16 Effective Ways To Build And Nurture A Diverse, Respectful Tech Team

Today, more and more companies are working to deliberately build diverse teams. At the same time, the growth of remote work is ushering in an era when where you live doesn’t have to limit where you can work. These trends are leading to increasingly diverse workplaces whose team members may not only hail from different regions but also from different countries. The same is true for the tech profession: Once largely dominated by men, tech teams today are increasingly staffed and led by women and welcome members from across the globe.

Still, diversity in a team is only a strength if its members work together toward a unified goal, treating each other with mutual respect and collaborating to find the best solutions. For that to happen, tech leaders must model and clarify the vision, culture and mission that will bring the team together. If you’re looking for ways to foster collaboration and respect among your diverse team members, consider the advice shared below by members of Forbes Technology Council. 

1. Foster Psychological Safety

One step is to create psychological safety within the team. Ensure everyone understands there is a safe space for all voices to be heard, regardless of identity or background. In addition, it is crucial to be mindful of the language we collectively use as a team and avoid terms or jokes that make some feel excluded. - Elaine Montilla, The Graduate Center, CUNY

2. Hire Those Who Share The Values Of Inclusivity

Focus on creating an inclusive work environment from the ground up. Hire for “culture fit” first and foremost: Look for team members and leaders who will help foster an inclusive, respectful and collaborative work environment. Role model this behavior yourself (for example, make sure you elevate all voices in team discussions) and highlight and praise examples of others doing the same. - Jennifer Smith, Scribe

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3. Ensure The Leadership Team Is Diverse

It is important that team members see representations of themselves at the leadership level. When I first joined IFS, the leadership team was predominantly male. Today, it is 35% female. That’s progress! We must lead by example in all aspects of the business, including diversity, equity and inclusion. Normalizing diversity in leadership will normalize diversity across the company. - Cindy Jaudon, IFS

4. Set Up Challenges For Team Members To Tackle Together

Tech leaders can assign an activity that requires a high level of engagement—preferably within a compressed time frame—to a group of diverse team members. It is important that the group works collaboratively to produce an end product, such as a position paper or other outcome, that requires shared ownership and commitment. - Edward Peters, Panzura

5. Bring Everyone Together To Talk Every Morning

Open communication is the key. Utilize a daily standup meeting to allow the whole team to raise issues and work toward resolutions, leveraging the skill sets of other team members. Of course, communication isn’t just limited to that morning meeting—chat tools can be used as well throughout the day—but that morning meeting for the whole team starts everyone’s day on the right note. - Peter Lee, Cloud Coach

6. Unify Around The Company’s Mission

Start by focusing on the mission of the company and then work backward. People will come in with different experiences and worldviews. You want them to cohere around the company mission, not advocate for their individual idea of what is best. - Chris Morton, Cognito

7. Identify Your Shared Purpose

In today’s age of diverse tech teams, it’s extremely important for everyone to be engaged and know their purpose, which is contributing to the team’s goals and successes. It’s important for each member to be aware of their strengths and how they complement the rest of the team’s strengths to drive outcomes. Defining a clear statement of “Who We Are,” along with what enables us, who we serve and what we are striving for, can drive outcomes. - Apurva Kadakia, Hanu

8. Clarify The Common Ground

Find common ground to ensure a diverse tech team works well together. Often this means centering on the end goal, but sometimes diverse teams can end up spinning on different ideas and paths forward. Making sure that the team has a leader who clarifies the common ground is critical. Listening, being open to all ideas and, ultimately, making decisions with the team is important to make the team feel valued. - Stephanie Roberts, Fisher Investments

9. Pursue Diverse Discussions

Ensure you are hearing all voices, whether through shared tools or simply paying attention to the voices that are being heard (or not) in the room. Studies have shown that when a woman asks the first question after a presentation, the presenter will hear from a more diverse group of audience members. So call on one. - Laurie McGraw, AMA

10. Ensure Every Team Member Has A Chance To Be Heard

We are striving to create very transparent communication and feedback. A tech leader has to ensure that all team members have a voice and can express their opinions. An employee will be more proactive when his or her point of view matters. We are also encouraging cross-collaboration among our departments. This increases the chances that every valuable idea will be heard and implemented. - Dmitry Baraishuk, Belitsoft

11. Learn About And Celebrate Each Other’s Cultures

Create events where everyone can learn about each other’s cultures and celebrate them. Host potlucks where everyone brings and shares some food from closer to home. Celebrating holidays together helps us learn about those holidays in the process, as well as what they mean and why. In short, an environment where cultural differences are celebrated—with the leader leading those celebrations from the front—is the key. - Suresh Nair, iCreditWorks

12. Encourage Curiosity

Encourage curiosity in other team members’ backgrounds and upbringing. Do not assume that cultural references (such as TV and social media) that are prevalent in the U.S. are the same around the world. This curiosity will automatically lay the groundwork for a respectful relationship. - Arjun Ramamurthy, Ateliere Creative Technologies

13. Empower Team Members To Share Feedback

Diversity, equity and inclusion becomes powerful when individuals are valued and empowered to give feedback and share ideas on what’s working and what’s not. This applies to technical elements as well as to team dynamics. Tech teams are often under a great deal of pressure to deliver on projects; when they know they have the support of peers and management, it creates a more productive and pleasant working environment. - Michael Scharff, Evolv AI

14. Have New Team Members Document And Share Their Values, Preferences And Ideas

Everyone at Landed creates their own “Let’s Work Together” document when they first join the company. In it, they include their values and beliefs, logistics and communication preferences, things that do and do not get “props” from them, and their own “we will be successful if …” list. They review that document with their manager and everyone they work closely with during their first one-to-ones with each other. - Vivian Wang, Landed

15. Collaborate On A Team Charter

Businesses should look to develop a team charter with the participation of the whole team. This will help leaders figure out how, when and where people like to work. For example, you may be careful to avoid scheduling important meetings in the mornings for people who have the school run to do. Leaders should not be silent, though; they must act as they want their teams to act, and they need to call out bad behavior—or it won’t go away. - Alex Cresswell, Thales Group

16. Don’t Overlook Troubling Behavior

Leaders should create the right environment that supports and respects the individuals who are part of the team. The most important thing to do is set an example and never look the other way. For example, if someone makes a comment that is out of line, take them for coffee and explain to them what kind of behavior is expected in your organization. - Shira Shamban, Solvo