Diversity Management - An essential craft for leaders

Objective :

The report presents the growing need to broaden and inculcate the principles of "Diversity

Management" as an important ingredient for an effective leadership. The report highlights the

enormous impact it will have on the success of future leaders and the expectations for the future of

diversity management.

Need for Diversity Management :

The practices that were being followed till now have been outdated and there are certain

expectations from the future leaders to take it more seriously in their efforts to create more

effective organization rather than simply muddle through.

Diversity Management is concerned with a lot many things rather than just "representation"

and "relationships". It has achieved an entire new dimension altogether. There is a lot more to

diversity than "counting" and "getting along"

It's high time that the organizational leaders and diversity professionals do not remain content

with the basic practices and rise to this very important challenge.

Expectations from the future :

Representation vs Diversity-

A need to differentiate between representation and diversity need to be realized. While

representation is just about the presence of people from diverse backgrounds, diversity is

more concerned with behavioural differences, similarities and tensions that can exist between

them.

There is need to address these differences and tensions, in absence of which the leaders will

tend to lose the representations gains while if it is realized it will surely aid them in gaining

the competitive edge.

Diversity management as a craft-

Diversity management needs to be viewed as a craft and not as an extension of a civil rights

movement which merely focuses on race and gender. It can be applied to any diverse mixture

of people in the workplace to increase efficiency through collaborative performance.

It can be used to match the different task environments of people in such a way as to

effectively integrate a cohesive, purpose driven task.

Tackling differences and tensions-

Diversity management is concerned with "making quality decisions in the midst of

differences, similarities and tensions". It can also assist in unravelling and creatively

conceptualizing complex situations.

This craft would come in very useful in complex situations such as one created by customers,

mergers and acquisitions and different business locations.

Change in mindset-

Stereotyping all racially inappropriate behaviour to be caused due to racism needs to be

avoided. Leaders need to recognize that people can have differences and tensions for reasons

other than racial bias.

Realization of difficulties faced-

Future leaders need to be true to admit the difficulty that they might face in making decisions

amidst the diversities. They need to reflect upon specific ways in which the difficulties can be

tackled.

Difficulty with diversity need not to be looked at as a moral offense.

Components of Diversity Management-

Concepts: The definitions that provide the craft's foundation

Fundamental dynamics: The principles that along with the concepts constitute the craft's basics

Prerequisites for mastery: Acquisition of diversity management skills, achievement of diversity

maturity, and practice in applying the craft

The concepts of diversity management are very easy to learn compared to task of achievement and

application of the same. The necessary diversity management skills that need to be inculcated in order

to achieve the same include :-

The ability to recognize and analyze diversity mixtures

The ability to determine if action is required with respect to a particular mixture

The ability to respond appropriately to the issue in question

Adaptability-

Leaders armed with this craft will be more comfortable with the differences and tensions that

exist among the people and will be in a far better position to deal with it.

Keeping the thing simple (attempt to evade diversity) might appear to reduce the tension but it

would result in distortion and ineffectiveness.

Global Outlook-

Leaders need to make it a global craft rather than confining it to a particular region. It needs

not to be seen as something related to country's unique struggle with race and slavery.

Decoupling diversity from civil rights movement will help generate clarity about its true

nature.

Strategic Approach-

This craft will aid leaders to be more strategic in their approach to utilize to the optimum the

diversity that is present in the organization. Organization's mission, vision and strategy will

guide the responses.

Social Impact-

This will also have a social impact as the understanding of diversity management craft will

provide an approach that leaders and rank-and-file citizenry can use to work through diversity

challenges.

It will enhance the likelihood of achieving a naturally cohesive, purpose-driven unity in spite

of divisions that exist.

Conclusion :

We are progressing but still there is a lot needed to be done to meet these expectations. The

oppositions are bound to be there, particularly when an attempt to decouple diversity management

from civil rights movement is made but the objective needs to be clearly kept in vision. Slowly, but

surely, the diversity focus will tend to move from a social agenda to a craft for making quality

decisions amidst the differences and tensions that exist. Adding to this, adoption of this craft will also

enhance the probability of achieving social justice goals.

Bibliography :

Leader to Leader journal – by R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr.

Journal No : Leader To Leader, No.41, Summer 2006

Link : http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=94