Understanding Diversity - It's More than What You See on the Surface

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Here in New York, and throughout America and Canada, carved pumpkins are appearing on doorsteps and party stores are filled to the rafters with colorful costumes of all shapes and sizes.  Halloween is almost upon us!  On October 31^st, classrooms, parades, and parties will be jam-packed with an impressive array of spooky ghouls and fairy princesses, silly clowns and scary witches … and everything in between.  Some groups of Halloween revelers sharing candy corn and Reese’s Pieces™, while yelling “trick or treat,” couldn’t be more drastically different in appearance.  On the other hand, clusters of revelers dressed as perennial favorite Spiderman, or beloved TV character Sponge Bob Squarepants, couldn’t look more alike.  In both cases, the true differences and similarities only begin to be revealed when the masks are removed. 

We must also look beneath the surface when it comes to workplace diversity.  “It’s important to look beyond outward appearance of race and gender, and realize that each person’s unique perspective is also based on their health, religion, and sexual orientation, as well as how and where they grew up,” said Jamie Telegadis, Senior Consultant, New Haven Consulting Group (NHCG),  an organization that specializes in workplace diversity training.

In order to set the stage for workplace diversity, it’s important to understand and avoid negative stereotyping.  “In the work place, if our stereotype is limiting or negative, then it is abusive. For example, if we believe that that all red heads are hot tempered we might limit the kinds of jobs we allow them to have. We might not give them positions of responsibility for fear that they will be too emotional or jobs where they interact with customers for fear of them becoming hostile. Thus, because of our stereotype, not because we have information about how they do act, we limit their career possibilities. In this case the stereotype is abusive because it robs the individual of their right to be treated as an individual,” explained Dr. Gwendolyn Stevens, Professor of Psychology and Adjunct Counselor, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, in her seminar “Stereotypes & Prejudices.”

Many employers are realizing that in order to truly succeed, they must throw away negative stereotypes and embrace diversity in all its forms.  As stated in the BostonWorks article, “Institutions That Value Diversity Must Plan for It,” “Diversity isn't easy to get right. But when a company strives to create a workforce that mirrors the population of a community, one that is as varied as its customer base, the benefits to all are broad and deep. Diverse employees offer an extraordinarily wide range of proficiencies for doing business (or doing good) in any marketplace.” 

A key is to acknowledge and respect our differences.  Steve Morris, of Steve Morris Associates, travels the globe promoting diversity management.   He believes that, "The main thing to remember is to respect each person as an individual. Everyone has a unique background and heritage. Show respect for others' heritage, traditions and most importantly, them as individuals. Don't generalize. No ethnic or cultural groups are exactly the same."

Making the effort to get to know each employee on an individual basis is also crucial to success.  “It is critical that effective leaders and managers realize that everyone in the organization contributes to its diversity. The more you are able to connect with individuals, the more you will be able to create an environment that causes them to produce at their highest level, regardless of their packaging,” said Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP, author of The Diversity Advantage: A Guide to Making Diversity Work.

When it comes to workplace diversity, everyone benefits.  According to Caleb Fullhart, manager of administrative staffing firm, Ajilon Office, in the Monster.com article, “Manage a Culturally Diverse Staff,” "Working with a culturally diverse staff is an exciting opportunity to learn, grow and develop a better understanding of the world we live in today," says Fullhart. "Your management and leadership skills will also benefit as you focus on building a well-integrated team. As the team works together and learns from one another to achieve a goal, everyone benefits.”

Is it time to take a look at your organization’s diversity program?  Once you get beyond the “masks” of others, you may discover that the differences and similarities that combine to make your organization great should be celebrated. 

Of course, it’s your decision if you choose to celebrate with a big bowl of Reese’s Pieces.