In his book Rebel Ideas, Matthew Syed underscores the potential of diverse teams to bring varied perspectives, including and maybe, particularly from different walks of life. This concept is akin to an oncologist learning from a soldier’s tactics to tackle a seemingly impossible medical challenge, sparking a sense of curiosity and openness in the audience.
I’ve loved creating ways for diverse people to unite — artists, campaigners and thinkers to develop festivals or creative campaigns at European Alternatives or bringing together community organisers, entrepreneurs and policymakers at U Lab or Think & Do.
Diverse teams, despite the challenges they may present, tackle collective blindspots better. The practical benefits of diverse teams, such as understanding each other’s different professional jargon, adapting to the way we each work, and challenging views we take for granted, should reassure us of their value and instil confidence in their effectiveness.
The Poll Tax or ASBO was developed by relatively homogenous groups of people who couldn’t work out that most people would be respectively worse off as a result of the poll tax or that, in the case of the ASBO, deducting money from a teenager’s account wouldn’t work as most didn’t have one.
We should involve residents in developing policy and designing services, but it’s crucial that we genuinely involve them in a way they can co-own the process. This level of involvement, such as being on the team that oversees the commissioning, being on the Neighbourhood Makers Group of a community hub, youth commissioner at the Young Lambeth Coop or co-steering an advice partnership, should engage and commit us to the cause, fostering a sense of commitment and ownership.
Immigrants who have lived in different countries are more likely to innovate. Their diverse experiences and adaptability, honed by their training to adapt to new environments, allow them to draw upon different cultures for ideas and to spot patterns more effectively.
