Building Cohesive, Diverse Leadership Teams

Throughout the month, we’re talking about how to build a cohesive, diverse leadership team. Last week, we talked about the value of diverse teams and the difficulty of building the trust necessary to support them. Over the next several days, we’ll be sharing foundational steps to begin building organizational trust and team cohesion.

Despite shared worldviews, communication methods, and decision-making processes, even homogenous teams struggle with achieving real trust-based cohesion. Diverse teams are powerful because they provide insights into different perspectives, though that strength is also a speed bump on the road to cohesion. Like most speed bumps, if you proceed safely and intentionally, they aren’t a big deal; ignoring them can cause severe damage. 

Cohesive teams trust each other enough to have spirited debates about solving big problems and committing to those solutions—and genuinely feeling responsible for their outcomes—even when not everyone agrees.

So, cohesiveness is the goal. How do you get there? The first thing you should know is there is no substitute for intentional actions of trustworthiness over time. There are, however, several ways to get the process moving more quickly. Here are two conversations to get you on the right path:

Get to know one another. It’s nearly impossible to truly trust or find common ground with someone you don’t really know. You don’t have to start with your deepest, darkest secrets. Maybe you can start with something reasonably easy: Do your teammates know how you grew up? Were you rich, poor, or somewhere in-between? Are you part of a big family? Did you grow up in a rural, urban or suburban environment? Were you in the military? Where did you go to school? Why did you choose the path you chose? 

Knowing this information may help others understand you better, leading to better understanding of how your unique perspective contributes to the team.

Understand your collective impact on one another. Teams, by definition, share a common goal. Many leadership teams are set up (intentionally or not) as silos with minimal overlap and an “I do my thing, you do yours” mentality. Regardless of structure, leaders and the sub-teams they lead do impact one another. It’s best to figure out what those impact points are early on, so we can minimize the stress they cause our teammates. I recommend having a direct conversation about it. Some questions to consider: In what ways do we rely on one another? How can my actions hurt you or your team? A positive impact? What is your level of concern about my ability to perform? How can I minimize that to a more comfortable level?

This conversation shouldn’t be rushed and should be had as a team, person by person - every time I’ve facilitated one of these conversations, people were surprised by things they learned. Every. Single. Time. Once you know, you have the chance to improve - ignorance is not bliss. 

Both of these carry a relatively low cost and risk and can be a DIY project. Just gather the team together, clear your calendars for an afternoon, and share as much as you’re willing. However, if you’re thinking this sounds like a daunting task, listen to your instincts—not everyone is equipped to facilitate these kinds of conversations. You will achieve better results if you can enlist the help of a trained, external facilitator and if each member of the team is willing to risk a bit by being open. 

Check back later this week, when we'll continue sharing resources. In the meantime, share some of your own in the comments - what helpful hints do you have for building trust on your team?