Our Christmas Business Tree
Dealing with Diversity in the Workplace Roberto Lico
Roberto de Paula Lico JĂşnior is a Professional Coach, and Business Consultant with a knowledge in Management, Overseas Trade and Negotiation.
A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer such as spruce, pine or fir, traditionally associated with the celebration of Christmas.
According to the EncyclopÌdia Britannica, "The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life was a custom of the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews�.
The tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts or dates but today, there are a wide variety or a diversity of traditional ornaments, such as garland, tinsel, ornaments, colorful balls and candy canes.
Like a Christmas tree our business environment is composed of a diversified group of people with different races, creeds, ages, genders, colors and educational backgrounds.
Managing diversity involves using some specific resources and experiences for the benefit of the organization. But knowing how to do this requires understanding some strategies to better deal with diversity in our business environment.
Recognition: We must recognize that people have differences, be they physical, generational or cultural, and we cannot pretend that these barriers have been broken down or are not carried to the workplace. Instead, we must accept the differences among our employees, and encourage them to let their individualities show since their diversity and knowledge could prove useful to our business.
Fairness: We should realize that by accepting everyone’s differences does not mean treating everyone exactly the same but that we do demonstrate a fair attitude that respects diversity. Acting fairly and acting uniformly are different, and only one enables us to successfully deal with diversity in our workplace.
It is important to treat people fairly and respect the differences that make them who they are.
Focus on Yourself: Diversity is an issue that we must manage in the workplace, and it starts with managing our own attitude and behavior. We need to be aware of how we respond and react to different styles, cultures, backgrounds and diverse differences. Self-awareness is key to managing and developing a fair and equalitybased workplace for all employees.
Employee assessments: When preparing an employee review and assessment, we must also examine our employees' attitudes, particularly how they work with others and approach the workplace with the same equality they expect. If we notice that an employee only delegates tasks to people of a certain race, gender, age or relationship, it is our responsibility to address and correct these biases.
Encourage interaction: When we identify diversity-related issues in the workplace, we must discuss such issues with all of the involved employees and in a nonconfrontational manner. We should set up HR courses and workshops that will encourage and help employees to understand how to work with others regardless of their diversity(ies) and that it’s not optional!
Important: ✓Set up “models” for good behavior procedures to clarify any doubts or confusions of acceptable policy.
✓Invest in cultural sensitivity training for all staff to facilitate better communication. ✓Seek periodic feedback from staff and to evaluate the company diversity behavior.
Important: ✓Encourage open communication and teamwork across work functions. ✓Plan an annual event to break down formal barriers and improve staff morale.
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