{"id":4953,"date":"2016-12-01T00:01:46","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T05:01:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/?p=4953"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:29:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:29:06","slug":"team-diversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/team-diversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Reasons You Will Dial Up Decision Quality with More Team Diversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Decision quality increases with the number of available options. The MGRUSH<\/span><\/em> technique has long promoted the concept of team diversity to improve decision quality. Most understand that properly facilitated teams are smarter than the smartest person on the team, especially when you increase team diversity.<\/h2>\n

Teams create more options than aggregating individual inputs.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Team<\/a>

Team Diversity Increases Decision Quality<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Diverse teams push even higher, why?<\/span><\/p>\n

A McKinsey study found that among nearly 400 public companies in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity in management, they were 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry mean.\u00a0 An additional positive factor was found for gender diversity as well. Credit Suisse found among 2,400 global companies that \u201corganizations with at least one female board member yielded a higher return on equity and higher net income growth than those that did not have any women on the board.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to decision quality mentioned above, a Harvard Business Review article by David RockHeidi and Grant Halvorson provides three additional reasons to promote diversity within your teams:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Assuredly, diverse teams rely more on facts,<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Diverse teams process facts more carefully,<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Consequently, diverse teams are more innovative<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    With some strong research to back them up, the rationale for each follows.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Diverse Teams Rely More On Facts<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    When teams and groups are stirred up with heterogeneity, they find common ground in facts<\/a>. Ethnically diverse groups make more accurate predictions than homogeneous groups. Because they focus less on the subjective feelings of individuals, they present arguments that belie the objective nature of the group at large. Therefore, by mixing up groups, participants become more aware of their own biases and heuristics.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cDiverse teams are more likely to constantly reexamine facts and remain objective. They may also encourage greater scrutiny of each member\u2019s actions, keeping their joint cognitive resources sharp and vigilant.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Diverse Teams Process Facts More Carefully<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Increased diversity forces teams to take a more disciplined approach to analyzing information. Referring to a study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin by Katherine Phillips of Northwestern University, groups with \u2018newcomers\u2019 were more likely to make accurate decisions than those without.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cRemember: Considering the perspective of an outsider may seem counterintuitive, but the payoff can be huge.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Diverse Teams Are More Innovative<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Innovation drives superior profits and customer lifetime value. The authors refer to a study of over 4,000 companies published in Innovation: Management, Policy & Practice.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201c . . . they found that companies with more women were more likely to introduce radical new innovations into the market over a two-year period.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Separately, a study of nearly 8,000 firms in the UK indicates clearly that diverse leadership teams are more likely to develop new products. Therefore, according to RockHeidi and Halvorson:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cHiring individuals who do not look, talk, or think like you can allow you to dodge the costly pitfalls of conformity, which discourages innovative thinking.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    While the HBR article emphasizes the enrichment of employee pools by varying gender, race, and nationality, you should aspire for heterogeneity among your teams and meetings. \u00a0Divers teams monitor personal bias and validate assumptions more thoroughly.\u00a0 As you facilitate and lead meetings with higher-quality\u00a0decisions and output, your projects will and programs will more likely succeed as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

    ______<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

    Let us know how we can assist because nobody is smarter than everybody<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    ______<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

    Consensus Mastery and Facilitation require more than understanding the \u2018what\u2019\u2014it\u2019s about mastering the \u2018how.\u2019 Building consensus demands a unique blend of human-centric skills and analytical tools to ensure inclusivity, rigor, and actionable outputs. Take the first step toward transforming your facilitation skills: identify where your organization or team faces the greatest challenges by cross-referencing these factors as you plan your next meeting or workshop. Ready to elevate your impact? Join our <\/b>Professional Workshop<\/b><\/a> to gain hands-on insight, practice, and feedback, empowering you to lead with confidence and achieve lasting results. Click <\/b>here<\/b><\/a> to secure your spot today!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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