Workplaces are a vibrant mosaic of cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds, creating a rich tapestry of perspectives, experiences, and ideas. This diversity is a treasure trove of potential that can propel any organization forward.
McKinsey & Company reports that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. Additionally, companies with diverse management teams are 45% more likely to report that their market share grew over the past year.
To truly unlock the power of a diverse workforce, we must go beyond mere tolerance and actively seek to understand, appreciate, and embrace our differences.
Incorporating diversity into the workforce is more than just a corporate buzzword; it’s a strategic advantage.
Cultural differences encompass a wide range of factors, including language, values, beliefs, customs, and communication styles. These differences can influence how individuals perceive the world, interact with others, and approach problem-solving. If we add to this differences in background, age, gender, etc., it's easy to understand that employees form a very rich mosaic of unique profiles.
It requires a commitment to learning about and understanding the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of our colleagues.
We can read in this Forbes article that “receptiveness is openness; it doesn't dismiss or dehumanize people who hold opposing viewpoints. Dr. Minson defines it as: “The willingness to access, consider, evaluate supporting and opposing views in a relatively impartial manner.” One key takeaway from her definition is that receptiveness doesn’t mean you have to change your opinion or even compromise your beliefs, rather it’s about listening and openly considering other perspectives.”.
Being receptive can help you deal with a whole range of situations.
Start with active listening!
The HEAR acronym, developed by Dr. Minson and her team of researcher, stands for:
These templates (fully customizable) are available in your RandomCoffee platform.
Connect employees from different cultural backgrounds in groups of 4, to share and learn about each other’s traditions, daily routines, hobbies, and much more.
Create groups of 10 employees where each participant is encouraged to bring a local dish from his or her region to share with others.
Foster genuine connections between people from the same organization to reinforce team bonding.
Women are connected in groups of 6 to empower them to advanced their careers, share experiences, and foster a supportive community.
Each month, parents are randomly connected together in groups of three for discussing a range of topics such as parenting advice, work-life balance, childcare tips, and more.
Randomly connect 2 employees together to explore strategies for work-life balance, stress management and workplace well-being.
Each week, HR representatives are randomly connected with 3 employees so that they can share feedback to improve the employee experience.
Pair employees in groups of 3 to discuss specific DEI topics, such as unconscious bias, privilege, and allyship.
Role-play in groups of 3 employees from different backgrounds and experiences, each coming with 2 strong opinions that may not be shared by all. Each employee must play the 3 roles: the speaker, the challenger, the reflector.
Pair deaf employees with hearing employees (who have varying levels of proficiency in sign language) to engage in conversations using sign language.
