How Do We Get Our Managers to Promote Diversity?

Dear Workforce Management
Workforce.com
January 17, 2008

How Do We Get Our Managers to Promote Diversity?

Q. We want our managers to play an active role in promoting greater multicultural diversity among our workforce. How might this magnify the challenges they already face in motivating their employees? What type of obstacles/resistance should they expect, and how could we train them to answer those objections?
—Seeking Inspiration, agency diversity manager, government, Phoenix

A. Direct support from the CEO and other key executives throughout the organization is critical. Communications surrounding diversity initiatives should be aligned with senior-level management’s demonstrated commitment.
Integrate diversity initiatives into your organizational climate. Your management should devote itself to improving communication skills surrounding diversity, while learning to respect, appreciate and understand other people’s different backgrounds.
When communicating such programs, avoid “creative writing” and keep the targeted message clear and concise for the entire workforce. Explain the sensibility of diversity programs and why demonstrated efforts make better business sense. Provide guidance and training to management by outlining the objectives of diversity efforts, and quantifiable results. Managers’ commitment should be tied to individual performance appraisals, as well as departmental goals with a significant weighting toward their overall rating. Also, actions speaks louder than words; therefore, make sure diversity efforts are visible, such as appointing a diversity leader, promotions, board development and/or new staff appointments that are aligned with diversification.
Further, establish benefits of diversity and map out an inclusion strategy at all levels of the company—while understanding your workplace population to appropriately select the best method of communications. Whether communicating via employee newsletters, company intranet, brand messaging, computer log-in welcome messages, company-sponsored blogs, employee message boards, podcasts, diversity value statements/policies or other forms of communications, make certain that managers have access to any resources needed to address diversity-related issues.
In addition, consider forming a diversity committee and include employees from different departments. Ensure progress is measurable with actual results and consistent monitoring of diversity programs. You might also want to explore engaging an outside consultant with subject-matter expertise to further educate managers how diversity and inclusiveness favorably affect company performance. Consider adopting a “train the trainer” concept with frequent and ongoing mandatory training, workshops and/or speaker lectures, including new-hire employment orientation.
SOURCE: Keith Smith, Consortia Solutions Inc., New York, November 15, 2007.
LEARN MORE: Please read how a successful diversity effort “creates a culture in which people of various backgrounds are happy, productive and successful.”

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