Similarity vs Complimentary
Posted on October 2, 2007 - Filed Under On Ideation
Great minds think alike. That’s the problem. I was away for the past week in Europe on vacation and it gave me some great time to ponder relationships. The most fruitful relationships are those where each party compliments the other. This principle applies to all relationships, whether it’s the relationship between two members of a sports team, the chemistry between a group of friends or even the partnership of two brands.
There is something to say about the comfort of similarity. Often we are drawn to it. Often it produces good results. But they never produce great results. For stupendous results you have to push the envelope. And complimentary personalities are all about that. It allows each member to perform their own task provide a unique way to add value to the relationship.
I suppose an easy analogy for this is that if you have a barrel full of apples you can only make apple sauce. If you have apples, bananas, oranges, kiwis and blueberries you can make fruit salad.
So the next time you are thrust into a situation that requires for you to pick a team, try to pull yourself away from your initial judgments of the candidates. It is basic psychology that people are attracted to those that are similar to them. Instead, attempt to weigh the positives and negatives of each individual and view how they are able to compliment the rest of the team. Too often in the workplace is there one manager with a team of mini-me’s approaching a business problem in the same way.
- Christian
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