Cognitive diversity in teams

Team development is crucial for success in the fast paced and dynamic world of business, and it can reap real rewards. Teams that can work together effectively, and in harmony, can achieve greater success, although the road to building a high-performing team can be complex. One effective strategy for enhancing team performance is harnessing the power of cognitive diversity, which has been shown to enhance innovation within teams by around 20%.

Cognitive diversity refers to the different ways that individuals perceive, think and process information and, when understood fully, can be key to creating stronger, more innovative and cohesive teams.

Four benefits of cognitive diversity in teams

1. Enhanced problem-solving

When presented with complex problems, teams with higher levels of cognitive diversity are more likely to generate not only a greater number of solutions but also more unique ones, leading to greater levels of innovation and faster problem-solving.

2. Improved collaborative decision-making

By increasing levels of cognitive diversity within your team you increase its ability to challenge assumptions and critically evaluate options. This leads to more balanced and informed decisions being made and reduces the risk of groupthink by up to 30%. Cognitively diverse teams are also more likely to spot risks!

3. Increased agility

Teams that embrace cognitive diversity are better equipped to adapt to change. Having a range of cognitive styles present throughout teams enables them to better navigate unexpected challenges and recognise new opportunities. This creates a culture of flexibility and resilience, empowering members to quickly adapt to changing circumstances. 

4. Promotes inclusivity

Cognitive diversity - and brace yourself - has little to no correlation with demographic diversity, a repeated finding in much academic literature as well as in our own research with more than 900 people across four continents. This means that a team of people of varying age, gender, ethnicity and social background is no more likely to display high levels of cognitive diversity than a group of individuals with similar demographic profiles. Embracing cognitive diversity acknowledges the complexity of individuals’ intersectional identities and is an additional way to unlock the unique strengths of every team member and create a well-balanced team.

Getting started

The first step in harnessing the power of cognitive diversity and the unique strengths that each individual team member brings to the table is to assess and understand their cognitive styles. Once you understand their personal styles and cognitive versatility (an individual’s ability to access different styles) you can then analyse the range of cognitive styles in the group and support the team in understanding not just its own preferences but also each other’s natural styles.

Armed with this understanding, you can help the team make the most of its cognitive diversity and support it in developing key cognitive styles for its role and purpose, allowing it to tap into a wealth of creativity, innovation and problem-solving abilities. Cognitive diversity is a topic that's incredibly important in today's dynamic business world, and could enable your team to thrive and achieve remarkable results.