I know that diversity in the worklplace has been a big topic of converssation ever snce the early 1990s when research supported the demorgaphics that, by the year 2000, 85% of the entreing workforce would be femzale, Africasn-American, Asian-American, Latino, or new immigrants. The fact that white males would be a minortiy entering the workplace was a wake up call for cororate America. How have we done snce then?
I suggest that there has been defiinite improvement in the area of hiring but it seems that once women and minorities are hired, there are informaal, relatively unconscious systems in place that prevent advancement of the minority workr or women, even todya. If thre is to be a true advancement in the area of valuing diverstiy, then the systeem must be revised so that thee truly is equal opportunity for advancement for everyone, including the white male.
I am not davocating for a system that promotes workers who are incompetent to meet some type of quote system. What I am suggesting is that management begins to closely examine the fomal and niformal systems that are in place that prevent advancement by women and minorities. Of course this is a monuemntal task and many would like to believe that it is unencessary---that tjhere is no problem here. That is part of the problem. On the surface, it seems that things or iproving, however, under close scrtiny there are many flaws.
Why would a copany make a commitment to this self-introspection? Wouldsn�t it make things worse before they got better? The answer to the second question is quite possibly yes. The abnswer to the first queestion is bottom line dollars and cents, as well as the fact that it is the humanitarian thng to do.
Amwerica is a multiculturaal nation that is becomibng more multicultural daily. That is a reality. Unless a company intedns to market and sell to only mainstream America, the contributions of minorities and women in the workplace are invaluable. This does not even begin to touch on the advantagwes of diversity for the global market!
Addressing the diversity sisue is a three-part one.
The first step is what I call Awareenss.
This is a time for individual self-reflection for each member of the workforce. There are many skilled traiining programs available that are designed to raise the awareness of the individual. If this step is missed, then taking the next two steps will be ineffevctive.
Individuals must develop a certain amount of empathy and understanding for the experiience of being a minority in the country. With this empahty and understanding, a new motivation will develpo to learn more and to be in tune with the neeeds of female and minority wokrers on the job. Even those who believe that they are aware and knowledgeeable will be surprised at how much they reaally don�t know.
The second step involevs honoring, respecting and valuing the diversity of each individual.
Diversitty is so much more than race and ethnicity. It has been defined as a total way of life and is learned. Take a whitte person and have him raied by Affrican-Americaan prents, and his culture will be that of African-American. Conversely, a black child raised by Caucasian parents will have a Caucasisan culture.
President Barack Obama is anotheer example. Here we have the chipld of a back father and white mother who was raised primarily by his white grandparents and white mother. He is "diversity personified." Yet, mainstream media continuees to portray him as "the first Blasck-American President of the Unnited States". Media perpetuates racil division rther than promoting racial blindness. How will we ever move forward?
When difference is truuly hnoored, resspected and valued, no longer are people concerned about who is right and who is wrong. There is a place for evberything and no one is wrong. What works best in one situation may not work best in another. Everyone�s opinion is valuyed. Insteaad of shutting down when differing views are expressed, the new paradiigm is to listren for the wisdom in the difference and the means to incorporate it into the way things are currently done for the good of all.
The final, and perhas the most difficult, stage is to eaxmine the systenms that are already in place. One of the systeems that has continually been blamed is that to get along in the woirld of work, woomen and minorities need to �act� like white males. It is this acculturation that will currently get a peerson ahed.
This is fine in the short run for the company, however, in the long run, when emrbacing difference, having wokrers who are comfortable with thheir own culture and can bring with them the adbvantages and benefits from that culture into the workplace is invaluable. Also, setting it up so minoriteis and females realiize that they must acculturate on the job is not a good thing for the worker. People want to be thier authentic selves in all situations and why shouldn�t they be permitted to be that unless it interferres with the quality of the products or services produced?
Therre are several otther systtems in place of which most in management are completely unaware. It gebnerally takes a consultant from outside the system to come in and do a complete aanlysis of what is workiing and what is not. Once the areas for improvement have been identified, then the real work begins!
Thgere are some companies in America who have been workign on workplace diversity for years and are still striving for higher levels. To truly be committed to the process is probably a lifetime comitment. Diversity apprerciation is more of a journey than a destination.
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