The Value of Diversity

Diversity is a big buzz word today, as the world shrinks ever smaller with our expanding technology. There are three definitions of diversity, all of which organizations would do well to value:

1) a variety of something such as opinion, color, or style
2) ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic and gender variety, in a group, society, or institution
3) discrepancy, or a difference from what is normal or expected (taken from the Encarta Dictionary)

The second definition is the one typically thought of when we refer to diversity in the workplace. Despite the good intentions expressed by most organizations today, the number of discrimination cases the EEOC handles continues to increase. Perhaps we would benefit by expanding our understanding of diversity to include the first and third definitions as well. How well do your managers encourage varying opinions from employees, particularly when it is in opposition to the managers’ views? As an HR Director, I frequently had employees at all levels of the organization, even some senior to me, voice their opposing views behind my closed door, because it was safe to do so. The common feeling was that their superiors were open only to hearing what they wanted to hear. I was the one who heard what needed to be said.

The third definition is also of value to us. How do we respond when confronted with a discrepancy or something that is not what we expected? I recall hearing an executive tell her boss about the executive’s visit to the hospital to see an ill subordinate. The executive commented about the Bible that was on the stand next to the employee’s bed, referring to the subordinate as “one of those.” Sadly, the boss (who was also my boss) did not pick up on the offensiveness of this remark until I called her attention to it.

Truly respecting diversity is not easy, and valuing it is even harder. Regular, at least annual, diversity training is a good place to start.

The Power of Alignment

We all know what it means to align our tires, but do you think about alignment at work? Workplace alignment happens when the organization’s actions are in sync with its stated objectives and values. Alignment doesn’t usually happen on its own; it takes a conscious effort to ensure that management’s actions and the programs it implements are aligned with the overall vision of the company.

For example, a company that says it values teamwork but promotes competition among employees is out of alignment. Do a football team’s players compete with each other or with the other team? If you want a culture of teamwork, cooperation, and collaboration, you need to look at your reward and assessment programs to ensure they promote these things. While performance appraisals and related rewards don’t need to be totally team-based, there should be a component that recognizes teamwork. The old adage, “behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated” still applies.

Another common misalignment occurs in retail settings where both customer service and high individual sales performance are promoted. Sometimes these goals conflict with each other. Years ago I worked in the linen department of a fine department store. Sales staff was given aggressive sales quotas to meet to avoid receiving a cut in base pay in the next quarter. We were also told to give the best possible customer service. It didn’t take long for me to observe a clash of these objectives as sales staff competed for customers and avoided helping each other since the credit for a sale could not be shared. Often the most aggressive sales rep would get to the customer first, rather than the employee with the best product knowledge to meet that customer’s needs. If the store had clearly stated that the primary goal was to provide the best service to the customer, the most knowledgeable sales rep could have been called upon. In addition, the sales reps could have developed their own areas of expertise based on their interests, and the group as a whole would have been more effective at addressing specific customer needs.

If you’re not seeing the kind of behavior you’d like to see in your workplace, take a good hard look at what you’re truly promoting and reinforcing. Focus on your actions, not your words, for we know which of these speaks the loudest.

What Does Your Organization Stand For?

All forward-thinking companies today have either vision or mission statements (or both) and defined values. Typically these are posted at the entrance in the main lobby, discussed at new employee orientation, and included in the employee handbook. More sophisticated organizations incorporate the values into the employee and management performance appraisal process. But how well do people really understand the values and more importantly, how effectively do they live them?

In my career, I worked in manufacturing, state and federal government, insurance (both property/casualty and health), healthcare, and consulting. While everyone of these organizations had values statements (except perhaps government, but that was a long time ago), the best example of living the organization’s values came in Catholic healthcare. Not only did the hospital do all the things I mentioned above, it also had a senior level leader assigned as the mission director. She did annual training on the values which every employee was required to attend. The hospital held a yearly recognition program identifying employees who especially demonstrated one of the values in their daily performance.

The most powerful reinforcement of the hospital’s values came from the placement of triangular tent cards with the values printed on them that were placed on every conference room table. As various groups, departments, and committees met, the group members routinely referred to the values (which were right in front of them) when making decisions. Leaders in particular modeled this behavior and would often ask, “How well does this suggestion align with our values?” With the values as a guide, the organization’s decision-making was stronger and more consistent than it would have been without them. What a powerful message it sends to employees when management chooses to take a more challenging action that is in line with its stated values than an easier one.