Team fit: the kryptonite of diversity
I’ve been struggling for a while with the concept of recruiting for team or organisational fit. Doubtless it comes from a place of wanting to build positive, strong team culture and it feels much more engaging than a team built purely on technical capability. But there’s a risk. I reckon team fit endangers the aspirations we have about growing diversity in our organisations. When I hear ‘team fit’, I’m cautious. Are we sure this isn’t just an attempt to add people to the team who will maintain the feel good that exists, or who will be a good replacement and similar to “the great person we had who just left”?
In his book, The Originals, Adam Grant talks about the difference between fitting in with a culture and adding to and improving a culture. Grant uses the example of Bridgewater as a company that expects their people to “think independently and enrich the culture”. I’m definitely a fan of add to and improve the culture. If we’re going to create organisations where diversity of thought is a strength, we need to be building our teams based not on how well people fit in, but how well they’ll build on the team or organisational culture we already have. You want people who challenge mindsets? Add people to your team who will challenge your own status quo then. Looking for people who are comfortable with risk to get a better outcome? That’s gotta start with them questioning the way things are right from home base. In the Bridgewater case, it’s a “commitment to promoting dissent”.
I reckon a sense of belonging is right at the core of this. If leaders want people who will add to and improve the culture of the team, who will question the way things are in service of making improvements, who will go out on a limb when the group is staying nice and safe, close to the trunk of the tree, those leaders need to create belonging. And that takes three essentials:
People feel connected to each other
People are clear about what is expected of them, and what they can expect of each other
People know that their others care about them
Leaders who create cultures of belonging set the foundation for people to unleash their best. It’s in this state that leaders find out what their people do and don’t agree with, what they would change, and how they can bring their best to building the culture of the team. Belonging sets the tone from the beginning that one’s contribution to building culture is more important than fitting in. It signals that here, diversity thrives.
If you’re a leader or a member of a team, what are you trying out to create the right environment for people to build culture rather than fit in?