Presentation on cognitive diversity delivered by joe gerstandt at the 2011 SHRM Leadership conference. joegerstandt.com

1. Great minds do NOT think alike.
#shrmlead

2. joegerstandt.com
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5. MT
engineers

6. MT
engineers
MT
management

7. MT
engineers
NASA
management
MT
management

8. MT
engineers
NASA
management
MT
management

9. MT
engineers
NASA
management
MT
management

10. Tuesday
morning
January
28th
1986

11. MT
engineers
NASA
management
MT
management

12. NASA
management
MT
management

13. consider
decision What
making at makes it
your chapter 1 - 10 better?

14. What looks like
resistance is
often a lack of
clarity.
-Switch, Dan and Chip Heath

15. diversity…

16. diversity…
difference

17. di·ver·si·ty
[dih-vur-si-tee]
noun, plural –ties
1.the state or fact of being
diverse; difference; unlikeness.
2.variety; multiformity.
3.a point of difference.

18. diversity…
difference
takes
many forms

20. diversity…
difference
takes
many forms
relational

22. diversity…
difference
takes
many forms
relational
disruptive

23. ↑diversity =
↑variance in
performance
groups with more diversity
perform better or worse than
groups with less diversity

24. identity diversity:
Differences in our social
identities.
cognitive diversity:
Differences in how we think and
solve problems.

25. cognitive diversity
The extent to which the
group reflects differences
in knowledge, including
beliefs, preferences and
perspectives.
-Miller, et al (1998) Strategic Management Journal

26. analytical risk taker
rational creative
realistic flexible
factual synthesizer
logical conceptual
definitive intuitive
persistent passionate
planner cooperative
organized empathetic
disciplined expressive
detailed harmonizing
practical responsive

27. Cerebral Mode (abstract & intellectual thought)
ANALYZE STRATEGIZE
Joys Joys
Solving technical problems Conceptualizing
Analyzing complex issues Innovating
Logical approach Seeing the big picture
Frustrations Frustrations
Interpersonal aspects of situations Routine Meetings
Ice breakers Details
Right Mode
Socializing in meetings Structure
Left Mode
Joys Joys
Implementing ideas Expressing ideas
Developing plans Understanding group dynamics
Follow-up and completion Team building
Frustrations Frustrations
“Blue Sky” thinking Logic ahead of feelings
Not following the rules No interaction with people
ORGANIZE PERSONALIZE
Limbic Mode (concrete and emotional processing)

28. analytical risk taker
rational creative
realistic flexible
factual synthesizer
logical conceptual
definitive intuitive
persistent passionate
planner cooperative
organized empathetic
disciplined expressive
detailed harmonizing
practical responsive

29. analytical risk taker
rational creative
realistic flexible
factual synthesizer
logical conceptual
definitive intuitive
opportunity
persistent passionate
planner cooperative
organized empathetic
disciplined expressive
detailed harmonizing
practical responsive

30. analytical risk taker
rational creative
realistic flexible
factual synthesizer
logical conceptual
definitive intuitive
drama
persistent passionate
planner cooperative
organized empathetic
disciplined expressive
detailed harmonizing
practical responsive

32. sharing information
making meaning from
information
quality decision making
creative problem solving
innovation
fully utilizing talent

33. The Social Origin of Good Ideas
-Ronald Burt, University of Chicago
Teams with greater training and
experiential diversity introduce
more innovations.
“Management Team Tenure and Organizational
Outcomes” Finkelstein, Hambrick (1999)
Administrative Science Quarterly
&
“Management and Innovation” Bantel, Jackson (2002)
Strategic Management Journal

34. MBA
Harvard University
100 people

35. team #1
MBA
Harvard University
100 people

36. team #1
MBA
Harvard University
100 people
team #2

37. team #1
friends
with
cognitive
benefits MBA
Harvard University
100 people
team #2

39. so…
perspectives are how we
see things (problems and
opportunities)
heuristics are how we
approach or solve them

40. what do you see?

42. -Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
“…almost always, those
who achieve fundamental
inventions of a new
paradigm have been
either very young or very
new to the field whose
paradigm they change.”

43. so…
perspectives are how we
see things (problems and
opportunities)
heuristics are how we
approach or solve them

44. …if you do not
know the answer,
choose “C”

45. please add these numbers…

46. please add these numbers…
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 =

47. please add these numbers…
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 =
55

48. please add these numbers…
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 =
55
…but how did you do it?

49. Draw a 9 dot matrix on a blank
paper …

51. Draw a 9 dot matrix on a blank
paper …
Without lifting your pencil from
the paper, draw exactly four
straight, connected lines that will
go through all nine dots, but
through each dot only once.

56. so…
perspectives = SUCCESS
heuristics = success

57. If everyone is
thinking the same
thing, someone
isn’t thinking at
all.
-General George S. Patton

58. who
how

59. how

61. dysfunction

62. dysfunctional dysfunctional
agreement disagreement

64. also
dysfunction

65. dysfunctional
dysfunctional dysfunctional
agreement
agreement disagreement

66. always
disagree lack of
trust
dysfunctional
dysfunctional dysfunctional
agreement
agreement disagreement
us vs.
them personal
conflict

67. always
always
agree
lack of disagree lack of
honesty trust
dysfunctional
dysfunctional dysfunctional
agreement
agreement disagreement
avoid
us vs.
conflict meeting them personal
after the conflict
meeting

68. dysfunctional dysfunctional
dysfunctionalsweet
agreement disagreement
agreement
spot

69. Groups often fail to
outperform individuals
because they prematurely
move to consensus, with
dissenting opinions being
suppressed or dismissed.
-Hackman, Morris (1975) Advances in Experimental
Social Psychology

70. Minority dissent, even dissent
that is wrong, stimulates
divergent thought. Issues
and problems are considered
from more perspectives and
group members find more
correct answers.
-Nemeth, Staw (1989) Advances in Experimental
Social Psychology

71. Where do good ideas come
from? That is simple…from
differences. Creativity comes
from unlikely juxtapositions.
The best way to maximize
differences is to mix ages,
cultures and disciplines.
-Nicolas Negroponte, founder MIT Media Lab

73. sweet spot

74. share difference & commonality
explicit agreements
inquiry vs. advocacy
solutions vs. problems
empathy
i & we vs. them and they
make space for novelty
learn from failure
meta conversations

75. share difference & commonality
explicit agreements
inquiry vs. advocacy
solutions vs. problems
empathy
i & we vs. them and they
make space for novelty
learn from failure
meta conversations

76. share difference & commonality
explicit agreements
inquiry vs. advocacy
solutions vs. problems
empathy
i & we vs. them and they
make space for novelty
learn from failure
meta conversations

77. share difference & commonality
explicit agreements
inquiry vs. advocacy
solutions vs. problems
empathy
i & we vs. them and they
make space for novelty
learn from failure
meta conversations

78. share difference & commonality
explicit agreements
inquiry vs. advocacy
solutions vs. problems
empathy
i & we vs. them and they
make space for novelty
learn from failure
meta conversations

79. share difference & commonality
explicit agreements
inquiry vs. advocacy
solutions vs. problems
empathy
i & we vs. them & they
make space for novelty
learn from failure
meta conversations

80. share difference & commonality
explicit agreements
inquiry vs. advocacy
solutions vs. problems
empathy
i & we vs. them and they
make space for novelty
learn from failure
meta conversations

81. share difference & commonality
explicit agreements
inquiry vs. advocacy
solutions vs. problems
empathy
i & we vs. them and they
make space for novelty
learn from failure
meta conversations

82. share difference & commonality
explicit agreements
inquiry vs. advocacy
solutions vs. problems
empathy
i & we vs. them and they
make space for novelty
learn from failure
meta conversations

83. high low
difference difference
high learning celebration
growth reinforcement
interaction self-organization energy
stress low productivity
conflict wasted energy
exhaustion factions
low reflection comfort
safety belonging
interaction clearing the decks rest and recovery
isolation boredom
misunderstanding stagnation
Difference Matrix
Glenda Eoyang HSDI frustration death

84. high low
difference difference
high move to low difference: move to low
Tell a joke. interaction:
interaction State a shared value or Stop communicating.
belief. Leave the area.
Share personal experience. Explain yourself.
Pick a low difference topic. Pick a low
communication topic.
low move to high move to high
interaction: difference:
interaction Ask a question. Amplify little
Use another medium. differences
Listen more. Play devils advocate
Pick a high communication Pick a high difference
Difference Matrix topic. topic
Glenda Eoyang HSDI

85. who

86. social network analysis
From time to time people discuss
important matters with other
people. Looking back over the
past six months, who are the
people with whom you discussed
matters important to you?

87. social network analysis
Consider the people you
communicate with in order to get
your work done. Of all the
people you have communicated
with during the last six months,
who has been the most important
for getting your work done?

88. social network analysis
Consider an important project or
initiative that you are involved in.
Consider the people who would be
influential for getting it approved
or obtaining the resources you
need. Who would you talk to, to
get the support you need?

89. social network analysis
Who do you socialize with?
(spending time with people after
work hours, visiting one another at
home, going to social events, out
for meals and so on) Over the last
6 months, who are the main people
with whom you have socialized
informally?

90. other ideas for mixing it up…
• social technology
• solution & idea contests
• open space technology
• decision accelerator
• murder boarding
• random assignment
• more social
• communities of practice

92. - Hunter S. Thompson
Walk tall, kick ass, love
music, and never
forget you come from a
long line of truth
seekers, lovers, and
warriors.

93. thank you!

94. www.joegerstandt.com
joe.gerstandt@gmail.com
www.twitter.com/joegerstandt
www.linkedin.com/in/joegerstandt
www.facebook.com/joegerstandt
402.740.7081

95. resources
• The Difference: How the Power of Diversity
Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and
Societies | Scott Page
• The Wisdom of Crowds | James Surowiecki
• A Whole New Mind | Daniel Pink
• The Medici Effect | Frans Johansson
• The Geography of Thought | Richard Nisbett

96. resources
• Achieving Success Through Social
Capital: Tapping Hidden Resources in
Your Personal and Business Network |
Wayne E. Baker
• The Whole Brain Business Book
Ned Herrmann
• Competitive Advantage Through People:
Unleashing the Power of the Work Force |
Jeffrey Pfeffer