Diverse Teams Succeed: "Who" Matters

Building Diverse Teams

Team building starts with “Who” is on the team. Your goal is to ensure you have provided the team uniquely different ways of seeing and solving problems. That’s why building diverse teams is critical to your team’s success. This guide can be used to help you build out a team with multiple perspectives and vantage points.

Hierarchical and Divisional Diversity (Scope of Responsibility)

Senior Leadership, Middle Management and Specialists
Organizational ‘Veterans’ and ‘Rookies’
Business Division Representation
- Operational Divisions/Business Divisions
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Administration
- Legal/Compliance
- Marketing
- Sales
- Research & Development

Cognitive Diversity

Educational Background
- Ivy League / State Schools / Technical
- Liberal Arts / Sciences / Engingeering / Business
Variety of experience in the various functions within the organization
Variety of experience outside the organzition, for example:
- Heavy Industry / Professional Services
- Retail / Manufaturing
- Government and Public Service / Non-Profit
- Military / Peace Corps
- International Cultural or Global Business Experience
Gender and Sexual Orientation
Personality and Temperament – Introverts and Extroverts / Data-Oriented or People-Oriented
Generational
- Matures
- Baby Boomers
- Generation X
- Generation Y / Millennials
Racial, Religious and Ethnic
Socio-economic Background
Inclusion of Different Physical Abilities – Visual / Auditory / Ambulatory / Health