Wonderfully said Scott. I really agree with you. Focusing on what we have in common does not minimise the beauty and energy of diversity, it gives it a richness that is so often crushed when we focus on difference.
Totally agree as well. The reality is we're complex humans, and we cannot be placed in a box based on our race or any other characteristic. And, that's the beauty of humans, we all have our story and precisely cannot be put into one single box :)
I should let you know - I quoted you from this in a recent sermon (I'm a Lutheran pastor) as a way of showing both the complexity and the humanity of those around us. Keep up your grand writing.
Thank you for letting me know Hans! I’m really pleased that you’ve found my writing helpful, and even more rewarding to hear that the ideas and words have gone on to help others. Thank you so much! ❤️
I worked in a high performing global team of ~30 people with ~15 different nationalities. Despite being diverse, we were perceived as exclusive. That was largely because of the role which determined the entry threshold for the team. Because the team was global and needed to perform rapidly when together, we had strong team principles/norms. Among them was a high level of trust, which enabled robust engagement. We relied on input from each to build a picture of the operating context. So we practiced asking/giving that perspective. We necessarily clashed. So another norm was to be able to repair quickly and well. This reinforced the trust.
I have come to realise that this positive conflict approach relies on maturity of the individual and a practiced ability to engage well in conflict. Not something that is widespread. Particularly when power dynamics and cultural norms are a factor.
How does a person start to engage in positive conflict when not well practiced or demonstrated?
How do they push through the muddling intermediary stage in order to get to 'better'?
Thanks for the reflections Steve. To respond to your prompts, where my head goes to is: "How does one become good at anything?"
In the context of productive conflict, there are of course already conflict training programs that exist.
Perhaps what might be missing is a 'safe enough' space for people to practice engaging with conflict. In a work environment, I think the vast majority of interactions aren't centred around conflict, so it's either all or nothing.
But I also really like your point about maturity too. Perhaps the team you describe is comprised of people who can handle heat level 5, with high levels of conflict and ambiguity. Which begs the following: How do people become exposed to increasing levels of heat?
So bringing the two together, it would be: 1) How do we create escalating opportunities for people to be exposed to conflict in 'safe enough' ways and 2) How do we help people recognise what their level of 'heat tolerance' is?
agree - takes intent from the individual and the org/system.
I was fortunate that the team I was in had recognised it as something to intentionally prioritise. That lead to inclusion in subsequent training - but needed ongoing practice, like you refer to.
Hey Scott, this was a great piece! As a black woman myself, I’ve struggled at times when I was younger and even now because I feel like the concept of being culturally diverse is fluid and always changed. My perspective has definitely changed from back then to now. I used to be way more focused on group think because I felt like I had to due to the discrimination that black women face. But as I’ve grown older and became a writer, I’ve learned how valuable and insightful different perspectives can be. Yes I’m a black woman but I do have an individual perspective that may not be the norm to what other black women would say or think for example. I totally agree with everything you said. Giving space for new perspectives is key! Thank you so much for sharing this! Your newsletter is awesome by the way! Just subscribed! :)
Thank you so much for your comment Khadejah, and I'm glad to hear it resonated! And you touched on something that I want to write about in a future article, which is to recognise that how we think matures / becomes nuanced over time, but so too does the group go through a similar phase. I'm optimistic that we can become more respectful in spite of negative headlines. Thank you for subscribing!
Wonderfully said Scott. I really agree with you. Focusing on what we have in common does not minimise the beauty and energy of diversity, it gives it a richness that is so often crushed when we focus on difference.
Totally agree as well. The reality is we're complex humans, and we cannot be placed in a box based on our race or any other characteristic. And, that's the beauty of humans, we all have our story and precisely cannot be put into one single box :)
I should let you know - I quoted you from this in a recent sermon (I'm a Lutheran pastor) as a way of showing both the complexity and the humanity of those around us. Keep up your grand writing.
Thank you for letting me know Hans! I’m really pleased that you’ve found my writing helpful, and even more rewarding to hear that the ideas and words have gone on to help others. Thank you so much! ❤️
Thanks Scott, Always a fascinating discussion.
I worked in a high performing global team of ~30 people with ~15 different nationalities. Despite being diverse, we were perceived as exclusive. That was largely because of the role which determined the entry threshold for the team. Because the team was global and needed to perform rapidly when together, we had strong team principles/norms. Among them was a high level of trust, which enabled robust engagement. We relied on input from each to build a picture of the operating context. So we practiced asking/giving that perspective. We necessarily clashed. So another norm was to be able to repair quickly and well. This reinforced the trust.
I have come to realise that this positive conflict approach relies on maturity of the individual and a practiced ability to engage well in conflict. Not something that is widespread. Particularly when power dynamics and cultural norms are a factor.
How does a person start to engage in positive conflict when not well practiced or demonstrated?
How do they push through the muddling intermediary stage in order to get to 'better'?
Thanks for the reflections Steve. To respond to your prompts, where my head goes to is: "How does one become good at anything?"
In the context of productive conflict, there are of course already conflict training programs that exist.
Perhaps what might be missing is a 'safe enough' space for people to practice engaging with conflict. In a work environment, I think the vast majority of interactions aren't centred around conflict, so it's either all or nothing.
But I also really like your point about maturity too. Perhaps the team you describe is comprised of people who can handle heat level 5, with high levels of conflict and ambiguity. Which begs the following: How do people become exposed to increasing levels of heat?
So bringing the two together, it would be: 1) How do we create escalating opportunities for people to be exposed to conflict in 'safe enough' ways and 2) How do we help people recognise what their level of 'heat tolerance' is?
agree - takes intent from the individual and the org/system.
I was fortunate that the team I was in had recognised it as something to intentionally prioritise. That lead to inclusion in subsequent training - but needed ongoing practice, like you refer to.
Hey Scott, this was a great piece! As a black woman myself, I’ve struggled at times when I was younger and even now because I feel like the concept of being culturally diverse is fluid and always changed. My perspective has definitely changed from back then to now. I used to be way more focused on group think because I felt like I had to due to the discrimination that black women face. But as I’ve grown older and became a writer, I’ve learned how valuable and insightful different perspectives can be. Yes I’m a black woman but I do have an individual perspective that may not be the norm to what other black women would say or think for example. I totally agree with everything you said. Giving space for new perspectives is key! Thank you so much for sharing this! Your newsletter is awesome by the way! Just subscribed! :)
Thank you so much for your comment Khadejah, and I'm glad to hear it resonated! And you touched on something that I want to write about in a future article, which is to recognise that how we think matures / becomes nuanced over time, but so too does the group go through a similar phase. I'm optimistic that we can become more respectful in spite of negative headlines. Thank you for subscribing!
My pleasure Scott! I think it’s awesome that you want to expand upon this topic! You have really great insights on it! Keep up the great work! :)