"Organizations that truly leverage difference cultivate the capabilities to engage with and learn from diverse stakeholders, including employees, customers, partners, and communities." - Martin Davidson, The End of Diversity As We Know It I first saw mention of The End of Diversity As We Know It on Twitter during the fall. As someone who dislikes the traditional notion [...]
A direct outgrowth of diversity training in the workplace - the desire to learn Spanish for work - is slowly finding its way into the corporate psyche. The benefits of workplace Spanish seem to be well worth the effort, since efficient communication on the job is critical when there exists a large number of Spanish-speaking employees who have difficulty communicating in English.
In the past, we’ve advocated for leaders walking the talk of creating a respectful workplace. In fact, our first post on this blog, written by Paul Meshanko, discussed just that. The attitudes and behaviors of senior leaders are where the rubber meets the road. If you really value respect, you have to precisely describe (and communicate) [...]
Ever wonder what kids think about race and difference? You may be surprised! This enlightening video gives some insight into what kids really think about race. People Are Children from Alrick Brown on Vimeo. Want to learn more about how kids develop their beliefs about race? Then check out Are We Born Racist?: New [...]
by Simma Lieberman If you are planning to spend money on diversity training, WAIT! You may be wasting your money if you haven’t done any foundation building. If diversity and inclusion are not first integrated into your business strategy, very little will change just by holding one or two day training classes. Organizations in all sectors [...]
Throughout my work with organizations, my efforts as a manager, leader, facilitator and consultant have created environments in which employees from a broad range come together in the spirit of creating something beyond the capabilities of any monoculture. One of the greatest skill sets required today is the ability to work across multiple cultures and disciplines.
Many times diversity trainers find it difficult to connect with an audience comprised mostly of white males. Not surprising since white males who are in the majority are not used to being stereotyped like a minority – right? Kinda. While it is true that white males do not understand what it is like to be anything other than what they are – white males, they can understand what it means to be stereotyped. You – the trainer or executive – can help them remember, and in doing so increase their comfort level with and curiosity about diversity-related issues at work.
Last week I finished the third and final class of Cleveland State University’s Leadership Forum on Diversity series. Since most of the information presented during the series served as refresher for me, it was the dialogue among students that provided the greatest knowledge. Like in real life, open conversation is often the best teacher. The [...]
Respectful Management of Difference at Work Have you ever had something happen to you at work that made you so upset you burst into tears? The likelihood of you answering yes to that question is directly related to whether you check the male or female box on a census form. Without getting too caught up [...]
I realize it has not even been a year since we here in the US elected the first African-American president and that change is slow. But the recent incident at the Hunt Valley Swim Club in suburban Philadelphia makes me wonder if we are making progress at all. Earlier this year, I questioned the future of diversity [...]
