
Rhys Connolly
Rhys is a Strategic Client Partner who works with large international organisations to deliver on their Talent Strategy. He primarily leads international assessment for selection and development projects, as well as high potential identification, adding value for organisations and their people by using data analysis to inform talent strategy. Rhys is also an experienced psychometrician who has co-developed a number of the BeTalent products, as well as having co-authored a number of articles and White Papers on leadership, leadership transgressions, and diversity & inclusion.
This session will explore the impact of identity based and cognitive diversity on team effectiveness and psychological safety. Research has found that diverse teams can stimulate a workplace culture that promotes effective collaboration. As such, bringing individuals who have different strengths and thinking styles together enables them to bounce ideas off each other, becoming more innovative in the process. This is important for team and organisational success, as when an individual is engaged, they will perform better and will be more likely to be innovative and proactive.
We will explore the results of our research, which sought to understand individual differences according to gender, ethnic origin, age and seniority. We will also explore our finding that having teams that are cognitively diverse can be beneficial, as they have different styles of thinking. Participants will be engaged throughout by being encouraged to ask questions and there will be regular discussion points.
By the end of the webinar, participants will:
1. Understand the research that has been conducted in the area of cognitive diversity
2. Understand the importance of identity and cognitive diversity when building effective teams
3. Be aware of the biases that are involved in creating cognitively diverse teams
4. Have an understanding of the tools that can be utilised to understand individual differences within your organisation (such as Strengths, Decision Styles, and Resilience)