Diversity Appreciation The What Why and How What

Diversity Appreciation The What, Why, and How

What is it? Diversity- the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization.

Diversity ➢ Also means to create INCLUSION ○ Creating an atmosphere in which all people feel valued, respected, and have the same opportunities as others.

Diversity- creating opportunity, value, and respect for all Inclusion- ensuring they actually feel it

Diversity in the Workplace ➢ Federal laws protecting against discrimination: ○ Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ■ Prohibits discrimination against workers because of race, color, national origin, religion, and sex. ○ Pregnancy Discrimination Act ○ Americans with Disabilities Act ○ Age Discrimination in Employment Act ○ Equal Pay Act ○ Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act ■ Prohibits discrimination and the loss of a job due to deployment/ military duty ○ Child Labor Law- Teen Work Hours

Why is Diversity Important?

Diversity ➢ Empowers individuals ➢ Utilizes the unique strengths of each person ➢ Creates the strongest “team” ○ Collection of individual experiences, backgrounds, and cultures can view problems and challenges from a widevariety of lenses ➢ Provokes thought= higher levels of innovation

On average, “female representation in top management leads to an increase of $42 million in a firm value. ” -1992 - 2006 study of Standard & Poor’s Composite 1500 List (Scientific American) Ginni Rommetty CEO, IBM

Innovation-focused banks with an increase in diversity had enhanced financial performance -2003 study by Orlando Richard (Scientific American) Naoki Nishida CEO, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ

How can we learn to appreciate Diversity?

Common Workplace Differences ➢Cultural Distinctions ○ Different ethnic backgrounds have different customs ■ What is polite in one culture, might be deemed as rude in another ➢Gender Distinctions ○ Mutual respect for one another regardless of gender ○ Sexual harassment is illegal and should be taken seriously ➢General Distinctions ○ Age groups ■ Often have different points of view ● Listen carefully, work to find ideas that you

Appreciating Diversity ➢Understand our biases ○ Bias= a particular tendency, trend, inclination, feeling, or opinion, especially one that is preconceived or unreasoned ■ like a filtering lens that allows us to make sense of new information based on previous knowledge ● Pro: allow us to assume something is true without proof ● Con: can shade our perceptions of what people are capable of ➢ Overcome stereotypes ○ Stereotype- oversimplified and distorted belief about a person or group ○ Educate ourselves ■ Experience ■ Read ■ Discuss

Embracing diversity is more than tolerating people who are different.

Getting along with Others 4 Important Aspects ➢ Respect ○ Treat others the way you want to be treated ➢Understanding ○ Put yourself in the person’s shoes. Ask yourself, “how would that make me feel? ” ➢Sensitivity ○ Always be cautious of saying or doing that might offend or hurt someone else ➢Communication ○ Politely have an open conversation, seeking to understand each other

What Should You Do? 1 - A coworker keeps sharing racist or otherwise offensive jokes with you?

What Should You Do? 2 - Your boss keeps making sexist comments as if they are joking.

What Should You Do? 3 - You own a company and are looking for a new employee to be in charge of the HR department. You have three applicants, which do you choose? a) African American male with a bachelor's degree in general studies b) Hispanic female with no degree but 5 years experience in HR c) Caucasian female who just graduated college with an administrative degree in HR but is 7 months pregnant

“A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone. ” Sundar Pichai CEO, Google