Why Do We Need Inclusive Teams?
An Interview with Melody Moore, Founder of Liberare Consulting and Author of 'The Inclusive Team: How to Build and Develop Inclusive High Performing Teams'
Why did you develop The Inclusive Team Model?
There are a number of reasons – It initially came from a frustration with the relentless focus on individuals when most of our work takes place in teams. It seemed like a no-brainer to me to put an increased emphasis on creating inclusion in a team environment where accountability is shared between team members, not just the team leader.
Secondly, there is a challenge with the transfer of learning in typical inclusion training – participants are expected to be able to translate what they have learned into their own context. The Inclusive Team includes exercises that are done as a team and based in the real work of the team.
Thirdly, I believe DEI is too separate and needs to be better integrated into the day-to-day activities of organisations. This is why the model is actually an inclusive and high performing team model – it integrates what I know about team performance with an understanding of the importance of DEI. Whilst there is a cluster (Respect) that is most clearly about DEI, I made sure that inclusion is represented throughout the model.
Why did you write The Inclusive Team Book?
The book came after I had been using the model with organisations and I wanted to get it out to a wider audience.
I believe in the ‘teach a (wo)man to fish’ philosophy – that consultancies often create too much of a reliance on themselves and don’t teach and empower their clients to operate without them. The book is my way of sharing the model, tips for team leaders and members, and practical exercises that allow anyone to pick it up and use it.
There is a QR code at the back of the book that gives readers access to a quiz to identify areas to focus and downloadable handouts/instructions to run the exercises.
Are diverse and inclusive teams better?
They can be, but not always. If you have a simple task that you want doing quickly then you will probably find that a homogenous team is more effective.
However if you have a complex problem that needs the collective intelligence of a team to solve it, then a diverse team that knows how to get the best from their diversity (the diversity dividend) is going to be better. For instance, research on R&D teams in Spain found that gender diversity was positively related to radical innovation (Diaz-Garcia et al, 2013).
What is the difference between a team and a work group?
Sometimes people think they are in a team when actually they are a work group. Particularly if they call themselves a team because they all report to the same person.
A team has shared objectives and goals, and they hold each other accountable for achieving them. In a work group the objectives and goals tend to be individual.
Work groups tend to share information but the actual work is divided up and done individually – activities can be achieve independently of other members of the group.
Teams also share information but they also discuss, make decisions and problem solve together. Their work is interdependent – it can’t be achieved without the involvement of other team members.
The Inclusive Teams model is designed primarily for teams, but some of the exercises are also suitable for work groups.
How did you develop the model?
I have been working for over 20 years with teams – consulting, being a team member and team leader, and I have used a broad range of team models and diagnostics. I have also been working a lot in the world of DEI for the past 5 or so years.
I looked at the core behaviours that appeared across my favourite team models and brought in aspects of DEI, psychological safety and growth mindset to create an initial model which I socialised with some wise friends and former colleagues. This was refined into the initial design and a diagnostic which I used with a number of organisations.
As I wrote the book I refined the model and diagnostic further – as I did research for the book I realised some areas fitted better in different places.
What are the core elements of the model?
There are five main clusters, each with two sub-clusters
Trust – Team members trust each other, are empowered to do their job and are comfortable sharing their views, even if they differ from the rest of the team.
Alignment – The team are aligned around the direction, purpose and vision of the team. They understand their individual roles and have a sense of shared responsibility for achieving team goals, collaborating effectively to achieve them
Growth – The team use feedback, recognition and praise to support their individual development. They place a focus on continuous improvement and learning from mistakes.
Adaptability – Team members are able to adapt and change according to need. They respond to change by coming up with new and creative ideas.
Respect – The team understand the importance of diversity, and focus on developing relationships and understanding each other. They are respectful towards each other, making sure that people feel able to be themselves.
How can the model be used in organisations?
There are three main ways:
In individual teams – The exercises and materials can be made available for teams to use as they wish – either alone or with the support of a team development/L&D expert.
In mixed groups – The model and exercises can be used in a workshop made available to team leaders or team members from across the organisation. This is more of a training intervention, where you inspire the participants to develop their team to be inclusive and high performing, then provide them with materials to take back and work on with their own team.
Organisation/Department Initiatives – This approach tends to work best when you use The Inclusive Team as a core element in your efforts to build an inclusive culture, and where you want to roll it out across the whole department or organisation in a systemic way as a culture change initiative. All teams across the department/organisation are tasked with running one of the exercises each week with everybody focussing on the same cluster for a week at a time. The purpose of taking this approach is to create a strong momentum and shared language of inclusion across the organisation.
What is next for The Inclusive Team?
We have some exciting new things in development.
The first is an in-depth online diagnostic that can be used with teams to help them identify their strengths and development areas. This will help them agree areas to focus on and to design an improvement programme that develops the most important areas first.
The second are team conversation cards use The Inclusive Team model and are a fun way to encourage teams to have meaningful conversations about themselves and the team.
