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Presented by:
Keera Godfrey,
MBA M.S.

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Today’s Agenda
• Why is diversity awareness
important?
• Behaviors that create
separation
• Fostering a culture of
inclusion: Organizational and
individual approach
• Leading by example
• Questions and Answers

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What is diversity?
• Definition of diversity:
• the condition of having or being
composed of differing elements
• variety
• the inclusion of different types of people
(such as people of different races,
cultures, etc.)
Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

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Why is Diversity
Awareness important?
• Business strategy
• Most effective when it’s focused on
increasing opportunity for personal and
organizational achievement
• According to a McKinsey study, racially
diverse companies outperform others by
35 percent
• Millennials view cognitive diversity as a
necessary element for innovation, and
are 71% more likely to focus on
teamwork
• High levels of awareness before training
can lead to more engagement

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Source of UnfairTreatment and Differences
treatment of women
and minorities
age, sexual orientation,
religious beliefs, physical
abilities, educational
background, familial
status, skills, profession
TRADITIONAL CURRENT

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Behaviors that
Create Separation

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Diversity Awareness: Fostering a Climate of Inclusion, Sensitivity, and Respect in the Workplace
The Difficulty of Diversity
Training
Based on research:
 Traditional diversity training “had no
positive effects in the average
workplace”
 “in firms where training is mandatory
or emphasizes the threat of lawsuits,
training actually has negative effects
on management diversity”

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The Difficulty of DiversityTraining
The Problem:
Focusing on Differences
• Reinforces the idea of
categories or “groups” of
people
• Can promote wrong behaviors
• Affirmative action attempts to
compensate for discrimination
• Integrate groups of people
into a white, male-dominated
workplace
• Tend to label people as a
certain “type” or group
• Neglect to treat as an
individual

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The Difficulty of DiversityTraining
The Solution:
Focus on Respectful
Interactions
• Cultivate meaningful
relationships—interact with
others in a way that is
respectful and genuine,
regardless of their “type.”
• Treat each person as an
individual
• Communicate and resolve
conflict with anyone
• Resist the urge to compare
others to you

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Understanding Bias
• Human nature to be biased
• Unproductive when it controls our
decision making
• Consciously address bias by questioning
the validity of our assumptions
o Choose behaviors that support fairness
and equity

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Fundamental
Attribution
Error (FAE)
Explaining someone’s behavior based on
their personality traits rather than on
external circumstances

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• Do I make assumptions about others based on their “profile” (gender, age,
race, religion, occupation, etc.)?
• Do I treat two or more employees the same because they share a similar
characteristic?
• Do I attribute someone’s success or failure to an inherent trait (“that’s just the
way they are”)?
Ask yourself:
He won’t help.
He’s not a
team player.

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Subtle Stereotyping
 Grouping people by simplistic, often
inaccurate generalizations
 Unproductive and can result in unfair
treatment or discrimination
 Characterized in terms of warmth and
competence
 Warmth was defined as whether a person had
positive or negative intentions.
 Competence was defined as how effective a
person was at fulfilling those intentions.

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Subtle Stereotyping
• A positive judgment in one dimension was usually
accompanied by a negative judgment in the other
dimension
• When people’s perspectives are influenced by their
warmth/competence, those perspectives may have
poor outcomes

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Virtually Imperceptible Inequities
Unfair treatment is more likely to occur in the form of small, subconscious
behaviors that result in creating separation, known as “micro-inequity”
Examples of Micro-Inequities
 Giving feedback to one employee more frequently than to others
 Always eating lunch with the same person or group of people
 Habitual seating arrangements
 Assuming new mothers only want standard schedules
 Ernst & Young discovered micro-inequities in how their firm assigned jobs.

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Devaluing
Others
Behaviors
• Not making direct eye contact when shaking someone’s hand
• Barging in on someone’s workspace without asking permission
• Interrupting one person (but not others)
• Neglecting to invite someone to a meeting
• Excluding someone from a group activity
• Checking emails, phone, or your watch while someone is
talking to you
• Asking someone to work on a day or at a time that is sacred to
them
• Leaving someone out of a conversation
• Consistently mispronouncing someone’s name
• Relying on the same trusted colleagues for advice instead of
seeking new perspectives

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The Antidote: Micro-Affirmations
Small acts that help others succeed and feel valued
Examples of micro-affirmations include:
 Offering public and private recognition
 Giving credit to others
 Delivering clear and consistent feedback
 Soliciting opinions and input
 Greeting everyone
 Asking questions and listening carefully
 Having lunch with someone
 Mixing up seating at meetings
 Connecting on a personal level

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TestYour Knowledge
Subtle stereotyping tends to be characterized by which of the following two traits?
A. Intelligence and skill
B. Personality and sense of humor
C. Warmth and competence
D. Work ethic and sincerity

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TestYour Knowledge
Subtle stereotyping tends to be characterized by which of the following two traits?
A. Intelligence and skill
B. Personality and sense of humor
C. Warmth and competence
D. Work ethic and sincerity

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Diversity Awareness: Fostering a Climate of Inclusion, Sensitivity, and Respect in the Workplace
Foster a Culture of
Inclusion

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Organizational
Approach to
Inclusion
Diversity Awareness—
proactively seeking
inclusion
Begins with the
organization’s culture

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Organization
al Approach
to Inclusion
Part 2
Framework for Organizational Inclusion
Activity Example
Demonstrate a desire to seek
diverse perspectives at all
levels.
Switch positions among employees at
various levels for half a day and see
what new perspectives they bring to
the position
Find the unique skills of each
individual and capitalize on
them.
Allow employees to contribute
outside their regular job
responsibilities
Establish a buddy system that
connects each new employee
with a veteran employee to
“show them the ropes.”
Share insights about the
organization’s culture and norms, be a
point of contact for questions, or
solicit feedback on their experience as
a new employee

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Organizational
Approach to
Inclusion Part 2
Framework for Organizational
Inclusion (continued)
Activity Example
Find non-bureaucratic ways
of challenging the status quo.
Encourage all employees to make a
small change in their work routine.
Foster an atmosphere of
flexibility and learning.
“Teach Your Boss” day—employees
teach their bosses something their
bosses don’t know.
Be willing to admit mistakes,
weaknesses, and
vulnerabilities.
Schedule monthly gatherings to
award a “mistake of the month,”
where employees “compete” by
sharing a mistake they made and
how they fixed it or will avoid it in
the future.

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Workplace Design
• Create common spaces
• Consider larger tables in break
or lunch rooms
• Consider needs of different
populations/profiles, e.g., a
space for nursing mothers

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Individual Approach
to Inclusion
Building relationships
• Take the time to get to know a new employee’s
background
• Share your own background and experiences with
others
• Solicit different perspectives before making a
decision that impacts others
• Have lunch with or socialize with someone outside
your usual “group”
• Actively seek to understand the viewpoint of
someone you disagree with
• Adapt your communication or working style to
show respect
• Take the time to resolve a conflict so that both sides
feel as though their needs are met

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Employee Behaviors
One person can make a difference!
• Adapt to different working styles,
approaches to communicating, and
preferences for interacting
• Communicate respectfully and
effectively
• Treat every person as a unique
individual

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Manager Behaviors
• Understand how personal preferences
may affect personnel decisions
• Coach and mentor individuals who may be
struggling to engage with others
appropriately
• Manage employees individually
• Make decisions based on employees’ skills
and abilities and the task requirements

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Showing Respect
Having due regard for the
feelings, wishes, rights or
traditions of.
Different Ways of Conveying Respect
• Direct vs. indirect
• Time
• Individual vs. group
• Hierarchy
• Reserved vs. emotional

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Showing Respect
Communicating with Respect
• Listen carefully first
• Don’t interrupt
• Adjust your style to match the other person’s
preferences
• Consider what you say
• Never insult others

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Productive Conflict
Resolution
Conflict is inevitable in a diverse environment
Laying the Groundwork
Successful and respectful conflict resolution requires
you to:
• Acknowledge that diversity-related issues may be
contributing to the conflict
• Discuss the issue with the other person and
determine how you both perceive it.
• Ask, “Is the issue a conflict?” What feels like a tense
conflict to one person may feel like an animated
discussion to another person.

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Laying the
Groundwork
• Act in good faith
• Share your observations with an attitude of
openness and curiosity
• Separate substantive issues from “style”
differences
• Decide how to approach the resolution process

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Productive Conflict
Resolution
Laying the Groundwork (continued)
Consider possible causes:
• Absence of information, or misinformation
• Power struggle
• Stress or pressure
• Incompatible goals
• Identify the needs of each side.
• Consider “achieving disagreement.”

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TestYour Knowledge
Which of the following is an effective way to convey respect to others?
A. Offer recognition for both individual and group achievements.
B. Always make direct eye contact so others don’t feel like you’re avoiding them.
C. Insist that everyone is always on time because being late is a sign of disrespect.
D. Always show lots of emotion so people know you are enthused.

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TestYour Knowledge
Which of the following is an effective way to convey respect to others?
A. Offer recognition for both individual and group achievements.
B. Always make direct eye contact so others don’t feel like you’re avoiding them.
C. Insist that everyone is always on time because being late is a sign of disrespect.
D. Always show lots of emotion so people know you are enthused.

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Lead by Example

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Confronting Negative
Behavior Respectfully
How to Give Feedback
• Approach others directly. Don’t gossip or talk about them
behind their backs
• Keep it simple; stick to one issue at a time
• Use “I” statements and provide specific examples of the
behavior that offended you
• Describe the behavior you would like instead
• Check for understanding and receptivity

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How to Receive Feedback
• Be open and non-defensive
• Ask for specific examples if none were given
• Accept the other person’s perceptions as real to them
• Summarize what the other person said to show you understood accurately
• Commit to engaging in the behavior they requested
“If you find something uncomfortable or wrong, speak up. If you don’t challenge people, you aren’t
doing your job.”
—Condoleezza Rice,
Former U.S. Secretary of State, Lean In blog, April 1, 2013

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A. Accept their criticism even if they don’t give any examples.
B. Be open and non-defensive.
C. Explain how they misunderstood you.
D. Tell them that they’re too sensitive.
TestYour Knowledge
Which of the following is the best way to respond to someone who gives you feedback?

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TestYour Knowledge
Which of the following is the best way to respond to someone who gives you feedback?
A. Accept their criticism even if they don’t give any examples.
B. Be open and non-defensive.
C. Explain how they misunderstood you.
D. Tell them that they’re too sensitive.

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Summary
• Diversity is not about integration, but about cultivating
meaningful relationships
• Establish a framework to increase inclusion at the
organizational level
• Recognize different ways of conveying respect
• Address conflict productively and respectfully
• Lead by example and be part of the solution

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