MANAGE DIVERSITY

by Valuing the Individual

by Toni Cooper

Managing diversity is much more than equality policies and procedures. Managing diversity is learning to lead and communicate effectively with each individual on your team.

H

ow do you manage diversity in your facility? Traditionally, diversity in the workplace means

bringing together people of different ethnic backgrounds, religions and age groups into a cohesive and productive unit. Advances in communication technology, such as the Internet and smart phones, have created a global marketplace. To survive, an organization needs to be able to manage and utilize its diverse workforce effectively. Many leaders consider managing diversity as having equality policies as they relate to hiring and retaining practices. While this is an important first step in managing diversity, often organizations miss the next steps in managing a diverse workforce.

22 DIFFERENCES ARE VALUABLE

By dictionary definition, managing diversity means acknowledging people’s differences and recognizing these differences as valuable. Te key factor is realizing the value of each person on your team. Te pitfall occurs when leaders do not see the differences as valuable. Tey see them as a crutch, categorizing an entire group of people because of one employee. Instead of cultivating a diverse workforce, these managers tend to hire people who are like them. Tis can lead to a stagnate facility. Have you ever considered a new

perspective for managing diversity? According to Harvard Business Review, diversity should be understood as the ISI EDGE FALL 2016