Seek Out The Oddball

What does an outsider do for performance? Make it better.

Bring an outsider into your next team meeting or group project. The person doesn’t have to hang around long -- he doesn’t even have to be knowledgeable about your industry or the task at hand. The key is to find someone who possesses a different perspective or set of talents from that of your group. This diversity creates greater team synergy, which leads to creativity and growth, which ultimately leads to a better bottom line.  

What does this mean in practical terms? Simply put, seek out unrepresented talents. Do you have an entire team of "all in," high risk/high reward type people? Have a calculated risk-taker and stabilizer sit in on your next meeting. They will keep your team on task, and away from all of those off-topic “ideating” sessions and rabbit trail projects. Do you have a team of analysis driven researchers? Bring in a summarizer and bottom-liner. They will help you to stop discussing and start doing. Or maybe your team is composed of abstract thinkers. Ask a hands-on person to weigh in on the project, and you will get a more quality, long-lasting product.

If only we knew in grade school that being an oddball isn't so bad...