“Respecting another person is not just about using polite language and good manners. It requires you to truly try to understand another person’s point of view - even when it differs significantly from yours!”
Valuing Diversity
When you think of “diversity” you may think of cultural or ethnic differences. Someone else might think of racial or religious differences. Diversity is all of these and much more. Diversity is made up of a number of components that are generally grouped into one of two “categories” as follows:
- Age
- Gender
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Physical abilities/challenges
- Sexual orientation
OR
- Work background
- Income
- Marital status
- Military experience
- Religious beliefs
- Geographic location
- Parental status
- Education
All of the above effect how each of us thinks, feels and behaves. Unfortunately, sometimes these differences can create barriers and influence working relationships. Someone’s contribution could be overlooked because of the value that you place on one or more of the components. For example, if you value youth over age, you might be inclined to overlook the creative ideas of an older co-worker. Ultimately, it is important to recognize that everyone in the workplace has ideas to contribute and that we must learn to value the diversity in each person. In fact, workplaces that make an effort to tap into this collective wisdom and wealth of varied perspectives prosper!
Remember…
“Great discoveries and achievements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds.” - Alexander Graham Bell
How Do I Do It?
- I get it in theory, but how do I put it into practice?
- Am I doing anything that I shouldn’t be? How do I know?
- I think I’m doing my part, but could I be doing more?
Here are some tips to help you Respect Diversity in the Workplace!
Recognize that diversity is a good thing. Employees and employers must learn about people, their differences and accept that the differences contribute in a positive way toward productivity and a healthy workplace.
Know that everyone responds differently to the same stimuli. Recognize that each of us is a culturally-diverse entity. None of us has exactly the same programming because we get our cultural teachings from a variety of sources.
Don’t be a space invader. Everyone has his/her own personal boundaries; a good guideline to remember is to stay about one arm’s length from co-workers when talking.
Respect style and dress choices. Many people dress according to religious beliefs. Make-up and hair style (or lack of them) may indicate something about a person’s culture.
Use small acts to show respect. Acknowledge that a person has entered the room - say “good morning,” for example.
Provide and respect flexibility for “coffee” and lunch breaks. Many people eat different foods at different times as a result of their cultural backgrounds.
Where possible, allow for flexibility when scheduling holidays and special celebrations. National holidays are more or less significant to different people. Try to celebrate other culturally-special dates in your workplace.
Recognize that non-verbal differences play a major role in one’s effectiveness as a communicator. Someone’s lack of eye contact can be very distracting if you are not aware that the other person believes he/she is communicating appropriately, according to the “rules” of his/her culture.
Be aware that in some cultures, the workplace hierarchy may cause problems because of gender, position, etc. In some cultures, a man will not work for a woman, as a working woman indicates deficiency in a male’s performance as a provider. In others, students don’t question teachers; individuals don’t challenge authority; and employees don’t confront managers. Respect these differing opinions and work to solve any problems that may arise.
Establish an anti-discrimination and an anti-harassment policy. Make sure that it complies with federal and provincial/state laws. Provide the policy to your employees at at team meeting and facilitate an open discussion about it. Be prepared to abide by and enforce the policy.
Invest time and expense into diversity training and awareness. Many types of harassment and discrimination spring from ignorance. Educated employees, who are taught to respect other cultures, races and genders may be less likely to engage in harassing or discriminatory behavior.
Take any complaints of discrimination and harassment seriously. Employers have an affirmative duty to promptly investigate all complaints of discrimination and harassment.
Communicate with your employees. Adopt an open door policy and put it into practice. This will help you find out about workplace problems early on, when you can “nip them in the bud”. And it will show your employees that you value their opinions, an important component of positive employee relations.
Be consistent. Apply the same standards of performance and conduct to all of your employees. Successful discrimination lawsuits can result when you treat workers in the same situation differently.
Recognize the help and achievements of co-workers. Offer praise to co-workers or employees for a job well done or a simple thanks if they pitched in to make your work a little easier. Show your appreciation and watch how a few simple words can improve relations and make someone’s day.
Don’t make negative comments or jokes. Be aware of what you say about another person’s work, skill, background, etc. It’s just good work protocol!
Be a good listener. Show you care and respect co-workers’ ideas by giving them your full attention during conversations. Let colleagues speak without interrupting and actively listen to what they have to say.
Include others. Make an effort to get feedback and ideas from colleagues. Doing so lets them know that you value their input and boosts team spirit.
Remember that there are many right answers. Instead of forcing others to accept your ideas, stay open to other possibilities. The most successful teams are those that can pool the strengths of each person to achieve a final result that everyone is happy with.
Smile. Everyone understands and appreciates it!
Final Thought…
By reflecting on your own actions and remembering that there is always time to be polite and considerate - say thanks, compliment achievements and deal with people in an open, well-mannered way - you can spread respect throughout your workplace.
Appreciating and valuing the diversity of the work force around you, will open up your thinking to a whole new world of understanding and opportunity.
The above is an excerpt from my book, “Let’s Talk Team Building…10 Strategies for Becoming a High Performance Team Member“. If you would like to order copies for your team or find out more about my related team development workshops, give me at a call at 1-877-290-5003/613-299-5003 or contact me at janet@letstalkteambuilding.com !
Janet
