Resource:How to design a diversity workshop for your innovation community

Developing a Diversity Workshop

 

1. INTRODUCTION:

DIVERSITY DEFINED: Variance in ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and perspective of individuals. For the purpose of a diversity workshop, it is important to specifically define the type of diversity that will be the focus of the presentation.          

 

2. ORGANIZING DIVERSITY:

Organizing diversity workshops is a challenging undertaking. Whether the event takes place among coworkers, classmates or community members, the likelihood that tension will arise is high. The point of such a workshop is to help participants understand diversity’s significance and how to relate to each other more respectfully as a result.

Fortunately, you can take several steps to prevent your diversity workshop from flopping. They include:

• Setting ground rules
• Strategic Plans
• Creating a Diversity Community
• Become Involved in the Community

3. GROUND RULES CAN HELP CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT:

Before you begin the workshop, establish ground rules to make the environment one in which everyone feels comfortable sharing. Ground rules don’t have to be complicated and should be limited to about five or six to make them easy to remember. Post the ground rules in a central location so that everyone can see them. To help workshop attendees feel invested in the sessions, include their input when creating ground rules. Below is a list of guidelines to consider during a diversity session.

• Personal information shared during the workshop remains confidential.
• No talking over others.
• Disagree respectfully rather than with put-downs or judgmental criticism.
• Don’t give feedback to others unless you are asked specifically to do so.
• Refrain from making generalizations or invoking stereotypes about groups

4. DIVERSITY PROGRAMS MUST BE ALIGNED WITH STRATEGIC PLANS:

One of the keys to the long-term success of a diversity program is to develop a diversity strategy using the same deliberate goal-setting processes used to formulate traditional business-related goals. Strategic plans around diversity should include quantitative goals along with specific timelines for reaching benchmarks and measuring progress, all of which provide direction and promote action by employees. And, having a well-defined strategy will help your business attain its goals, whether those goals are to provide better service to clients, create a more inclusive workplace culture, recruit and retain highly-qualified and talented diverse employees, and/or implement programs which will create a pipeline of talent for the future.

5. CREATE A DIVERSITY COMMITTEE:

Employee buy-in is essential to accomplishing the goals of your diversity program. One way to achieve this buy-in is to create a stand-alone diversity committee comprised of members representing all facets of your organization’s workforce, not just your top executives, and make sure your organization’s leadership plays a visible role. Empower the diversity committee to develop a diversity statement which is consistent with your strategic goals and empower the committee to develop programs to support diversity. Such programs may include lunch and learns with featured speakers, diversity workshops, mentoring, community outreach programs and the creation of workplace affinity and employee resource groups.

5. BECOME INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY:

Encourage employees to participate in professional and civic organizations that promote diversity. Involvement with these organizations not only provides excellent networking opportunities, it also fosters collaborations that may enhance access to a larger pool of diverse candidates. Community involvement has the added benefit of strengthening relationship among employees as they come together to serve groups they are passionate about.

6. EFFECTIVENESS OF HAVING DIVERSITY IN WORKFORCE:

A more diverse workforce will increase organizational effectiveness. It will lift morale, bring greater access to new segments of the marketplace, and enhance productivity. In short, they claim, diversity will be good for business.

 

7. IMPORTANCE OF MANAGING DIVERSITY:

As the workplaces of today are getting more and more diverse, the need of managing the diverse workfare is increasing. So it is becoming important for the workshops manage the diversity to get better results out of employees.  Organizations have recognized that competing successfully in the new global marketplace requires more than the latest technology, most efficient production processes, or most innovative products. Competitive strength is increasingly contingent on human resources. Competing to win in the global economy will require an ability to attract, retain, motivate and develop high- potential employees of both genders from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

 

8. CONCLUSION:

Diversity in workforce is growing in all countries. With having more diverse work environment organization can produce better performance. It is important for the companies to know diversity and how to handle the issues relating to it. Also the need of the diverse workforce is getting more not only because there are different people but also because they can produce better results with having different types of people working. Leaders in the organizations should learn diversity (differences of gender, age, sex and religion in their work environment and also to communicate will between them) and how to manage it effectively.