Diversity Beyond Looks: Learn About the Power of Thinking Styles in Teams.

When solving complex problems, many organizations focus on building diverse teams based on visible factors like gender, ethnicity, or age.

While these aspects of diversity are important, research shows that cognitive diversity—differences in how people think and process information—is what drives high-performing teams in uncertain and challenging situations.

What is cognitive diversity?

Cognitive diversity refers to differences in how individuals approach problems, process information, and engage with new situations. It is not tied to visible characteristics like race or gender. Instead, it is about how people think.

For example, some team members might excel at generating new ideas, while others might be great at organizing and applying existing knowledge. Similarly, some people are natural collaborators, while others prefer to work independently on their areas of expertise.

Together, these diverse thinking styles create a more dynamic and effective problem-solving environment.

Why does cognitive diversity matter?

In a study involving more than 100 teams tasked with solving complex problems, researchers found that teams with greater cognitive diversity performed better. These teams achieved faster and more creative solutions compared to less cognitively diverse groups, even when all other factors like age, gender, and education were similar.

Here’s why cognitive diversity helps:

• New perspectives: Teams with different ways of thinking are better equipped to identify gaps and explore alternative solutions.

  
  

• Balanced decision-making: High cognitive diversity ensures that teams can combine big-picture thinking with detailed expertise, leading to well-rounded strategies.

  
  

• Flexibility: Teams with diverse thinking styles adapt more easily to changing or uncertain situations.

Why cognitive diversity is often overlooked:

• It is invisible: Unlike visible diversity (e.g., ethnicity or age), cognitive diversity is not immediately apparent. You cannot tell how someone thinks just by looking at them.

  
  

• Bias in hiring: People often hire or gravitate toward others who think like them, unintentionally creating teams that lack diversity in thought.

  
  

• Pressure to conform: In organizations with strong, uniform cultures, employees might hide their unique approaches to fit in, further stifling cognitive diversity.

How to foster cognitive diversity in teams:

• Recruit for different thinking styles: Use assessments or ask questions that measure cognitive approaches, such as how individuals handle uncertainty or process information.

  
  

• Encourage psychological safety: Create an environment where team members feel safe to express different ideas without fear of judgment or backlash.

  
  

• Challenge groupthink: If everyone agrees on a solution too quickly, seek out someone who disagrees and explore their perspective.

Cognitive diversity is important for solving new, uncertain, and complex problems. While visible diversity is important for representation, leaders should also focus on how team members think and approach challenges. By encouraging a variety of perspectives and thinking styles, organizations can unlock their teams’ full potential and achieve faster, more innovative results.

Enable your team to thrive by valuing and embracing their unique ways of thinking as it is not just about being yourself, but helping others be themselves, too.

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