Diversity can be a great thing in the workplace. You can surround yourself with people of different lifestyles and backgrounds to help you achieve your goals. You will have so many opinions and thoughts that you will constantly have a new stream of ideas coming your way. However, diversity can also be a workplace challenge that I am sure everyone has dealt with at least once. Age can play a huge factor in the way you are treated at work. I was a waitress for about 5 years throughout high school. There was this older lady that was constantly nagging at me or making comments. This all had to do that I was younger and made more tips. I do not believe that this had anything to do with the fact I was “young”, I just moved quicker and had a more friendly approach. Sex is something that is still such an issue, but I am not sure why. The glass ceiling effect is still a huge problem for a lot of women in their careers. Not everyone treats women like this, but there are some who still do. Cliques are something that drive me crazy and are a challenge for any job at any level. Right now I am working at a deli in a grocery store. There are cliques throughout the store in every department. My mom is an elementary school teacher; this is like high school all over again. Experience and educational levels have become a big must in marketing yourself for a job. My friend is 27 and received a higher job offer because of her double master degree than a women who had worked at the same department for 25 years. It was great for my friend, but she still gets treated poorly by a lot of the older employees.
The Management Process shouldn’t be a workplace challenge, but in reality it really is. It is a challenge as a Manager to keep your team on focus throughout this process and to make sure that everything is being done correctly and on time. Everyday when you go to work, no matter what the job, you have a common goal you are trying to reach. It may be a personal goal or a business goal. The Management Process is designed to help each and every person reach their goals. Reaching goals is not only sometimes a lot of work, but it is usually a great challenge. I really like this process and I think you can use the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling for a lot of things that happen in your everyday life.
Technology is one of the greatest workplace challenges. Even if you are tech savvy, there are still things that are constantly changing that you have to keep up to date on. Several years ago I was told that if you began college as a freshman by the time you were a junior everything that you had learned about technology would be out of date. This completely shocked me! With the ever changing upgrades and software you really have to make a conscious effort to stay ahead. Social networking can also cause problems, not only on the job but off the job as well. Employers do not want to see people at work on Facebook or Twitter. When you are at work you should be doing things that pertain to work. Even when you aren’t at work your employer can still check up on what is going on in your life. Facebook has gotten several people I have known in trouble or very closely fired. The worst thing about technology is whenever it decides to not work. This can cause a lot of people to not be able to complete any work.
A need is a deficiency that a person wants to satisfy. If you are able to satisfy your needs you can reach the highest level of self-actualization needs. Maslow’s needs play a big part of how you are as a person; including at work. You must reach a certain level before you can go on with your everyday life. I personally do not think I have reached the highest level yet. I think I am on Esteem needs. Sometimes it takes people longer to reach each step than others. Work can become a challenge if you are still stuck on safety needs. You must be able to make personal relationships with others so you and your team at work can reach all their goals.
Going to work should be a place that you can enjoy and not have to worry about anything. However, sometimes you may not like things that are going on in your business and you are not really sure what you can do about it. Sometimes you can’t do anything about it, except not get involved. If you get involved with things you shouldn’t others will look down upon you and will most likely not trust you anymore as a person. You will have lost your integrity. You can always say no to something you do not feel comfortable about and talk to your Human Resources director.
