Diversity in teams. Curse or blessing? 

Diversity means variety. In companies and teams, this means diversity in terms of gender, age, professional experience, education or cultural background, and is simply a fact of life in many teams today. The more diversity in a small space, the more and different knowledge and competencies are available. This leads to better solutions and greater innovative power. Sounds logical somehow. At least in theory. But do heterogeneous teams really perform better?

Studies show that diversified management teams manage significantly better today

There are countless studies on the topic of diversity. Most of the surveys are of large companies, and research is conducted into the relationship between diversity and business success. One of the largest studies in this area is probably a McKinsey study that has been conducted regularly since 2014. The headline of the latest study from May 2020 was: "Diversity wins, how inclusion matters". In terms of gender diversity, it speaks of a 25% greater probability for companies to be profitable above average. In terms of ethnic diversity, the figure is as high as 36%. However, it refers primarily to management teams.

How much credence to give to this and similar studies is difficult to say. To put corporate success in direct correlation with ethnic or gender diversity in the executive suite is probably a bit short-sighted. After all, the profitability of companies, especially in times of corona exception, depends on many more and different factors than exclusively on the composition of the management.

The older the study, the more crystalline diversity is viewed

However, what stands out in the analysis of various other studies is the correlation between the age of the survey and its conclusion. The older the study, the more critical it is of the success of heterogeneous teams. Regardless of the type of diversity in question, the studies always paint more or less the same picture: heterogeneous teams are superior to homogeneous teams in terms of creativity and the development of new ideas and solutions. On the other hand, there is a lack of communication, and the different values, perspectives and norms make productive collaboration more difficult. This is not surprising. The business environment has become more diverse in recent years and is changing faster. As a result, compared to the 80s or 90s, people are simply already used to diversity and have learned to deal with it and, in the best case, even see it as an enrichment.

In small and medium-sized companies with a predominantly regional focus, the situation may still be somewhat different. But globalization and the increasing networking of value chains are also having an impact on these companies. This makes it all the more important in any team not only to know each other's talents and character traits, but also to respect each other's norms, values and beliefs.

Do diversified teams now work better? The answer is a clear: no.

The answer to the question of whether heterogeneous teams perform better than homogeneous teams is therefore: It depends. It depends on whether the focus is on innovation or implementation. It depends on whether it is a question of looking at a challenge from as many angles as possible or finding a solution quickly. But above all, it depends on whether there is already openness to other points of view and whether they want to be heard or not.

The team composition of the future will most likely be more heterogeneous than today. Perhaps even more heterogeneous than we can imagine at the moment. Companies are therefore well advised to lead their employees and thus their corporate culture step by step in this direction and to prepare for it. Not with discussions and training courses, but by actively setting an example of openness and respect for all genders, religions, cultures and levels of education. The prerequisite for this is that you, as the boss, really do have openness and respect in you. Because believe me, your employees will notice if it's just an act.