Introduction
Globalization has become an increasingly encompassing phenomenon in people’s lives today. Most significantly, globalization has bridged geographical spaces, so that in any context, there seem to be people from different backgrounds; people with different skills and experiences (Chuang, 2013). This is diversity. But it is not just about a situation that has come to be so that we have no choice but to deal with it. Rather, studies have showed that diversity has various benefits for individuals and ultimately the organization (discussed below).
Personal Growth
Taking this class, I was aware of these facts and I felt it important to know more about how to leverage diversity knowledge and skills for the good of not just the organization that I may come to work with, but the whole world as well. I was also aware that diversity awareness and skills (including cultural sensitivity) are not automatic. This is an ongoing process, and this has class has helped to open my eyes better toward cultural sensitivity.
This class has affected both by diversity awareness and diversity skills in a number of ways. First, I have to understand the complexity of what diversity is all about. Initially, I thought diversity only involved ethnicity and race- and indeed, this is a major variable when discussing diversity. However, I have come to understand that diversity has to do with more than just the question of ethnicity or race. There are also the variables of gender and age, among others, which define a person’s individual culture just as ethnicity and race do. For instance, Chuang (2013) cites certain ways in which male and female leaders are different in their approaches, with women more likely to exhibit empathy and collaboration traits to foster a cooperative relationship. This broad understanding is important. I have also come to appreciate that differences between me and other people is not a bad thing. Besides, it is in these differences- if managed well- that the benefits of diversity are found.
In relation to diversity skills, I have learned a number of things. For instance, I have to understand that, to deal with other people better, I must know and understand who I am, i.e. develop self-awareness. According to Frost and Walker (2007), self-awareness involves identifying one’s strengths and weaknesses or self-limitations- rather than stereotypes; to understand one’s individual reactions to situations and their approaches to decision-making, and one’s behavior patterns. This can help a person perform more effectively in diverse contexts.
Therefore, to become a more diversity-conscious individual, I plan to, among others: appreciate individual differences and focus on the similarities between me and others. I plan to appreciate individual differences and uniqueness and understand that these are shaped by one's cultural backgrounds, values and life experiences- which people never have control over (Holt & Seki, 2012). I want to understand cross-cultural issues and appreciate people’s demographics and the valuable inputs that this diversity brings in places we live as well as the workplace. Secondly, to enhance my ability to solve interpersonal problems, I plan to focus more on the similarities between me and others- rather than the differences. On the basis of these similarities, I can best build an interpersonal relationship with others (Cranford & Glover, 2007).
Diversity Benefits
Diversity awareness and skills are beneficial in many ways. First, various studies have found a correlation between diversity at the workplace (i.e. respect of individual differences) and increased productivity in organizations. Employees are always able to distinguish between the cultures of inclusion and exclusion. Valued and respect employees will notice this, and tend to be committed to their work and the organization. When employees feel that they are valued and respected, they are engaged and tend to make their best efforts for the good of the company (Okoro, 2012).
Diversity also provides vital flexibility at the workplace, which is of great importance in this era when innovation- through flexibility and creativity- is key to organizational competitive advantage. In this regard, diversity contributes significantly to organizational success. Cultural diversity, for instance, provides business managers with different experiences, sensibilities, and values, skills and styles. Most importantly, innovation as a variable of competitive advantage depends on effective utilization of teamwork, and diversity competence plays an important role in this respect. Employees who are understood for their culture and accepted by their colleagues for their different backgrounds are more likely to work harmoniously with other members of staff and take part in the productive activity, such as innovation. Innovation in itself calls for thinking outside the box, and diversity provides room for diverse thinking, which is the key to innovation. In other words, when organizations embrace diversity, they place their organizations at strategic positions of competitive advantage (Okoro, 2012).
Diversity Communication
Communication is a central factor for developing a healthy interpersonal relationship in any context. In the context that exhibit diversity, communication is even more important. Poor communication practices can lead to personal conflicts and incorrect assumptions. Effective communication is therefore very important when dealing with diversity. Effective communication helps to establish rapport and trust and promotes alignment and productivity (Chuang, 2013).
Diverse contexts may also face language barriers. Indeed, it is important to address this problem as messages can easily be misconstrued. A person may pretend they have understood a directive even when they have not and are afraid to say so if they are frustrated or embarrassed by the language barrier (Chuang, 2013).
In relation to cultural differences, it is important to consider context and whether the people from these cultures focus more on verbal or nonverbal communication. High cultures, for instance, rely more on nonverbal language than verbal language, while low-cultures places more emphasis nonverbal communication (Chuang, 2013). Communication must also take into account other issues, including the questions of personal space, roles and status, and body language. The roles and status of male and female employees, for instance, can affect how a female employee relates to a make supervisor and vice versa.
All these factors, among others, are important in promoting diversity. One must tailor their management to cultural differences- or other types of differences for that matter- by ensuring that the recipient understands what is communicated.
My plan is to improve my cross-cultural communication. First, I would like to improve my knowledge on how different cultures best receive information. For instance, in some cultures, people do not trust information from a manager. In such a case, it would help to pass such information through a team leader or other person or personnel they may trust. Secondly, I would like to improve both my verbal and nonverbal communication. In relation to verbal communication, I would like to exchange messages and ask questions effectively in such a way to avoid my message being misunderstood and misinterpreted. My goal in this regard is to deliver messages accurately and maintain a good relationship. Towards this goal, I would like to receive training on the interpersonal relationship and competence in group communication (Okoro, 2012). I would also like to be cognizant of my nonverbal language and know acceptable behaviors. I would like to understand what messages nonverbal behaviors (such as the giving of gifts) may represent, and how these may affect my interpersonal relationship with others.
Diversity Goals
I have set myself a number of diversity goals. First, I would like to recognize, appreciate as well as utilize the unique backgrounds, perspectives and insights of people who are different from me. In this regard, I would like to appreciate people from other backgrounds as valuable sources of knowledge about the world. Second, I would like to avoid discrimination and behavior that others may find disrespectful. Thirdly, I would like to create an environment of respect, tolerance and trust.
Diversity Actions
Achieving the above goals cited above will not happen merely by attending this class, but will have to involve action. Therefore, to achieve these goals, I plan to take the following actions. First, I would like to understand myself, i.e. develop self-awareness. In this regard, I would like to know my strengths and weaknesses or limitations, my reaction to different situations and how I approach decision-making. Capitalizing on my advantages would help me overcome stereotypes. To overcome my limitations, I would structure my unique and personalized strategy for interacting with people at the workplace. To best this, I would make the effort to understand the demographics of people I meet and appreciate the unique perspectives and insights that may help me develop as a person and a professional. Also to help improve my interaction with people different from me, I would focus on the similarities between us, which would provide a significant basis for interaction and rapport building.
Secondly, I would make efforts to understand cultural stereotypes by being open-minded to differences. According to Frost and Walker (2007), understanding stereotypes can help a person overcome their personal bias and value other people. These personal biases stand in the way of building trust, which can have an adverse effect on commitment and productivity at the workplace. This involves making decisions without making assumptions. I would also make an effort to treat others with respect. In this regard, I appreciate the fact that different people, based on their cultural backgrounds and values, have different expectations about how they would like to be treated. Okoro (2012) notes that respecting the character traits and unique attributes of others can help a person avoid cultural stereotypes.
Thirdly, I would aim to increase my self-assurance. In this regard, my aim is to help build the confidence and enthusiasm of others. This involves learning from other diversity competent people. This also involves keeping an open mind and making decisions from different perspectives.
Fourth, I would focus on the bigger picture. In this regard, I look beyond my current position and look at the direction the world has taken toward diversity. I focus on the challenges there are and take them as lifelong endeavors and opportunity for individual growth. I evaluate myself from a global perspective and be innovative through continuous learning and self-development to beat traditional thinking. I use multiple senses to find solutions and stay alert and ready for opportunities.
Fifth, I seek to develop a global mindset. To deal with global context, it is important for people to enrich their cultural intelligence. A global mindset is associated with interpersonal relationship and trust (Story & Barbuto, 2011). To develop a global mindset, I focus on cultural intelligence and global orientation. I keep an open mind and think globally. Moreover, I seek to engage transformative learning by focusing on individual behavior and assumptions, as well as create strategies for understanding and acting on the context in which I find myself.
Sixth, I both seek and offer support from and to others. In this regard, my focus is on establishing a global teamwork. This involves being visible to people with whom I interact and work. To do this, I require the support of others. But also, I aim to provide support to others who require it from me. This involves collaboration and exchange of information and creative ideas (Roy, 2012).
Seventh, I aim to develop effective communication skills. As already pointed out above, communication is a vital tool for enhancing the operation and effectiveness of diversity. In this regard, I focus on both verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication. I want to be able to ask questions appropriately and exchange messages effectively in a way that they are not misunderstood and misinterpreted. This involves a careful use of both words and tone to deliver messages effectively, and main good relationship. To get better at this, I plan to receive training on group communication competence and interpersonal relationship. I also make an effort to understand nonverbal communication, including how certain behaviors may be understood in different contexts. For instance, while hugs and kisses are the norms when greeting in Brazil, in China, nodding the head, shaking hands and smiling are used in greeting (Chuang, 2013). Other aspects of nonverbal communication include perceptions of personal space, eye contact and touching, etc.
Conclusion
I would like to think that I did not take this class just because we increasingly find ourselves in diverse environments. Rather, every human being has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, whether in the neighborhoods where they live or in their workplaces. In other words, I would like to be diversity competent not because studies find an economic advantage, but because it is the right thing to do. This class has opened my eyes to a number of important ways, and I hope to be more diversity competent.
References
Chuang, S. (2013). Essential skills for leadership effectiveness in diverse workplace development. Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development, 6(1), 1-23
Cranford, S., & Glover, S. (2007). Challenge match the stakes grow higher for global leaders. Leadership in Action, 27(3), 9-14
Frost, J., & Walker, M. (2007). Leadership culture - cross cultural leadership. Engineering Management, 17(3), 27-29
Holt, K. & Seki, K. (2012). Global leadership: a developmental shift for everyone. Industrial
and Organizational Psychology, 5(2), 196-215
Okoro, E. (2012). Cross-cultural etiquette and communication in global business: toward
a strategic framework for managing corporate expansion. International Journal of Business and Management, 7(16), 130-138.
Roy, S.R. (2012). Digital mastery: The skills needed for effective virtual leadership. International Journal of e-Collaboration, 8(3), 56-66
Story, J. S. P, & Barbuto, J. E. (2011). Global mindset: a construct clarification and framework. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 18(3), 377-384
