Bridge to Different
[Bonding & Bridging: Part 2]
Ok, so we’ve been discussing how creative teams need two conditions work well collaboratively: bonding and bridging. On paper, bonding seems simple enough: get the team on the same page. But things are never as simple as they sound. Yesterday we tackled bonding. Today, we jump to bridging (no, wait… don’t jump).
Bridging is about the connections of the members that stretch beyond the group’s boundaries. Many definitions reduce bridging to the connections between people who are unlike each other. Might I propose that when it comes to teams, bridging is more nuanced – and, dare I say, more strategic.
Bridging is about external relationships. If groups don’t cultivate connections, they become islands – and let me just remind you, being an island inside an organization is lonely (and foolhardy).
Some groups are heavily networked (good!), but they’re networked with people who think too much like they do (bad!). Think about it: if everyone in the industry follows the same leading voices, there is no space for novelty or originality. Again, diversity wins (if you needed convincing).
Most of us do not naturally cultivate networks with people or groups who are different, so when we cross the bridge, the other side looks very similar to the side we just left. Here’s the rub: novel solutions don’t come from similarity. Some of the most creative teams discover new paths because they expand their scope of pursuit with outside perspectives.
Next time you’re tempted to travel a well-worn path, look a little harder for the bridge to different.
To recap: A team that is well-bonded and well-bridged exhibits both strong internal cohesion and broad external connection.
As a facilitator, I work with many teams that struggle with one (if not both) of these conditions. Tomorrow, I’ll offer some suggestions for how we might stretch ourselves.
Inspiration
Harford, T. (2016). Messy: How to be creative and resilient in a tidy-minded world. London, UK: Little, Brown. (Chapter 2: “Collaboration”)