Chapter 12: Managing Diversity in

the Workplace
The Chancellor's Committee on Diversity defines Diversity as:"The variety of
experiences and perspective which arise from differences in race, culture,
religion, mental or physical abilities, heritage,age, gender, sexual orientation,
gender identity and other characteristics."

So why is it when many people think of diversity, they think first of ethnicity
and race, and then gender? Diversity is much broader. Diversity is otherness
or those human qualities that are different from our own and outside the
groups to which we belong, yet present in other individuals and groups.

It's important to understand how these dimensions affect performance,

motivation, success, and interactions with others. Institutional structures and
practices that have presented barriers to some dimensions of diversity should
be examined, challenged, and removed. A good starting-point for thinking
about diversity is to become familiar with UC’s systemwide Non-
Discrimination Statement:

“It is the policy of the University not to engage in discrimination against or

harassment of any person employed or seeking employment with the
University of California on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion,
sex, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical
condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status,
age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran. This
policy applies to all employment practices, including recruitment, selection,
promotion, transfer, merit increase, salary, training and development,
demotion, and separation.”

Of course, diversity also encompasses a wide variety of other differences,

including work experience, parental status, educational background,
geographic location, and much more. And managing diversity means more
than simply observing legal and policy requirements. It also means actively
promoting community and comfort with difference, as noted in UCSF’s
Principles of Community:

“We recognize, value, and affirm that social diversity contributes richness to
the University community and enhances the quality of campus life for
individuals and groups. We take pride in our various achievements and we
celebrate our differences.”

As this suggests, workplace diversity can provide tremendous benefits in

terms of improved morale, outside-the-box thinking, greater teamwork, and
an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect.

% Guiding Principles

% How Well Do You Manage Diversity?

% Managing Diversity

% Managing Diversity is Different from Affirmative Action

% Consequences of Ignoring Diversity

% Other Resources

Guiding Principles
Workforce diversity is a reality at San Francisco. We already reflect the
national demographic trends predicted for the year 2000 by the Hudson
Institute in its 1987 report, Workforce 2000. Accommodation issues for our
diverse workforce, such as childcare, elder care, flexible work arrangements,
disability accommodation, and literacy are being addressed in the workplace.

Managing diversity is defined as "planning and implementing organizational

systems and practices to manage people so that the potential advantages of
diversity are maximized while its potential disadvantages are minimized,"
according to Taylor Cox in "Cultural Diversity in Organizations."

Managing diversity well provides a distinct advantage in an era when

flexibility and creativity are keys to competitiveness. An organization needs
to be flexible and adaptable to meet new customer needs.

Heterogeneity promotes creativity and heterogeneous groups have been

shown to produce better solutions to problems and a higher level of critical
analysis. This can be a vital asset at a time when the campus is undergoing
tremendous change and self-examination to find new and more effective
ways to operate.

With effective management of diversity, the campus develops a reputation as

an employer of choice. Not only will you have the ability to attract the best
talent from a shrinking labor pool, you can save time and money in
recruitment and turnover costs.

The campus will fulfill its role as a public institution by reflecting the diversity
of the state as well as meeting the increasing demand to provide informed
services to an increasingly diverse customer base.

How Well Do You Manage Diversity?

% Do you test your assumptions before acting on them?

% Do you believe there is only one right way of doing things, or that
there are a number of valid ways that accomplish the same goal? Do
you convey that to staff?

% Do you have honest relationships with each staff member you

supervise? Are you comfortable with each of them? Do you know what
motivates them, what their goals are, how they like to be recognized?

% Are you able to give negative feedback to someone who is culturally

different from you?

% When you have open positions, do you insist on a diverse screening

committee and make additional outreach efforts to ensure that a
diverse pool of candidates has applied?

% When you hire a new employee, do you not only explain job
responsibilities and expectations clearly, but orient the person to the
campus and department culture and unwritten rules?

% Do you rigorously examine your unit's existing policies, practices, and

procedures to ensure that they do not differentially impact different
groups? When they do, do you change them?

% Are you willing to listen to constructive feedback from your staff about
ways to improve the work environment? Do you implement staff
suggestions and acknowledge their contribution?

% Do you take immediate action with people you supervise when they
behave in ways that show disrespect for others in the workplace, such
as inappropriate jokes and offensive terms?

% Do you make good faith efforts to meet your affirmative action goals?
% Do you have a good understanding of institutional isms such as racism
and sexism and how they manifest themselves in the workplace?

% Do you ensure that assignments and opportunities for advancement

are accessible to everyone?

If you were able to answer yes to more than half the questions, you are on
the right track to managing diversity well.

Managing Diversity
To address diversity issues, consider these questions: what policies,
practices, and ways of thinking and within our organizational culture have
differential impact on different groups? What organizational changes should
be made to meet the needs of a diverse workforce as well as to maximize the
potential of all workers, so that San Francisco can be well positioned for the
demands of the 21st century?

Most people believe in the golden rule: treat others as you want to be
treated. The implicit assumption is that how you want to be treated is how
others want to be treated. But when you look at this proverb through a
diversity perspective, you begin to ask the question: what does respect look
like; does it look the same for everyone? Does it mean saying hello in the
morning, or leaving someone alone, or making eye contact when you speak?

It depends on the individual. We may share similar values, such as respect or

need for recognition, but how we show those values through behavior may
be different for different groups or individuals. How do we know what
different groups or individuals need? Perhaps instead of using the golden
rule, we could use the platinum rule which states: "treat others as they want
to be treated." Moving our frame of reference from what may be our default
view ("our way is the best way") to a diversity-sensitive perspective ("let's
take the best of a variety of ways") will help us to manage more effectively in
a diverse work environment.

Your Role
You have a key role in transforming the organizational culture so that it more
closely reflects the values of our diverse workforce. Some of the skills needed
are:

% an understanding and acceptance of managing diversity concepts

% recognition that diversity is threaded through every aspect of
management

% self-awareness, in terms of understanding your own culture, identity,

biases, prejudices, and stereotypes

% willingness to challenge and change institutional practices that present

barriers to different groups

It's natural to want a cookbook approach to diversity issues so that one

knows exactly what to do. Unfortunately, given the many dimensions of
diversity, there is no easy recipe to follow. Advice and strategies given for
one situation may not work given the same situation in another context.

Managing diversity means acknowledging people's differences and

recognizing these differences as valuable; it enhances good management
practices by preventing discrimination and promoting inclusiveness. Good
management alone will not necessarily help you work effectively with a
diverse workforce. It is often difficult to see what part diversity plays in a
specific area of management.

The Office of Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Diversity is

experienced in providing help with training and advice on the variety of
situations that occur, tailored to your specific environment. Their website is
www.aaeod.ucsf.edu.

To illustrate, the following two examples show how diversity is an integral

part of management. The first example focuses on the area of selection, the
second example looks at communication:

Issues
% How do you make the job sound appealing to different types of
workers?

% How can recruitment be effectively targeted to diverse groups?

% How do you overcome bias in the interviewing process, questions, and

your response?

Strategies
% Specify the need for skills to work effectively in a diverse environment
in the job, for example: "demonstrated ability to work effectively in a
diverse work environment."
% Make sure that good faith efforts are made to recruit a diverse
applicant pool.

% Focus on the job requirements in the interview, and assess experience

but also consider transferable skills and demonstrated competencies,
such as analytical, organizational, communication, coordination. Prior
experience has not necessarily mean effectiveness or success on the
job.

% Use a panel interview format. Ensure that the committee is diverse,

unit affiliation, job classification, length of service, variety of life
experiences, etc. to represent different perspectives and to eliminate
bias from the selection process. Run questions and process by them to
ensure there is no unintentional bias.

% Ensure that appropriate accommodations are made for disabled

applicants.

% Know your own biases. What stereotypes do you have of people from
different groups and how well they may perform on the job? What
communication styles do you prefer? Sometimes what we consider to
be appropriate or desirable qualities in a candidate may reflect more
about our personal preferences than about the skills needed to
perform the job.

Fair vs. Same Treatment

Many people think that "fairness" means "treating everyone the same." How
well does treating everyone the same work for a diverse staff? For example,
when employees have limited English language skills or reading proficiency,
even though that limit might not affect their ability to do their jobs,
transmitting important information through complicated memos might not be
an effective way of communicating with them. While distributing such memos
to all staff is "treating everyone the same," this approach may not
communicate essential information to everyone. A staff member who missed
out on essential information might feel that the communication process was
"unfair." A process that takes account of the diverse levels of English
language and reading proficiency among the staff might include taking extra
time to be sure that information in an important memorandum is understood.
Such efforts on the part of supervisors and managers should be supported
and rewarded as good management practices for working with a diverse
staff.
Managing Diversity is Different from Affirmative Action
Managing diversity focuses on maximizing the ability of all employees to
contribute to organizational goals. Affirmative action focuses on specific
groups because of historical discrimination, such as people of color and
women. Affirmative action emphasizes legal necessity and social
responsibility; managing diversity emphasizes business necessity. In short,
while managing diversity is also concerned with underrepresentation of
women and people of color in the workforce, it is much more inclusive and
acknowledges that diversity must work for everyone.

Consequences of Ignoring Diversity

Ignoring diversity issues costs time, money, and efficiency. Some of the
consequences can include unhealthy tensions; loss of productivity because of
increased conflict; inability to attract and retain talented people of all kinds;
complaints and legal actions; and inability to retain valuable employees,
resulting in lost investments in recruitment and training.

Other Resources
Human Resources Web site http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/

Diversity Toolkit

Employee Development & Training classes and workshops

Staff Diversity Program, Staff Equity and Diversity Services

Title IX Compliance Office

Campus ADA Coordinator (Americans with Disabilities Act)

Staff Internship Program

Employment, Employee Relations, and Labor Relations Units in Human

Resources

LGBT Web site http://www.ucsf.edu/cge/lgbtr/

Center for Gender Equity Web site http://www.ucsf.edu/cge/

Office of Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, and Diversity

http://www.aaeo.ucsf.edu/

GUIDE TO MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES HOME

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managing-diversity-in-the-workplace/

Seven Ways to Better Communicate in

Today's Diverse Workplace - Seven Tips for
Communicating In Today's Diverse
Workplace
2/3/2003
Your employees may come from nations all around the world. The
challenge: Ensure that their contributions aren't buried under language and
cultural differences. Here are seven tips for improving communication.
by Kim Ribbink

David Cane is a manager at a U.S.-based scientific publishing house.

Recently, when he needed to hire three new programmers, he ended up
filling the slots with people who were born and educated in China.

The new programmers had the right skill sets, but Cane was concerned
about how they would fit in at the company. So he set about devising ways
to ensure that cultural differences—and the communications problems that
can follow from them—didn't get in the way.

One of the first steps he took was to use reflective listening around
business objectives and goals.

"I have implemented a policy where any projects that I assign should be
reverse-specified by the assignee, meaning that they will write
specifications for the assignment and we will review these together before
the actual project is embarked upon," he explains. "In this way, everyone is
clear what the requirements are and what the results should be."

This is but one example of steps managers are taking today to get the best
out of a diverse group of employees. Immigrants have always been an
important part of the U.S. workforce, and their contribution is growing.
They bring with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise that is
invaluable to businesses.

The challenge is to ensure that communication problems don't keep these

sources of business benefit from being tapped effectively. Here are seven
steps managers can take to meet that challenge.

1. Learn how the source culture best receives communications.

Deborah Valentine, of the Management Communication Department at
Emory University's Goizueta Business School in Atlanta, advises
managers to analyze their audience to find the best way to communicate a
message.

"Different cultures like to receive information—and trust information they

receive from different sources—in different ways," she says.

Different cultures
like to receive
information —and
trust information
they receive from
different sources—
in different ways.
—Deborah Valentine, Emory
University

People from some cultures don't trust information that comes directly from
a manager, for example, preferring that the word comes instead from a
leader of the employee group, a headman, or shop foreman.

Some workers don't feel comfortable being singled out for praise in front of
the entire employee group—a typical way to dish out praise in the U.S. For
these workers, quiet praise in a private office is much preferred.

2. Train international employees early and often. Many of the pitfalls of

misunderstanding and cultural confusion can be prevented with early and
ongoing training.

"It's very important that incoming employees be taught in orientation

sessions and in ongoing training what the company's expectations are, that
they be acculturated to the way that company does things," Valentine says.

Henry Miller, an executive search consultant with the Philadelphia office of

Heidrick & Struggles International, points out that many misconceptions
about conduct in the workplace can be avoided by ensuring that rules are
defined and observed even during the interview process.

"It is also important to state with no ambiguity the policies and procedures
adhered to in the U.S.," he says. "Addressing this area prior to coming on
board will avoid pain on both sides later. Accepting some cultural nuances
is important, but be careful not to adversely affect your existing culture by
'customizing' what is acceptable or appropriate behavior by individuals."

3. Train the non-foreign-born, too. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

has training programs to ensure that its employees not only understand the
mission of the company, but also the significance of diversity, both within
the workplace and among clients.

"We train people to get into the shoes and the mindset of the person
opposite them," says James Lowry, vice president and director of diversity
at BCG. "The biggest mistake people make is to look at issues only
through their eyes. There are major and minor cultural differences, and we
cannot be effective in our area of business if we don't understand them
and embrace them."

Managers also need to be taught that there is an acculturation process and

should understand how that may affect employees. "Managers must be
aware that immigrants go through stages of culture shock," Valentine says.
"A manager who is not aware that a person is going through these stages
is not as well prepared as he or she needs to be."

As someone who has gone through the acculturation process himself,

having moved from Australia to the U.S. several years ago, Cane agrees.

"Employers need to understand that culture shock is real, and while there
is little one can do, just evidence of understanding will help," he says. "It is
not easy being placed in a foreign culture and being removed from the
support network that you're used to. Anything that an employer can do,
such as being very flexible with time off and being willing to provide 'local'
information and contacts, will help build a good relationship with the
employee as well as minimizing the stress that the employee is subjected
to."

4. Assign mentors and take care of the spouses. Managers need to

understand the important role they play in helping a new employee
become an important contributor, no matter what her country of origin.

But the issue is especially important for foreign workers with different
cultural expectations.

"As consultants in leadership issues," Miller says, "the best advice we

could provide is to take two approaches. Firstly, assign a mentor in the
business operation, preferably a well-respected person from the
department who can assist in helping ease integration. Secondly, if a
spouse or family is involved in the move, become involved in making them
feel comfortable with the change."

We train people to get into the shoes

and the mindset of the person
opposite them.
—James Lowry, Boston Consulting
Group
Recent figures suggest that a failed expatriation can cost a company as
much as $1 million and that 44 percent of expatriations fail because the
spouse has been unable to adjust.

Effective mentoring can be critical. Valentine says, "Using peer groups,

with one experienced employee mentoring a new employee from a
different cultural background, will enable a person from a background
unused to going to a manager to turn to the peer counselor to help mediate
a situation."

Lowry has helped implement mentoring programs throughout BCG. "We

try to mentor people of all backgrounds on the way we conduct studies and
the way we look at and analyze issues," he says. "In addition, every
professional has someone who guides them in the culture and in their
professional skill development, and we have an evaluation process that
parallels that. Our younger professionals are assigned a sponsor manager,
who mentors and coaches that person in a way that will make them
effective."

Coca-Cola is another company that has put a formal, one-on-one

mentoring program in place.

"We wanted to create the best and most desirable working environment for
our employees," says Dwight Williams, media relations manager at Coca-
Cola. "This program can help promote employee satisfaction and
development by forming one-on-one relationships that facilitate
networking, coaching, counseling, and career and life lessons. It's a win-
win for our employees and our organization."
5. Practice open-door communication—carefully. Keep in mind that
employees unused to U.S. business practices may be reluctant to go to the
head of their department for advice or guidance.

"The idea of the open door is so foreign to about three-fourths of the

cultures of the world that it doesn't even translate," Valentine says. "And
the downside is that sometimes the manager, by encouraging an
employee from a different culture to talk directly to them, is seen as weak."

The option here may be to use an intermediary.

"Many times if you are dealing with a group and you're trying to get
feedback, one idea is to use an elected representative who is empowered
to report problems and suggestions to the department head," Valentine
suggests.

Keep in mind that the best way to bridge the communication gap is to set a
good example, says Miller. "Do not wait for them to come through the open
door, go to them. Ask them about their concerns and questions. Nothing is
more credible than setting the example. An open door goes both ways."

6. In company-wide communications, avoid jargon and slang.

Employees from outside the U.S. may have difficulty understanding
company communication that uses U.S. jargon and slang, as well as any
number of culture-specific idioms.

"U.S. business is driven by sport and war metaphors because the rules of
business tended, for years, to mirror the rules of engagement," comments
Valentine, who, with Sherron B. Kenton, coauthored the book CrossTalk:
Communicating in a Multicultural Workplace. "Using metaphors may be
problematic with people from other cultures, even English-speaking
employees, since they don't necessarily use the same metaphors."

Others with experience in the field agree.

"Slang and colloquialism are definite challenges in all areas of

communication," Miller says. "I had a U.S. client who had been waiting for
a signed acceptance letter from a candidate in the U.K. The U.S. client had
expected to receive the fax the previous day and had left instructions and
numbers via voice mail for the candidate. The candidate called me and
said everything was fine, but he had a disturbing message from the U.S.
client talking about needing a 'John Hancock' in order to formalize the
relocation package. The confused candidate did not know any John
Hancock and asked how John fit into the process.
"In the end, we obtained a signature and all was well."

Cane says, "When communicating with my Chinese staff, I am very careful

to keep my spoken and written language very simple, avoiding jargon and
colloquialisms at all costs. I learnt very early on that using such language
was met by polite smiles and a look that said, 'I have no idea what you
mean.'"

7. Play by the rules and stick to business. Finally, the best way to
create an environment that people of all cultures and ethnicities can
participate in is to ensure that the company's mission and goals are
communicated clearly and that the workplace is driven by business
requirements rather than personal preferences, says R. Roosevelt
Thomas, Jr., a writer of many books on diversity, including Building a
House for Diversity, and president and founder of The American Institute
for Managing Diversity in Atlanta.

"It is important that managers and the people within the mixture make
decisions that are not based on personal preferences, traditions, or
conveniences, but rather on what is the mission and vision, and what are
the requirements necessary for achieving that mission and vision," he
says.

"Consistency of message from the top of the organization is important to

avoid conflicting agendas," Miller points out. "At the local leadership level,
a manager must determine the best way to communicate, which means
knowing the team, seeing through the integration, and understanding their
concerns personally and professionally."

Building a productive workplace with employees from many backgrounds

can enrich a company on many different levels—but it's not a process one
can take for granted. "Ethnic and cultural diversity can…enrich our lives if
we are open to the possibilities of reaching out and learning new ways of
communicating," the authors of CrossTalk write.

The bottom line? Diversity makes good business sense in today's

globalized world.

Says BCG's Lowry, "We have to understand different markets and we

have to have people of diverse backgrounds to understand those markets.
So you're better off, from a strictly business perspective, to get a mix in
your workforce.

Reprinted with permission from "Seven Ways to Better Communicate in

Today's Diverse Workplace," Harvard Management Communication
Letter, November 2002.

See the latest issue of Harvard Management Communication Letter.

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