People are often hesitant to work with—or even interact with—people they see as different from themselves. But when people from different groups identify a goal that they share, and they recognize that they need to work together to achieve that goal, they’re capable of putting aside their differences to come together, replacing distrust with a spirit of goodwill. Though you may have disagreements, look for the goals that you have in common with members of other groups—and if you’re in a position to bring different groups together, try to highlight for them the goals that they share.
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One way to help people identify common goals is to call their attention to a big problem that is affecting both of them. There are subtle ways that you can call people’s attention to the common goals they might actually share with those who they see as being different from themselves.
Sherif, M. (1958). Superordinate goals in the reduction of intergroup conflict. American Journal of Sociology, 63(4), 349-356.
Researchers brought a group of boys to a camp and placed them on separate teams--and rivalries and hostilities followed. But when the camp faced a series of challenges that could only be solved by both teams working together--that is, when the teams developed a common goal--they put aside their differenes and forged bonds across group lines.
Though people may harbor distrust or fear toward people who seem different from themselves, evidence suggests that those perceptions of difference are malleable. To shift those perceptions, it can be useful to appeal to people's enlightened self-interest, helping them see how those other people can actually help them achieve goals that they share. Even if they have trouble identifying commonalities in their backgrounds, identities, or other traits, focusing on common goals can shift their perceptions of one another--from adversaries to collaborators who are part of the same team.
This practice is part of the Greater Good Science Center's Bridging Differences Initiative and is featured in the GGSC's Bridging Differences Playbook.