posted by Mike Madison at 2:58 PM /
[A]ccording to new research co-authored by a Brigham Young University business professor, better decisions come from teams that include a "socially distinct newcomer." That's psychology-speak for someone who is different enough to bump other team members out of their comfort zones. ...
"One of the most-cited benefits of diversity is the infusion of new ideas and perspectives," said study co-author Katie Liljenquist, assistant professor of organizational leadership at BYU's Marriott School of Management. "And while that very often is true, we found the mere presence of a newcomer who is socially distinct can really shake up the group dynamic. That leads to discomfort, but also to a better process that ultimately yields superior outcomes."
The key factor is simply whether newcomers are distinct in some way from the other group members. ...
"[This research] is groundbreaking in that it highlights that the benefits of disparate knowledge in a team can be unleashed when newcomers actually share opinions of knowledge with old-timers but are socially different," Thomas-Hunt says. "It is the tension between social dissimilarity and opinion similarity that prompts heightened effectiveness in diverse teams."
Read about the whole thing here.
Labels: no simple lessons
4 Comments:
Socially distinct newcomer = Marge Sable. Look what happened there... Mary Beth Sklar
Ms. Sklar's comment is exactly why I previously posted that your idea only counts if you grew up in the area.
From one bad experience with Marge Sable, it appears that Ms. Sklar is willing to classify ALL socially distinct newcomers as somehow being detrimental.
The point of Mike's post (IMHO) was to relate that superior results can be achieved when you have a newcomer. An attitude such as that conveyed in Ms. Sklar's post does not help newcomers feel wanted or included.
No simple lessons.
Matthew -
I didn't make a complete statement, just a provocative one. I didn't mean to imply Marge Sable was detrimental - you've jumped to some conclusions. Golly Neds!
I found Marge refreshing. She challenged the community. While I didn't necessarily agree with the addition of certain programs, I was very glad she focused attention on the elementary schools, as opposed to a narrow focus on the high school population.
Sadly, she challenged certain folks too much. They didn't want to play in the diversity of ideas sandbox with her. And these folks are probably instrumental in choosing our next superintendent.
So, I guess my poorly articulated point is Diversity of thought is great, but the organization needs to commit to being receptive to it. Cuz if they're not, the 'powers that be' win.
Mary Beth Sklar
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