Recognizing diversity among employees
Recognizing diversity among employees
Communication is key to bridging differences
Private duty providers may be sensitive to cultural diversity among clients, but do they recognize the differences among their own employees? The mere existence of a multicultural work force and culturally diverse client base does not necessarily lead to workplace sensitivity. And in today's work environment, old assumptions about the best road to understanding differences have changed, says Veroneca Burgess, attorney and principal of Baltimore-based Judicial Review, an employee training consulting firm.
A former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission administrative judge, Burgess now advises clients about preventing discriminatory practices and encouraging cultural sensitivity.
Melting pot or salad bowl?
Organizational behaviorists once espoused the melting-pot approach to workplace diversity, which encouraged all employees to drop distinguishing cultural characteristics, according to Burgess. The problem with such a method is that one group's behaviors and perceptions usually predominate, frustrating those not represented and causing miscommunication and misunderstanding, she explains. Today, employment professionals promote a "salad bowl" style that recognizes the unique flavor and talents of each individual and assumes the differences will produce a higher quality product.
Even highly diverse organizations may not be as culturally sensitive as they believe, Burgess says. They may not recognize certain workplace diversities. For example, while many people associate cultural diversity with race or ethnic differences, "the greatest area of diversity today is among those over 40," she says.
This has significant implications for employers, as older workers, generally already less likely to change and less eager to learn, are nervous and insecure. This influences their reactions to today's technology explosion and increasingly team-oriented work setting, she explains. But "you can't change them, only your reaction to their behavior," she advises.
Gender differences also pose significant diversity challenges. Women tend to shake their heads when listening to others. Men often assume this means agreement with what is being communicated, but for most women it merely indicates that they are listening, Burgess notes.
And no matter how open-minded an individual, culture is still the rose-colored glass through which he views the world. It influences behavior, attitudes, perceptions, and values, she explains.
"We assess people based on our own experience and background. We assume that the way we see things is the way they are, and we look for information that validates our perceptions. We screen out most of [and sometimes distort] what we see and hear to deal with differences and information overload," Burgess continues.
And perceptions and attitudes can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You may expect others to behave a certain way. Without even realizing it, you may then act in a manner that causes them to behave that way, reinforcing your perception, she explains.
Even when people recognize differences, "they often don't know what to do about it. Usually one bows to another," Burgess says. This can complicate and confuse workplace dynamics.
For example, one of her clients had difficulty getting an employee to complete work as assigned. As she worked with him to improve his performance, she would explain what she wanted and then ask him whether he understood what she had just told him. He would nod his head indicating that he understood her and then do the work in a way that obviously indicated that he did not. Finally, she resorted to asking him to explain what she had just assigned him to do, until it was clear that he grasped the assignment. The manager did not realize that in the employee's culture, it was unacceptable to question authority and his apparent agreement was just his attempt to conform to his perception of appropriate office behavior, she explains.
Communication is the key to improving cultural awareness and using diversity to the organization's benefit, Burgess notes. "You need to keep an open line of communication. [Without it], we just see differences. Communication brings out our similarities. As people talk about their differences, they begin to see [that the differences] are good things. For example, you may be better at some things because of your background," she explains.
And communication wards off misunderstandings and potential animosity. Another of Burgess' clients promoted an employee of East Indian origin. In keeping with his culture which recognizes life events with celebrations, he went out and bought a bottle of champagne. Even though it was only 10 a.m., he went to everyone in the office and asked them to share it with him. No one accepted his offer, and more importantly, no one bothered to tell him why.
"Not only did he decline the promotion, he left the job because he felt that [his co-workers] were mocking him and he was humiliated," she says. In this instance, a little communication would have gone a long way. Had the employee understood that though his co-workers were happy about his promotion, their culture prohibited consuming alcoholic beverages during the day, the incident may have ended entirely differently, she notes.
Providers may also consider offering a diversity workshop to help increase awareness and facilitate greater understanding. "It's better to do it when there is no [apparent] issue. A lot of people are not proactive, and they wait until there's a problem," Burgess says.
Even without formal organizational cultural awareness initiatives, each individual can take steps to improve their understanding of and coping with cultural differences, she adds. "Manage your mind. Rethink your values and perceptions. Don't automatically assume or think a certain way. Manage your words; avoid language that perpetuates racism or misunderstandings. And manage the unspoken," she advises. Body language can be just as inflammatory and confusing as inappropriate comments or misconceptions, she adds.
"When we see differences, we try to change people, but the only thing we can change is ourselves and our perceptions."
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