APPRECIATE STYLE DIFFERENCES.
Most of us like to be around people just like ourselves. We look for people who “fit in”—people who are “our kind of folks.” When we form teams, we think it will be smoother and therefore better if everyone on the team is the same kind of person. We tend not to want people who make waves, approach problems from a different angle, or think outside of the box.
Good teams have some diversity—diversity in technical skills, yes, but most importantly diversity in ways of thinking, values, priorities, and approaches—in a word, style. Style is the way you go about solving a problem, making a decision, communicating an idea, or resolving a conflict. Role is what you do, style is how you do it.
Diversity prevents teams from ...
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