A high-functioning team requires perspective to be successful – not just yours, but the perspectives of others who think very differently from you. It is a normal tendency to be biased toward hiring people who look like you, think like you, and have values like yours. It is a common, slippery slope to attract and hire a team of like-minded people. The unseen danger results in a team who all see the world through the same lens as you see the world – offering no other perspectives, no diversity of thought.
Innovation, creativity, and problem-solving all rely on seeing the same situation from varied perspectives. Hiring people who think differently from yourself, provides your team with varied perspectives on your challenges. Avoiding this bias can be structured fairly easily. By employing a personal assessment like CliftonStrengths, DiSC, or the like. For a small investment, you can get a written report of a person’s tendencies, personality preferences, and talents. Then, by tracking these results you can visually see what type of thinking or strengths your team may be lacking. The analysis informs the specific traits that you look for in your next hire that complement, not duplicate, what you and your team already contribute.
