In-Group / Out-Group - A Leadership Skill
Encourage Inclusion & Build Cohesion (3 Step Exercise).
Encouraging inclusion is making sure that no one on your team is left out.
If you want to excel as a sports captain, a director, a founder, a leader, then you need to make sure that everyone on your team feels like they belong. You may know what it feels like to be excluded - it is not fun. It is not something to wish on anyone.
It is natural to spend more time with people on the team who are like yourself - who are similar to you. But you also need to make sure that the people who are different from you are also welcomed into all the team activities. By the end of the drill, you will know who you need to reach out to on your team to make sure everyone is included.
Why is it important to be aware of your In & Out Groups?
Favouritism can lead to division, decreased morale, and reduced team cohesion - people won’t perform at their best if they do not feel included. They will switch off.
Inclusive leadership ensures that all team members feel part of the team, which directly contributes to increased team performance.
Red Flags:
Watch out for these red flags: cliques forming within the team, making decisions with only certain teammates in mind, spending time with only your friends.
Here's what you can do:
Step 1- Reflect:
Take a moment to think: who is most similar to you on the team? Who do you click with most naturally? Who are your friends?
Be honest with yourself. Your aim in this stage is to see if you can pinpoint who would be in your natural in-group.
Step 2 - Reflect (Contrast):
Flip it around the first reflection; who is most different to you on the team? Who do you have difficulty connecting with? Who might you exclude, not out of spite, but out of unfamiliarity of their world.
Your aim in this step is to explore who on your team might not be in your in-group.
Step 3 - Engage:
Make an intention to have a conversation with a teammate who is not in your natural in-group - your natural circle of friends.
Get to know them - you don’t need to become friends with them, but your aim is to make sure they belong to the team.
As a leader - a good teammate - it is your responsibility to ensure that everyone on your team is valued in their own way. My encouragement to you is to build a habit of awareness - regularly thinking about the dynamics in your team to ensure that everyone is included. This will lead to the best team cohesiveness.
Tools:
Leadership
Emotional Intelligence