1. Diversity in the Workplace
Career Management 101
Diversity in the Workplace

2. Introduction
With the ever-changing business environment, business owners are adapting diversity policies and strategies that appeal to their employees, clients, vendors and suppliers.
Diversity in the workplace brings with it a host of potential benefits, as well as potential conflicts for business owners to manage.

3. What is Workplace Diversity?
Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization.

4. Types of Diversity
Diversity has to do with more than race or ethnicity.
Diverse workplaces are composed of employees with varying characteristics including, but not limited to:
Religious and Political Beliefs
Gender
Ethnicity
Education
Socioeconomic Background
Sexual Orientation
Geographic Location

5. Advantages of Diversity in the Workplace
Increased Productivity: Diversity and Inclusion brings in diverse different talents together working towards a common goal using different sets of skills that ignites their loyalty and increases their retention and productivity
Increased Creativity and Problem Solving: With so many different and diverse minds coming together many more solutions will arise as every individual brings in their way of thinking, operating and solving problems and decision making
Attract and Retain Talent that add a competitive edge to any organization.  Feeling included and appreciated increases loyalty and feeling of belonging.  Language skills pool is increased and propels organization forward either to compete in the International global world or to increase its diverse customer base
Help to Build Synergy in Teams and Enhances Communication Skills that brings in new attitudes and processes that profit the whole team
Applying the proper diversity & inclusion management strategies does not only save money on Litigation Expenses generated by discrimination lawsuits but is the right thing to do for the business.
It Increases Market Share and Create a Satisfied Diverse Customer Base by relating to people from different backgrounds.  It does propel the United States and its status to claim its place and success in the global business world of the 21st century

6. Why People Need To Value Diversity
Valuing diversity recognizes differences between people and acknowledges that these differences are a valued asset. Multicultural education is an important component of valuing diversity. It respects diversity while teaching all children and youth to become effective and participating members of a democracy. It respects individuality while promoting respect for others.
It emphasizes the contributions of the various groups (e.g. ethnic, gender, income, sexual orientation, etc.) that make up the population of the world. It emphasizes the importance of people sharing their stories and learning from the stories of others. It acknowledges that different children have different learning styles. This approach seeks to increase diversity awareness, sensitivities, and skills so that young people are prepared to take positive action with their peers. By building positive peer influence, young people begin to change negative attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors about diversity.

7. How Can Valuing Diversity Be Measured
Valuing diversity can be measured at three levels:
cognitive: knowledge and understanding of the concepts and issues related to diversity
affective: appreciation and respect of the similarities and differences among people
behavioral: building positive relationships with “different people” decision making is a complex, non-linear process; skills develop as one matures and with experience.

8. Tips For Practicing And Valuing Diversity
Actively solicit input from a wide variety of people and functions.
Involve diverse groups in solving problems and developing opportunities.
Challenge your own and others’ assumptions that limit opportunities.
Seek to understand diversity from a global, not just a national, perspective.
When asking someone to explain a point of view different from your own, be sure to convey that your intention is to understand that person's viewpoint, not to have him or her justify it.
Stand up and speak out when others are not valued or their ideas or views are not heard or taken into account.
Identify your customer base. Then examine your organizational strategies and practices to make sure they reflect your actual customer base.
Be sensitive to the fact that some people want their differences to be recognized while others do not.
Watch any tendencies to joke about differences. When you do hear joking, take a stand and let others know that you are offended.
Talk openly about the tension between the need to value and accept different perspectives and opinions, and the desire for shared organizational values.

9. Tips For Practicing And Valuing Diversity (continued)
Give feedback openly and respectfully to those whose different behaviors and values affect their credibility and effectiveness.
Become a mentor to an individual whose background and experiences are different from your own.
Broaden your view of diversity beyond just race or gender issues.
Watch educational videos. Learn about your own cultural values and background.
Look at issues and opportunities from others' viewpoints before making decisions.
Talk openly about the amount of time it may take to change the organization's acceptance of people who are different.
Confront people directly about their prejudiced behavior or comments, encouraging a way for them to change without "losing face."
Challenge organizational policies and practices that may be exclusionary.
Build a support network with colleagues who are interested in valuing diversity.
Continually monitor your automatic thoughts and language for unexamined assumptions and stereotypical responses.
Learn how to manage disagreements for ways to handle conflicts that may arise.

10. Ways To Incorporate Diversity
Businesses find ways to incorporate diversity into their workplaces without causing major changes to the way their companies operate.
Incorporating diversity practices in a workplace can include recruiting from diverse talent pools to make the company open to employees from various backgrounds.
Diversity may be infused into advertising practices to ensure products and services are targeted to all consumers who represent the target market, whether through print, online, television or radio.

11. Significance of Workplace Diversity
As workplaces embrace the idea of diversity, they often realize benefits that help improve their companies, from new ideas to increased international opportunities. Diversity can add varied ideas and perspectives to a workplace.
Research compiled by the Journal of Small Business Management suggests that employers who recruit diverse workforces open their businesses to a wide range of ideas. Businesses compile these varied opinions and ideas as they make decisions about how to start, run and finance their operations and market their products or services.

12. Causes of Cultural Insensitivity
Cultural Insensitivity is the inability of a person to accept or to become aware of cultural differences.
Causes of Cultural Insensitivity Include:
Lack of Diversity in the Workplace
Living in a Neighborhood that Lacks Diversity
Attending a School (Primary or Secondary) that Lacks Diversity

13. Explain How Cultural Sensitivity Can Be Acquired
Cultural sensitivity is a set of skills that enables us to learn about and understand people who are different from ourselves, thereby becoming better able to serve them within their own communities. It is an acquired ability to see many values and behaviors as cultural rather than universal.
A key step to increasing cultural sensitivity at your company is building the cultural knowledge of your workforce. You should lead by example and see what you can learn online or through books. Encourage your employees to do the same. Consider holding training classes to teach your employees about the practices of other cultures. Frame these classes as a way for your staff to better understand how to deal with working in a multinational world and don't just focus on the cultures of your employees.

14. How To Exhibit Cultural Sensitivity
Increase your level of understanding about other cultures by interacting with people outside of your own culture—meaningful relationships may never develop simply due to a lack of understanding.
Avoid imposing values on others that may conflict or be inconsistent with cultures other than your own.
When interacting with others who may not be proficient in English, recognize that their limitations in English proficiency in no way reflects their level of intellectual functioning.
Recognize and understand that concepts within the helping profession, such as family, gender roles, spirituality, and emotional well-being, vary significantly among cultures and influence behavior.
Within the workplace, educational setting, and/or clinical setting, advocate for the use of materials that are representative of the various cultural groups within the local community and the society in general.
Intervene in an appropriate manner when you observe others engaging in behaviors that show cultural insensitivity, bias, or prejudice.
Be proactive in listening, accepting, and welcoming people and ideas that are different from your own.

15. Challenges of Diversity in the Workplace
Taking full advantage of the benefits of diversity in the workplace is not without its challenges. Some of those challenges are:
Communication - Perceptual, cultural and language barriers need to be overcome for diversity programs to succeed. Ineffective communication of key objectives results in confusion, lack of teamwork, and low morale.
Resistance to Change - There are always employees who will refuse to accept the fact that the social and cultural makeup of their workplace is changing. The “we’ve always done it this way” mentality silences new ideas and inhibits progress.
Implementation of Diversity in the Workplace Policies - This can be the overriding challenge to all diversity advocates. Armed with the results of employee assessments and research data, they must build and implement a customized strategy to maximize the effects of diversity in the workplace for their particular organization.
Successful Management of Diversity in the Workplace - Diversity training alone is not sufficient for your organization’s diversity management plan. A strategy must be created and implemented to create a culture of diversity that permeates every department and function of the organization.

16. Considerations & Warnings of Diversity
As workplaces become more diverse, employers are encouraged to take note of communication, training, recruiting practices and management. Diverse workforces may be plagued with problems if employees aren't equipped with the knowledge they need to communicate effectively with their coworkers, regardless of their differences.
Diversity training can help reduce interpersonal conflicts within a company. As a result of efforts to train employees on diversity issues, management may see an increase in training and development costs. Allbusiness.com, an online resource for entrepreneurs, notes some businesses believe that costs of diversity are higher than its benefits because of potential issues with communication and training.

17. References
Andrade, S. (2010). Six Advantages of Workplace Diversity. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from
Barkman, S. and Speaker, H. (2000). Valuing Diversity. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from
Belfield, L. (2016). Cultural Diversity. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from service/articles/cultural-diversity.aspx
Brookins, M. (2016). Define Diversity in the Workplace. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from
Cultural Insensitivity. (2016). Blackwell Reference Online. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from
Cultural Sensitivity in the Workplace. (2016). Penn State Extension. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from
Greenberg, J. (2009). Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and Solutions. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from
Rodeck, D. (2016). What Practices Could You Implement to Increase Cultural Sensitivity & Acceptance in the Workplace. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from acceptance-workplace html
Tips for Valuing Diversity. (2004). The Diversity Toolkit. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from
Vogt, C. (2016). Cultural Sensitivity Skills in the Workplace. Retrieved January 2, 2016, from

18. Activities Diversity in the Workplace Worksheet
Diversity in the Workplace Quiz
Diversity Bingo
Diversity Jeopardy Game
Cultural Appreciation Day