and respect for others and their ideas. Moreover, corporate culture must promote freedom to express ideas, so as not to cut the wings to creativity, the greatest benefit of diversity.

Faced with variety and diversity, having a common interest in which working becomes essential. The common unites us and generates strong connections among humans. Let's take advantage of that for a good cohesion of diverse teams. It works for a common goal, the project, the company, etc., and always celebrates the successes the team has achieved.

Managing communication is important in diversity. We tend to prefer to communicate with people who are similar to us. It is necessary to establish channels for communication to flow among all members of the team and to keep an eye on the communication not being cut because of differences of opinion.