1. Diversity in the Workplace
Kris Nolt, Adam Peace, Mike Perhosky, Andrew Schommer
Learn to Embrace the Tension of
Diversity, Marshall Goldsmith
2. Article Background
• Harvard Business Review
• Learn to Embrace the Tension of Diversity
• Dr. Marshall Goldsmith
• UCLA PH.D
• The (London) Times and Forbes recognized
as one of most influential business thinkers in
the world
•AMA one of 50 great thinkers and leaders
who have influenced the field of management
• Institute of Management Studies Lifetime
Achievement Award
• Advisor to over 120 major CEOs
• Teaches executive education at Dartmouth’s
Tuck School
• Milling Selling Author
3. Learning to Embrace Diversity
•Differences can
help build great
organizations
•Double-edge
sword
•Identifying, recrui
ting and training
diversity
4. Diversity Tension
• Stress and strain that accompanies mixtures of
similarities and differences
• Do not minimize the tension
• Understand others without judging
• Leaders must spread throughout the organization
5. Diversity Summary
• Today’s
workforce/marketplace
is a mosaic of
skills, lifestyles, religion
s, ethnic
groups, genders, and
ages
• The workforce and
marketplace is
changing and we must
change with it if we are
to succeed.
• Dimensions of Diversity
6. Competitive Advantage of Diversity
• Diverse groups bring
different talents and
perspectives to a sport
organization which results
in a creative advantage
• Changes in the domestic
consumer market:
Demand products to meet
needs, tastes and
lifestyles. Need better and
more effective marketing
strategies.
• Reduces costs of
absenteeism and turnover
through increased job
satisfaction through higher
employee morale
7. Trends in the Workforce
oRace and Ethnicity: More
people of color in the
workforce.
oAge: More older people in
the workforce
oGender: More women
working
oSexual Orientation: Gays and
Lesbians become more visible
oAge: People with differing
physical and mental abilities
8. Hostile Work Environment
•Hostile Work Environment:
Targeting, trivializing or
demeaning individuals
•Race, religion, national
origin, political
affiliation, age, disability, sexu
al orientation, physical
appearance, pregnancy
•Exclusion of one group by
another – trying to make the
work atmosphere more
difficult because they would
rather not have them around.
9. Three Diversity Paradigms
GOLDEN RULE: Treat others as you would
like to be treated. Comes from the bible.
Value all differences: Conscious of what
makes us different. Understand how specific
minority groups have been disadvantaged
and the causes of this discrimination.
OLD PARADIGM: success from
standardization, diversity is a cost, rules
shaped by senior executives, emphasis on
masculine values, change to suit the
organization’s culture.
NEW PARADIGM: Success from individual
contribution, diversity is a competitive
advantage, rules to satisfy customers and
employees, feminine values are
important, modify culture to meet employee
needs.
10. How the Article Applies Diversity
• Relieves tension between differing groups
• Part of the New Diversity paradigm and Golden Rule
• Embracing tension helps destroy a hostile work
environment
• Effectively dealing with differences leads to
increased productivity
11. Wrap Up
• Diversity Tension
• Competitive
Advantage
• Workforce Trends
• Hostile Work
Environment
• Work Trends
•Diversity Paradigms
Notes de l'éditeur
-Differences in ideas, methods, motivations, and competencies can be used to help build great organizations. -Cross-cultural exchanges present unlimited possibilities for misunderstandings and cultural blunders.-Successful organizations identify, recruit and train professionals from a diverse blend of backgrounds, cultures, styles, and motivations into positions of increasing power and responsibility.
-In the midst of individual contributors with such diverse backgrounds, success calls for leaders who are comfortable with diversity tension.-As the Harvard Business Review states; the task of leaders working in the global business arena is not to minimize this tension, but rather use it as a creative force to change and of course make quality decisions in the midst of identity differences, similarities and pressures.-Learning to embrace the tension with other diverse employees leads us into our next topic which simply means…Leaders who prepare and empower their employees to understand others without judging, to be requirement-driven, and to be comfortable with diversity tension are more productive and successful.-It just isnt enough for leaders to express these capabilities, rather the leaders MUST also develop and spread these qualities and these characteristics throughout the organization. Once that has been accomplished the organization should experience reduced employee turnover, which as we’ve learned is extremely expensive for organizations to deal with, while also noticing a visibly better work environment where everyone’s differences are shared and embraced by others. This simple steps can produce major benefits for the organization.