I’ve seen many an otherwise good manager fail in the fundamentals of assembling a strong team.
Whether it’s the academically educated who will only consider Russell Group Grads, or the inverted snob who surrounds themselves with people similarly schooled in the university of hard knocks, Borg-like clones are never a good idea.
Like any good meal or cocktail recipe, a successful team requires balance and a variety of base ingredients to complement and bring out the best in the star elements of the recipe.

Diversity isn’t solely about gender and racial mix (though these are indeed very important), diversity of ideas, expertise, personality and interests are all essential ingredients for creative and effective organisational development. A team with multiple points of view, and frames of reference, are significantly more likely to successfully solve a problem than a group of people tackling the issue from the same angle.

For those not familiar with Star Trek, The Borg are a fictional alien race formed from a myriad of diverse species and then turned into cybernetic drones called ‘the Collective’. The Borg use a process called ‘assimilation’ to force other species into the Collective. Whilst on the surface, their drive for perfection makes them a strong and dangerous enemy, the diverse Star Fleet team always triumphs.

The moral…build and celebrate diversity in your team, don’t try to mould team members in your image or allow them to believe they need to imitate to succeed.

Resistance is not just futile….it is costly.