Welcome to our free Workplace Diversity tutorial. This tutorial is based on Webucator's Diversity Training for Employees and Managers course.
Managers and employees can all be diversity leaders. The more people working together to embrace different thoughts and ideas, the more successful a company can be. This lesson offers suggestions on how to manage discrimination, encourage a positive environment, and lead a successful team through the use of diversity.
Lesson Goals
Managing diversity discrimination means that the supervisor must know how to handle discrimination and harassment complaints, but it also means knowing how to lead by example and prevent discrimination.
If you are a supervisor and an employee comes to you to report a harassment or discrimination incident, follow these steps:
Supervisors should:
Employees will be more likely to appreciate the benefits of a diverse team if they see a direct value from their supervisor. Employees can feel threatened by their different co-workers if supervisors do not manage the team properly.
Interrupt and stop any discriminatory comments or behavior you observe immediately. Make sure that your team knows that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.
Answer the following questions and then discuss as a class.
Managers and employees are both responsible for the success of diversity in the workplace, but managers have the added responsibility of leading by example.
Here are some ideas to help managers encourage diversity:
There are many other ways to encourage diversity within the company. A positive attitude and a message of equality go a long way.
When encouraging diversity in the workplace, managers should try to avoid the following common pitfalls:
People are naturally drawn towards individuals with similar traits. Embracing diversity is sometimes difficult. Managers must encourage employees to see diversity as a way to make the company stronger. In order to successfully convey this message, management must be educated in diversity and believe in the benefits themselves.
Answer the following questions and then discuss as a class.
Managing diversity is about valuing individuals and respecting what each individual brings to the team. It is not enough to acknowledge differences; you must promote an inclusive environment in order to create a successful team. Management must celebrate individual differences, not just tolerate them.
Creating a diverse team starts with hiring. Hiring based on skills is easy, but finding people with the right attitude who are open-minded and represent different ways of thinking is the key. It is much easier to teach someone new skills than to change his or her attitude.
Once you have a team in place, the manager's work begins. A diverse team left without effective management will struggle. Learning to work together as a cohesive unit takes time and energy and someone must lead the team to success.
The following are suggested techniques for successfully managing a diverse team:
Answer the following questions and then discuss as a class.