Comment pouvez-vous identifier et amplifier la déviance positive dans votre équipe?

I actively seek out positive deviants when team building. Curious people, extrinsically motivated to help others, motivated not only by what's new and next but also by what new innovation adds value. Positive Deviants are tenacious and find or create ways to overcome obstacles. Last, positive deviants, by definition, achieve more positive beneficial outcomes with the same resources as others. These are my people!!

One thing I've found helpful is to realize that this can happen in any group of people. Causing me to realize that I should keep my eyes open, use my powers of observation no matter where I am.

To identify and amplify positive deviance in a team, collect various data to pinpoint those with superior performance. Observe their practices and hold interviews to understand behaviors. Test these methods and monitor their effectiveness. If successful, train and integrate these behaviors into team practices, and recognize those who originally exhibited them. Proceed carefully to not inadvertently give the perception of favoritism. Support the process by fostering a culture that encourages experimentation, communicates the value of these practices, and provides leadership support. Assess and adjust the approach based on feedback and evolving conditions. This systematic process helps enhance overall team performance and fosters innovation.

Create platforms and opportunities for positive deviants to share their successful strategies with others. This could be through workshops, mentoring programs, or internal seminars.

Positive deviance can only be developed if an organization is prepared to not penalize individuals for deviant behaviors. When an organization is open to experiments outside of an individual's regular scope, and permits staff to try ideas outside of regular work routines, this allows for opportunities to emerge, and for the organization to spot particular positive deviances that they might want to harness. Not all experiments would be successful, but if parameters can be provided to manage some of the risks, being willing to allow experiments and fail at them could prove to yield much more long-term positive results.

Go beyond identifying top performers by analyzing the specific contexts and conditions that enable their success. Investigate variables such as team dynamics, leadership styles, and resource allocation that might contribute to their positive deviance.

To identify positive deviance in your team, look for members whose unique approaches lead to exceptional results. Monitor performance to spot these outliers, then delve into their methods through discussions, understanding what sets them apart. Create an open environment where sharing innovative strategies is encouraged. Highlight these individuals in meetings or workshops, allowing them to share their success stories. This recognition not only celebrates their achievements but also motivates the whole team to explore and adopt similar innovative tactics. Identifying positive deviance is about recognizing and learning from those who think and act outside the norm to drive team performance forward.

An example I've experienced is when I give permission to a group to disagree with anything I say. "Prove me wrong" "Find a mistake in my thinking" The feedback I gain from this helps me apply the resulting leverage.

The recognition of role-model attitudes and mindsets, intended to be disseminated, amplifies positive deviance within the team. This not only motivates the recognized individual but also cultivates similar behaviors among other team members. Furthermore, fostering a sense of tolerance for failure creates a trusting environment, mitigating hesitation and encouraging individuals to take initiative in innovative endeavors.

Cultivating a safe space to fail encourages positive deviance among your team. This lets team members know it's okay to try, fail, and learn from mistakes. This encourages risk-taking and experimentation, vital ingredients for nurturing future deviants.

Develop a structured recognition program that rewards positive deviants not just for their outcomes, but also for their willingness to share their knowledge and mentor others.

An example I've seen is when I ask children to share their deviant experience with the rest of the group. And then, subsequently, ask them to step into a temporary leadership role thereby rewarding them for their contribution and collaboration.

By identifying and amplifying positive deviance in the team, we can harness the power of exceptional performance and innovation to drive success and inspire others to reach their full potential. This means recognizing individuals or groups who exhibit exceptional performance or behavior that positively deviates from the norm. Look for individuals or groups who consistently achieve outstanding results, demonstrate exceptional teamwork, or exhibit innovative problem-solving approaches. Offer support, resources, and opportunities for further development to individuals or groups who demonstrate positive deviance. Invest in their growth by providing them the tools, training, and resources to continue their success and inspire others.

One thing I've found helpful to ensure that positive deviance becomes part of the culture is to refer to the contribution at a future date, to show that the deviance has a lasting effect.

Organizationally speaking, we usually advise HR professionals to streamline as much as possible to respond to requests of scale, in order to better organize their work, but talking talent and individualism, streamlining all practices cannot always win and some differentiation must be put into consideration when designing a job around talent. Yes, this is usually not recommended, but within a team setting, having different talents, we can design roles dimensions around team members, you have this one who excels at research, the other who excels at presentations, why not produce a united front, a thoroughly researched presentation from the team building upon those positive deviants?

Positive deviance celebrates exceptional outcomes within a group facing shared challenges. These unsung heroes, the positive deviants, unlock hidden community wisdom. Identifying them begins with data collection – surveys, interviews, and metrics. Amplify their impact through peer interaction and recognition. Sustain their influence by embedding practices into processes and policies. Avoid negative deviance by understanding its roots and intervening promptly. In 90 words, positive deviance isn't just a spark; it's a lasting flame, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.

An example I've seen is addressing individual physical discomfort within a group. It's easy to overlook the impact simple bodily requirements can have on a team. Is the temperature too hot, too cold. Are we hungry, thirsty? Addressing these physical needs first has allowed me to be able to address root causes of negative deviance much more effectively.