Thinking about Diversity and Inclusion

Nationality, ethnicity, age, and gender are just a few examples of the various dimensions of cultural diversity. For example, with age, you can see how what is acceptable in one culture may not be acceptable in another. To continue the discussion of age as a dimension of cultural diversity, This is significant to me because some cultures consider child labor to be normal. These children get an early start to the day, working heavy jobs like fields or some lifting jobs to help support their families. What we consider to be a normal day is not the same for them, whereas ours is spent at the playground with friends rather than working manual labor for low wages. Instead of going to school as we do in the United States, the children get up and go to work to help bring food and support to their families. Whereas we may frown upon some of these actions, they are the norm.

I consider myself to be African American. I grew up in a West Indian culture where eating ethnic foods was encouraged. My work ethic is excellent, which I attribute to what I was exposed to, as those countries do not have a lot of money and must work hard to obtain what they require. The community where I was raised did focus on education but also focused on working and family provisions. As a result, I followed in their footsteps. My social circle is made up of strong-willed workers who realized that hard work and school were the only ways to live comfortably. Growing up in a different culture than what I see now teaches me to work hard and appreciate what I have because some of my other family members back home do not have the same opportunity.

The difference that exists between people is referred to as diversity. Many people speak different languages, eat different foods, follow different religions, and come from various backgrounds, races, and colors. People have different work ethics because of diversity. Some people work quickly and do many things at once, while others work slowly and only do one thing at a time. Having said that, they may deliver the desired results in either case. Inclusion refers to proactive actions that make each individual feel welcome. When this happens, they are more likely to feel valued and produce better results. Every day at work, we come into contact with a wide range of people. When we practice inclusion with our teams, we bring unity to the table while also allowing others to bring diversity. This inclusion may generate a wide range of ideas and creativity. We are more likely to use inclusion techniques to bring cohesiveness to the work field if we can identify the gifting of others. When businesses examine their customer base, they consider the diversity within it, and it is critical for them to understand diversity and be aware that practicing inclusiveness can not only improve employee morale but also allow us to reach out and better connect with customers, coworkers, and other people in general.

There are many differences between employees and customers at work. All companies, or at least the majority of them, have workplace diversity training, which is an important part of raising awareness among employees and helping them understand how we’re all different. This will help to create a more cohesive environment in our workplaces. Diversity training for the workplace is critical and should be mandatory, in my opinion. Employees, regardless of position within the company, should be a part of all training. It is critical to be aware of sensitive words and slang, as well as subjects that may be offensive to the people with whom you work and/or your customers. Making certain that everyone attends the training allows you to share with your customers and anyone else who requests that you be sensitive, which can help protect the brand. Policies and procedures in the workplace should reflect not only industry codes of practice and current legislation but also best practices for recognizing the diversity and ensuring equality (Green.D, 2015, pg.231). The training helps employees understand that their coworkers and themselves are diverse and that we should all accept and be aware of this. The training keeps employers up to date and allows them to be aware of appropriate workplace language to use, as well as inform employees about actions to take to eliminate inappropriate behavior that may be unique to some employers. My company does a yearly course on diversity; even though it is the same video, it gives them an opportunity to track who has watched it, and if you called into Human Resources, it can’t be said you didn’t know.

In today’s workplace, there is nothing but inclusion throughout the organization. They have formed separate groups to discuss each diversity group, such as “BOLD,” which is for the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Bisexual community, and they provide information on how inclusion works for them. Then they formed another group for equal rights for women called “ELEVATE,” which assists the company in ensuring that females are included as equals and are not overlooked for opportunities and equal pay. Managing as one would like to be managed (also known as the Golden Rule — treat people the way you want to be treated) and/or treating all employees the same is no longer an effective leadership style. (Harvey, C. P., and M. J. Allard) (2009).

It is something that helps us understand each other in a world of inclusion and diversity. Learning about diversity teaches us that we are all cut from the same cloth and that we should all be included. As companies grow in size, there are more and more different people who can contribute. I am open to diverse conversations because of my past history with my culture and what I have gone through in my work history.