diversity
TRANSCRIPT
Everyone, if not most people, know and understand the term “Diversity” as it
relates to cultural or race. Diversity tells us how different we really are but there
must be an acceptance and an appreciation to who we are in order to build a
strong team and a productive facility.
• Being Diversified is not always easy because in some cases it goes against the grain of us.
• Most people don’t like to adapt to change or indifferences as it relates to other cultural differences.
• America is probably the most diversified nation in the World because of the Freedoms we offer.
Jimmy Carter
“We have become not a
melting pot but a
beautiful mosaic.
Different people, different
beliefs, different
yearnings, different
hopes, different dreams.”
(39th President of the United States)
Defining Diversity
• Diversity: It’s the understanding, the concept of acceptance, and
respect of the uniqueness, and differences of individuals.
• Based on the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexualorientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religiousbeliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.
• It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simpletolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions ofdiversity contained within each individual.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“I look to the day
When people
will not be
judged by the
color of their
skin, but by the
content of their
character.”
(Civil Rights Activist)
IMAGINE
• Imagine if you will, a “WORLD” where everybody looked alike,
there was only one type of house, one type of car, only one type
of people...etc.
• There would be no choices to make in any particular thing
because there would be only one look of everything of its kind.
Imagine... your wife and my wife would look alike, our children
would look alike, our clothes, houses, cars all would look alike
because there would be no distinction. What kind of world would
this be?
Reality Check• “THE REALITY” is everything is different in the world
we live in, every mountain is different, every ocean,
every lake, every river…..every animal of its kind,
every flower, and even every human being.
• Because we live in a “DIVERSIFIED” world it allows
us to have choices, to be satisfied and appreciate the
differences in this world in all things.
The World We Live In
Scientists believe that the
estimated number of bird
species alive today is
(between 9,000 to 10,000)
There are over 100,000 known
species of trees in the world.
The World We Live In
There are 1,017,018 species of
insects in the world with some
experts estimating that there just
might be as many as 10 million
species out there.
The World We Live In Galaxies within the
universe, on an average have between 100 billion and 1 trillion numbers of stars.
Our own Milky Way galaxy contains about 200 billion stars; and we're actually about an average number of stars.
The World We Live In• There are about 254 nations in the world, but there
are many, many more groups within nations thatmay be distinct because of language or othercultural reasons.
• In America alone there are 198 nationalities.
“We may have come over on different
boats but we are all in the same boat now”
There are two kinds of people when it comes
to “Diversity”
• Those who embrace diversity are people who are more God like or minded people.
• Those who do not embrace diversity are more prone to racism, prejudices or being bias toward others. 14
Those who embrace “Diversity”
• Sees value in all people regardless of race, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.
• They respect and accept cultural differences.
• They are willing to develop within themselvesa new way of thinking from old thinking basedon old habits, perception and what has beentaught concerning stereotypes andprejudices.
MOHANDAS GANDHI
“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.”
(A Political and Spiritual Leader of India)
How to incorporate acceptance in a
“Diverse Workplace”
• First know who your cultural groups are within your facility and be open minded.
• Take “self initiative” to learn the different cultural groups within your facility.
• As a facility, create/acknowledge these cultural groups through events such as Black History Month, Octoberfest[German], Hispanic Month, Greekfest……….
• Encourage residents and family members to attend or participate in these events.
How to incorporate acceptance in a “Diverse
Workplace”
• We must recognize that diversity in the workplace is very importantfrom several perspectives.
• From a corporate view, a diverse personnel may contribute to a well-rounded company with limitless possibilities.
• From a personal view, embracing and understanding diversity in theworkplace may lead to breaking down barriers that can inhibitpersonal growth, continued development and an overall enjoyableand fulfilling work and life experience.
• It should NOT be taken for granted that your employees will simplyembrace their diverse work environment.
Managing Diverse Groups
• Managing diversity means acknowledging people's
differences and recognizing these differences as valuable
assets to your facility; 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.
Managing Diverse GroupsWhen managing “Diverse Groups” within your facility
seek positive effects of managing diversity:
• Recognize that diversity will bring a greater skill base whenmanaged properly.
• Improve the overall climate on the diversity of your stakeholders inorder to improve satisfaction, reduce conflicts, and improve teammember retention.
• Encourage creativity, flexibility, and innovation among the teammembers, which will allow the injection of new ideas and challengethe normal organizational mindsets.
End Result
Managing diversity provides greater
opportunities to form a more productive
team with better performance, and greater
strategic awareness, which enables them
to be more innovative and responsive
Consequences of Ignoring “Diversity”
Ignoring diversity issues costs time, money, and efficiency.Some of the consequences can include unhealthy tensionsbetween people of differing gender, race, ethnicity, age,abilities, etc.; loss of work productivity because ofincreased conflict; inability to attract and retain talentedpeople of all kinds; complaints and legal actions; andinability to retain women and other minorities, resulting inlost investments in recruitment and training.