00-06 Sustaining a Diversity Initiative
--Linda Gravett, Ph.D.
A successful diversity initiative requires constant nurturing. To support and enhance efforts that have begun in your organization the following checklist may be helpful:
Promote open and ongoing dialogue about racism, conflict between generations, and disagreements that revolve around differences in employees’ function and department. If you don’t hear any discussion in the lunchroom or by the water cooler about conflict between employees, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Facilitate brown bag lunches that serve as educational forums for learning about different cultures and races. Provide employees with the opportunity during staff meetings to voice concerns over differences, perceived or real, between how departments are treated.
Establish vehicles that allow employees to assess their skills in the area of managing diversity. Include competencies such as conflict resolution and consensus building on every employee’s performance evaluation and provide frequent feedback and coaching. Provide diversity self-assessment instruments for employees and ensure that a mechanism for discussion of the results is in place.
Review organizational systems and practices periodically to ensure that diversity management is supported. Is there a racial and sexual harassment policy that has been communicated to all employees? Do you have a mentorship program that is available for everyone? Are supervisors held accountable for recruiting and developing a diverse workforce? If these systems are not in place, or functioning effectively, employees who expect ongoing diversity efforts will leave.
Integrate diversity initiatives with continuous improvement and teambuilding efforts. Diversity efforts should not be "stand alone". Activities can be integrated into other initiatives that are designed to enhance profitability and productivity. A career development initiative should take into account employees’ individual interests, skills, and abilities. A compensation system has to appeal to a wide range of employees in terms of age and work-family balance needs. Recruiting efforts must be aligned with the skills required to appeal to the current or potential customer base.
Examine conflicts within the organization to determine their underlying cause, such as a misunderstanding because of language differences. With the increasing immigrant population in the U.S., it’s likely that you will work alongside someone whose first language is not English in the near future, if you don’t now. The opportunity for misunderstanding another’s intent or motivation because of language or cultural barriers is higher today than ever before. Consider programs such as "consulting pairs" to handle conflicts before they escalate into terminations, discipline problems, or workplace violence.
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