There is a lot of evidence that diverse work teams outperform homogenous ones. Diversity leads to different perspectives shared and better decision-making. Also, diverse teams process information more carefully, are more innovative, and are more likely to engage in productive cognitive conflict. The benefits of diverse work teams should be the same for student teams – greater performance and innovation. Further, it is important to expose our students to diverse teams and teach them how to work through their differences, as it is likely that their future workplaces will be more diverse than the student population at TCU.

However, building diverse teams isn’t without risk, as diverse teams produce lower satisfaction for members and more interpersonal conflict than homogenous teams without proper support. One must emphasize inclusion, as well as diversity, to create the highest performing teams. Building an inclusive team means that you are creating a supportive environment where everyone’s voice is welcome and everyone feels like they belong.

This Teaching and Learning Conversation will demonstrate how to build and support inclusive teams for maximum performance, in any environment. We will discuss types of diversity, how to build teams to balance diversity and inclusion, and how to help diverse teams build cohesion. In addition to sharing best practices in the field and our experiences leading group projects, we will also present data gathered from TCU students about their perspectives on diverse teams and what they find works best for them.