What's The Zebra Effect?
The Zebra Effect is one of the most common patterns in human groups and teams. It happens when people do whatever is needed to blend in for safety rather than standing out or speaking up.
The Zebra Effect is often a result of people not wanting to rock the boat, not wanting to be seen as “disruptive” or not being the “odd one out”. Does this feel at all familiar?
Here are some typical signs of The Zebra Effect.
Reluctance to disagree or offer different ideas or perspectives in conversations or meetings
Saying yes to things when it probably really means no
A rush or drive towards consensus, trying to get everybody to agree as quickly as possible
An unwillingness to question or challenge things that are said or done
Tacitly accepting viewpoints held by people who are viewed as powerful or “expert”
Hero-worship responses to popular or influential colleagues
Silence when people are invited to contribute
People attending meetings or being present and therefore seen, but not contributing
The Zebra Effect is quietly dangerous. All too easily, it imperceptibly morphs into:
condoning things which are clearly not OK
avoiding uncomfortable truths
bystanding on crucial issues
colluding with damaging, toxic or harmful interactions
enabling immoral or even illegal things to carry on – in plain sight
So, my invitation here is to Be Less Zebra! I know this is easier said than done, so I’ve developed a number of powerful ways to do this, which you can put into practice straight away. So what’s the first one?
People often tell me they’re reluctant to speak up or challenge the status quo at work because it feels like a confrontational thing to do. Thinking differently about this is the first step to reducing The Zebra Effect. Rather than thinking of it as Confrontational Challenge, I’m inviting you to think of it as Curious Challenge.
Curious Challenge is a useful frame for disrupting the status quo because its starting point isn’t criticising the current way of doing things or blaming people for the way things are. Rather, its focus is exploring how things could potentially be even more effective. So, rather than sending people into defensive mode, it intends instead to open people up to discovery mode.
So what’s the difference between Curious Challenge and Confrontational Challenge? Here are just a couple of examples, drawn from recent work with diverse teams, where people are trying to shift from Confrontational Challenge to Curious Challenge.
Shifting from Confrontational Challenge into Curious Challenge is a key skillset if you wish to nurture psychological safety in your teams. My forthcoming book, The Culture Trap, is packed full of practical things to do and say, which have been tried and tested by 1000s of leaders across all sectors.
Join the waiting list for the book here. Or watch this video for a deeper dive.