Diversity is important in healthcare teams and really all teams. Homogeneous teams are actually a recipe for disaster, and leaders are trained to work against phenomena like groupthink. While diversity is great, it is also quite difficult to manage (or even be a part of the team) at times. When team members are polar opposites, it makes for interesting viewpoints and questions but also “interesting” conversations and situations.

Hopefully you are a part of truly diverse teams and many of them. I am, and I enjoy it. Most of the time. When I am frustrated by the diversity of teams because people do not see my viewpoint or they communicate differently than I do, I am working to become more self-aware, think through my feelings, and capture those thoughts to prepare me for similar, future situations. Sounds great, huh? Yeah, I’m still working on it. Diversity is a good thing.

Work and life take diverse teams to be successful. What do you do when you feel the strength of team diversity becomes painful?