Building Strong Teams with Diverse and Vastly Different People
The Big Idea: A Team Ready and Willing for Vigorous Debate and Discussion from a Variety of Perspectives is a Creative and Powerful Team
At its basics, a team is a collection of diverse and different people united to accomplish common purposes. To be effective, it must be cohesive. But cohesion does not require rote obedience to the company line. In fact, no company lines should be drawn, except in emergencies, until every voice is heard, and every perspective considered and then blended into the line or if not workable, discarded. It is when a fully debated and blended company line is drawn that cohesion requires compliance. But even then, room must be left for individuals to follow different but compatible paths to the same goal.
Sincere Commitment to the Following Principles will Help Teams Learn To:
- Respect and Appreciate and Seek input from all parties
- Understand, Support and Accept different people and perspectives
- Form Compatibility Partnerships among the team members
- Understand that the most powerful unity is found in diversity
- Accept that Strong Devil’s Advocacy Makes for a stronger team
- Resolve communication challenges stemming from personality differences
- Present a united front to team goals based on broad, open input and challenge
This is a group self-discovery program best administered in a team seminar setting using a workbook I will supply. In Developing Laisr, I’ve built on the work of two ancient physicians, Hippocrates and Galen as well as hundreds of others who have, as I have, followed them. Most personality theorists agree that human behaviors can be categorized into four types Or as I call them, Drivers.
The Lasir Personality Assessment Tool Uses the following Driver Labels.
- Captain; Telling style: Issuing directives, developing broad strategy, delegating tactics, taking risks, and setting goals to seize opportunity
- Promoter; Selling style: Inspiring, promoting, encouraging with empathy, harmony and keeping it fun
- Organizer; Structured Style: Organizing, developing policies and procedures, monitoring compliance, conserving resources, and resisting risk
- Perfecter; Honing Style: Setting high quality standards, maintaining mission focus, going the “extra mile”
How The Program Works and Results I Can Expect
The session starts with an introduction to the importance of engagement followed up with and administration and scoring of my Manual Lasir Talent Assessment Tool. “WE then validate the results with each individual, explore attitudes towards individuals who are both like us and not like us. With those exercises as a foundation, we continue with a lengthy look at strengths and weaknesses. When Individual differences are highlighted and commended in a group process, the increased respect and communication are invaluable.