Diversity (3)

Diversity-3*

1. Fundaments of Embracing Diversity

One of the most important things a leader can do, no matter the style or role, is to embrace diversity. Many people resist diversity because they resist change. Yet the diversity of the workplace is a trend that cannot be reversed, and it is creating change. Leaders need to do more than accept the change, more than accept the existence of diversity. To make diversity work, they need to be among the first to embrace it.

By modeling good diversity skills, by demonstrating their respect and appreciation for the differences among us, leaders can help others accept and value diversity. The fundamentals of embracing diversity include:

· Respect for others, for differences, for ourselves.

· Tolerance for ambiguities in language, styles, behavior.

· Flexibility in situations that are new, difficult, or challenging.

· Self-Awareness to be sure you understand your reactions and know what you bring to the diverse workplace.

· Empathy to feel what someone who is different from you might be feeling in new or strange surroundings.

· Patience for change that can be slow, and diversity situations that might be difficult.

· Humor because when we lose our sense of humor, we lose our sense of humanity, as well as our perspectives.

3M is an organization dedicated to valuing the diversity of its workforce. Richard Lidstad, Vice President of Human Resources, says that respect is the key to embracing diversity. He tells a story of coming to 3M many years ago, during an era when male executives always wore sport shirts and Hush Puppies, and had a scraggly beard. The man turned out to be one of the company’s top inventors, holder of 13 patents. People had so much respect for him, for what he had accomplished, that they learned to ignore how he dressed. Lidstad uses that story to stress the importance of doing more than tolerating differences. To be a successful leader, he says, you need to embrace differences in people, their cultures, their ways of behaving in the world.

2. Communication**

Leadership requires excellent communication skills. Working in and leading a diverse workforce requires excellent communication. Communication skills are any executive’s, any manager’s, any leader’s most important skills. Understanding the meaning of communication is the first step to gaining those skills.

3. Defining Communication

Communication is the process of creating shared meanings. Yet the word, and that definition, mean much more. By exploring what “community” ( a word with the same root) means, we can come to an understanding of what we mean by “creating shared meaning.”

4. Community

Community can be broken into two primary meanings, one geographic and the other social. A geographic community is defined by physical borders that encompass areas where people live and work. A neighbourhood, a town, even a state or a country is a community, on progressively larger scales. All geographic communities consist of physical areas where people have certain responsibilities they must share, including maintaining the environment, protecting the communicty from outside forces, and assuring that the people within its boundaries ara as satisfied as possible. The community members must work together, come to agreement on many issues, all for the best of everyone. They share the concerns and goals, and often the values, of their communities.

A social community is a community with social rather than geographical boundaries. The gay community, the African American community, the nonprofit community, the Buddhist community, are all social communities. These communites, like geographic ones, have many interests in common. As a result, members of these communities share many responsibilities in the maintenance of their communities. Like geographical communities, they share concerns, goals, and values.

5. The Nature of Commmunication

Other words with the same root also contribute to understanding what communication means. When we “communicate with nature”, we become one with it. Communion in many churches means becoming one with God. To become one with, to share – that is the true nature of communication. Communication is that process by which we become one with others, not completely or totally, but insofar as specific meanings and specific understandings are concerned. We share a part of ourselves, our message, our meaning of words and behavior, with another.

We all have different frameworks. We all come from different backgrounds, different experiences. What means something to one person means something different to another, so we need to work together, to dance with each other, to create a meaning we can share. By going through the process of creating a shared meaning, we understand each other, we communicate.

6. Communicating Yourself***

Sharing a part of yourself also focuses on another important element of communication: what we communicate. No matter what else we may want to communicate, or what meanings we want to create and share, we always communicate ourselves. The basic principles of communication include two truisms: as human beings, everything we do communicates something to those who hear or see us; and the primary thing we communicate is ourselves. In other words, we cannot not communicate ourselves.

A leader needs to understand that, by embracing diversity, we communicate ourselves as people who value and respect differences. By being leaders, we communicate ourselves as leaders.

7. Language and Communication

Creating shared meaning is not easy to accomplish. Humans communicate in an ambiguous way; we use words. Words by their very nature have multiple meanings. They are open to interpretation and context. In fact, one of the reasons we need to create shared meaning is because of the multiple meanings of our words.

We use words to create our reality. Words shape everything we understand, and create things we don’t see. When we look at creating our visions and organizational culture, the importance of language as reality will become more apparent. A leader who uses language so well that she can create reality, or her vision of reality, is a powerful leader indeed.

8. Diversity Tips

· Diversity is a fact of contemporary organizational life and will become increasingly so in the future.

· When positively and properly supported, workplace diversity can produce tangible benefits.

· Leadership is key to gaining diversity’s benefits, and can come from any level in an organization.

· Leadership also needs to come from the top.

· Communication and awareness are key.

Diversity-2

Diversity-2*

1. Diversity’s Challenges

Diversity’s benefits are not automatic. Diversity also means challenge. Racism, sexism, and homophobia disrupt the workplace, prevent teams from accomplishing their goals, and keep organizations from achieving their missions. Simple misunderstanding caused by cultural and other differences in behavior, work attitudes, and communication styles also create challenges in the workplace.

Leaders need to be aware of the challenges of diversity in order to rise above them and reap diversity’s benefits. One of the biggest challenges of diversity is how it affects the management of organizations. Some of the specific organizational challenges that diversity creates are:

· Management complexity: It seems easier to manage a group of similar-minded people. A homogeneous organization has less conflict. There is no need to constantly adjust managerial style, to listen in different ways to each individual, or to find new approaches to doing tasks that have always been done successfully one way.

· Fairness: How can we be fair when different cultures define fairness in different ways? Diversity also creates questions about fairness because of the need to create mechanisms to assure equal acccess to the workplace, protect different groups against discrimination, and treat every individual equitably.

· Individual differences versus unanimity: Most of us think it is easier to work with people with backgrounds similar to our own than it is to learn to work with people with different styles, to understand new perspectives, and to adjust to disparate attitudes.

· Identity and loyalty: When we are all similar (all members of a homogeneous group), we know who we are (or at least like to think we do). We do not constantly need to redefine ourselves. We do not need to wonder if we can trust new people with new values, if they will back us up, or if they will be loyal to our organization as we have known it.

Turning many of these challenges into benefits is possible. Finding new approaches to doing tasks, for instance, leads to innovation. Clear-thinking leaders with sound diversity skills can find the ways to make diversity work. Perhaps the most important diversity skills are leadership skills. There are many definitions of leadership, and many leadership styles. Terry Pearce, author of Loading Out Loud, defines a leader as a person who has a vision and the ability to communicate it in a compelling way. Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu believed “true leaders inspire people to do great things, and, when the work is done, their people proudly say: “We did this ourselves.”

2. Leadership Styles

One view breaks leadership down to four different styles:

· A visionary leader sees a future, sets goals, and communicates a shared vision.

· A motivational leader communicates in a way that inspires others to act.

· An archetypal leader models ways of doing things, or acts in a way he or she wishes others to act.

· A facilitator assures that everyone is heard and that everyone shares in the responsibilties and outcomes of organizational missions.

Organizational theorist Peter Senge** sees a leader as someone who understanda the different needs of an organization, and plays a variety of roles: The leader as designer designs her organization by establishing the organization’s core values and purpose, and by communicating its vision. She creates policies, strategies, and systems based on those concepts. The leader as teacher tells stories that describe the truth about the organization, and fills others with a sense of purpose. She is a coach, a guide, a facilitator, and helps others in the organization generate ideas for the future rather than merely react or respond to outside stimuli. The leader as steward is the steward of the organization’s vision. She tests ideas, listens to others, and changes her personal vision as she talks with others. Her personal vision is not as important as the vision of the organization. She unifies all people, and creates a shared vision. To become an effective leader, an executive needs to understand her own talents and style and combine any and all of the styles above to find her own way of leading.

3. What Leadership Does

What distinguishes a leader, according to Warren Bennis***, is that while managers do things right, leaders do the right thing. Organizations often put too much emphasis on management, on the position of the employee, rather than on how best to lead. Bennis claims that…”American organizations…are underled and overmanaged.”

Diversity greatly needs strong leaders in positions of power. It also needs everyone in every organization who sees the need for better working relationships, who sees the problems and can communicate solutions, to step forward and take on a leadership role. People need to understand diversity, take stands where needed, and inspire others. In other words, more people need to do the right thing.

Effective leaders help the diverse workforce in many ways. They help create awareness of both the issues of diversity and of the ways to communicate in a diverse workplace. To do this, they must be aware of the issues, be self-aware, and be open to different styles of communication.

A leader can also help increase understanding between all members of the organization. A leader can help people in the organization realize their prejudices ans stereotypes, and stop those biases from affecting the workplace. A leader also manages conflict effectively.

By understanding diversity, a leader understands how to motivate each unique individual. A manager gets the most of her workforce, and a leader gets even more.

Film: Diversity

Film: Diversity’s Benefits in the Workplace

Click here: http://web.me.com/beniers/Diversity/Film.html

Prof. C.J.M. Beniers

NL Zoetermeer

11-05-2010

© Copyright 2010

About Professor C.J.M. Beniers
Prof. C.J.M. Beniers is a well known authority in the field of modern and international communication techniques. He developed the Six-Component-Model. This model enables companies, institutions and politicians to communicate and negotiate with counterparts from all over the world successfully. His career began as international manager at Philips and later he earned his doctorate as professor in communication. He has more than 35 years experience as manager and management trainer. Thus he knows both sides – theory and praxis – very well. As scientist, Prof. Beniers conducts frequently research in the field of intercultural communication. The results of his interesting research can be found in news articles, free pod casts, audio books and his E-books such as “Bridging The Cultural Gap.” Here, modern managers learn how to prepare for business meetings with people from different cultures; they acquire the techniques and tools to handle situations in times of crises successfully, master intercultural barriers, country-specific communication patterns, looking into personal cultural values & systems. Knowing all this, men can prevent cultural misunderstandings and misinterpretations – not only in business but also in private life.

Contact:
Prof. C.J.M. Beniers
Amaliaplaats 2
2713 BJ Zoetermeer
The Netherlands

Telefone: +31 (0) 79 – 3 19  03 81

Mobile:  +31 (0) 6 2 061 8494

Email: info@beniers-consultancy.com

Diversity-1

Diversity-1*

1. Workplace Diversity

The demographics of the workplace are changing and will continue to change rapidly. Almost every organization in te United States looks different – both in terms of who’s employed and the positions they hold – than it did ten years ago.

The Hudson Institute study, Workforce 2000, projects that between 1988 and 2000 only 15 percent of the people entering the workforce will be American-born white males. In 1987, this figure stood at 48 percent. In the year 2000, two-thirds of new workers will be women. The rate of people of color joining the workforce will be much greater than the rate of whites. Many of these new entrants will not speak English. The workforce will also be older.

Workforce diversity is not a matter for debate. It’s a fact. It presents one of the greatest challenges facing today’s organizations, and only through hard work and committed leadership can the potential for benefit be realized. Yet where will the leadership come from? How many leaders do we need? What skills must they have?

2. What is Diversity?

This text defines diversity as significant differences among people, though we will concentrate on race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, age, and physical abilities. Some definitions include differences in ethnicitiy, nation of origin, class, religion, learning and communication styles, where people come from, and occupation as aspects of diversity. All of these differences can affect the workplace.

Such definitions are broad. A group of white male engineers is a diverse group: we are all individuals with differences. By understanding diversity well enough, a manager can get the most out of any goup by appreciating and using their differences. Nevertheless, diversity has its best potential, and its biggest challenge, in deeper differences.

3. Diversity’s Benefits

The deep difference in today’s workforce can mean substantial benefits for today’s organizations. Diversity brings differences in styles and in ways of looking at and doing things which can help organizations do more than they ever dreamed possible. Diversity can help organizations create new and more innovative products and services, better meet the needs of customers and clients, and do more for the community the organizations are part of and serve. Diversity means differences, and differences create challenges, but differences also open avenues of opportunities.

Diversity:

· Enables a wide range of views to be present in an organization, including views that might challenge the status quo from all sides.

· Focuses and strengthen an organization’s core values.

· Is instrumental in organizational change.

· Stimulates social, economic, intellectual and emotional growth.

· Helps an organization understand its place in the global community.

Numerous studies document diversity’s benefits. The bipartisan Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, for instance, cites statistics demonstrating that companies wich successfully used their diverse workforce, and which did well on glass celing issues, saved millions of dollars on turnover costs and earned twise the rate of return on investment as those which did not use their diversity as well.

IBM, as one example, believes the diversity of its workforce means understanding and appealing to its customer base. As the company has downsized, it has assigned a special workforce diversity staff to assure that its workplace diversity remains intact. As IBM chief Louis V. Gerstner** says, “Our marketplace is made up of all races, religions, and sexual orientations, and therefore it is vital to our success that our workforce also be diverse.” The organization’s Director of Workplace Diversity adds, “We think it is important for our customers to look inside and see people like them. If they can’t, it seems to me the prospect of them becoming our staying customers declines.”

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