Diversity in the Workplace在工作场所的多样性.doc

Cultivating Diversity in the Workplace page PAGE 1 Preaching to the Choir on Cultivating Diversity in the Workplace By Gary Collins, Michelle Walker and Gabe Hamda ICATT Consulting Is workplace diversity a nicety or a burden or a symbolic gesture or an imperative? While most diversity literature tends to sing the praises of workplace diversity, we seldom hear from writers who assert the demerits of this practice. We have observed organizations who truly embrace it. We have witnessed those who play lip service to it. We have also seen organizations who dread it. More often than not, though we have seen those who understand the imperative value of embracing and managing the inherent diversity in the workplace. The subject of this article is not exactly an attempt to convert those who doubt the value of addressing diversity. As unusual as it may sound, our attempt here is to “preach to the choir” by providing some useful tools for implementing workplace diversity for those who understand that diversity in the workplace is just the realization that we work with others that are different from ourselves. Who cares about workplace diversity? What do a chief executive, a manager and an individual employee have in common? All three are impacted by the success or failure of their organization. You may be a chief executive, middle manager, or individual contributor. What does diversity in the workplace mean to you? To the chief executive who may be focused on the relevance of the organization at the market place, diversity may mean attracting, retaining and engaging a work force that mirrors that of the market place. To a manager who may be charged with the delivery an innovative product, diversity may mean having to blend different talents and backgrounds to attain the desired outcome. To an individual employee who wants to simply get along with co-workers who look and act differently, practicin