Improving Teamwork in a Diverse Workforce

It’s no secret that today’s workforce is becoming increasingly more diverse.

According to a 2015 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, 44.2% of millennials ethnically classify themselves as something other than “white.” In addition, women now make up 47% of the U.S. workforce.

There’s power in diversity.

Research shows that diversity strengthens work task effectiveness. Companies who are in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have returns above national industry medians, according to a McKinsey study. In addition, gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to earn above-average revenue.

But diversity can also lead to conflict when we don’t take the time to develop mutual respect for one another and adapt our work styles to meet the needs of others. To be a successful professional today, we need to recognize our own behavioral styles, tendencies and biases and acknowledge that those who believe or do things differently are not necessarily wrong; they’re just different.

The TTI Success Insights DISC assessment is the most widely used behavioral assessment tool, measuring behavioral styles based on two things:

Our speed of processing information to make decisions
Our orientation toward tasks or relationships

While each person is unique, most of us have a primary behavioral style:

Dominant – The “D” behavioral style tends to be direct and decisive. Individuals who exhibit this style tend to prefer leading rather than following, have high self-confidence and are risk takers and problem solvers.
Influence– The “I” behavioral style likes to be the center of attention. They tend to be enthusiastic, optimistic, talkative and persuasive and work best when around people.
Steadiness– The “S” behavioral style is known for being stable, predictable and good team players. Individuals who exhibit this style tend to be even-tempered, friendly, sympathetic and generous. They strive for consensus and will try hard to reconcile conflicts as they arise.
Conscientious– The “C” behavioral style is accurate, precise and detail-oriented. They tend to be very analytical and make decisions with plenty of research and information to back it up.

No style is better than another, but each style has pitfalls if we’re overusing it and not working to adapt to the needs of our colleagues and customers.

Interested in learning more?

To celebrate our 5th anniversary, Elsey Consulting Group is offering a complimentary TriMetrix® EQ report (through the end of August), which incorporates the DISC behavioral style assessment in addition to insights into your motivators and emotional intelligence. Simply go to https://www.ttisurvey.com and type the following response link to receive your complimentary individual assessment: 375956KJS.

Contact Elsey Consulting Group to deliver an “Understanding Yourself and Others” workshop for your team/organization. This workshop will incorporate the DISC assessment tool, measuring each employee’s behavioral style(s), and will provide communication “do's” and “don’ts” to better collaborate with teammates, managers, direct reports, customers and more.