MEXICO CITY. In work teams that experience high levels of inclusive standards, team innovation is also much higher than in teams that do not enjoy this condition, according to a study by the firm Catalyst. However, only 31% of the employees surveyed by the consulting firm experience those standards in their workplace.

The Three Inclusive Team Norms that Drive Success report, which includes Mexico, found that there are just three specific norms that drive the key indicators of team success and, in fact, characterize inclusion. Those practices are:

1. Promoting expressions of difference; 2) Fostering a climate of team training where constructive feedback can be provided, and 3) Having codes for team decision-making in a fair and consistent manner, details Catalyst, a global non-profit organization focused on the empowerment of women and gender equality in companies.

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These are codes or expectations about the behavior of the team members that they all share. In that sense, they reinforce the ability of the members to work to the fullest, be realistic with each other, and seek support from each other.

In teams that have those practices, 75% of employees report having high levels of innovation; in contrast, only 16% of employees mention the same in those who do not present these rules, according to the Catalyst study, carried out on 4,368 employees from 14 countries, including Mexico.

The document also reveals that in teams that have all three factors, 90% of employees mention high levels of team problem-solving, against only 24% in teams where these characteristics don’t exist.

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Something similar happens with work commitment, with 88% of workers reporting high levels in organizations that promote the three aforementioned inclusion practices against only 36%. In the same way, in relation to team citizenship to act in the interest of the collective good or support another colleague, 77% of workers consider that this support is high, against 17%.

Despite the great benefit of these practices, only 31% of employees in the study report that they "often" or "always" experience inclusive team standards. "That means leaders, team managers, and team members have more work to do when it comes to harnessing the full power of teams," the document states.

“On average, only 31% of employees in our survey said their teams have inclusive standards. This means that more than two-thirds of employees have poor team experiences, with a high probability that their teams will underperform,” the report points out.