Use Diversity for Mutual Success in the Workplace

Team diversity in the workplace (workplace diversity) is something that will always be found in various organizations and companies. This type of diversity itself varies, ranging from gender, regional origin, religion, and so on. These diverse backgrounds will make employees exhibit a variety of behaviors according to their identity and habits.

Why is diversity important to pay attention to?

The many variations that exist in a team, this will be able to provide various valuable perspectives and ideas where this might not arise if a team has members who tend to be homogeneous. Therefore the ability to be able to manage the diversity of teams in the workplace is essential to encourage innovation and creative problem solving among team members.

Here are some things managers can do to maximize the diversity of their team members to achieve success together.

Create an inclusive culture.

Verna Myers, an expert on diversity and inclusion, believes that creating an inclusive culture in the workplace is an important step towards promoting diversity. This means building an environment that accepts and respects differences, and empowers each individual to participate and contribute to the best of their ability.

Encourage open communication.

Linda Hill, an expert in innovation management, recommends that managers create space for discussion, exchange of ideas, and feedback from the entire team. This will provide an opportunity for all employees to contribute, share knowledge, and generate new ideas. Organizational communications expert. According to organizational communication expert Dr. Denise Bedford, "Managers need to help facilitate open, clear, and honest communication between team members

Recognize and leverage the strengths and uniqueness of each team member.

Research shows that using unique skills in diverse teams can increase productivity, creativity and better decisions. Give each team member the opportunity to recognize and use their unique skills and strengths. Assign roles and responsibilities according to individual abilities and characteristics, and reward individual successes and results.

Facilitate collaboration and cooperation

According to management expert Mary Parker Follett, collaboration is the key to achieving common goals. A manager should facilitate collaboration between diverse team members, encouraging them to support each other and value each other's contributions, such as through cross-functional team building, joint projects, or collaborative training.

Manage conflict wisely

In diverse teams, conflicts may arise due to differences in opinions, values or work styles. A manager must be prepared to face and handle conflict with . Facilitate open dialogue and encourage mutual understanding between team members to find mutually beneficial solutions.

Managing a diverse team, of course, can be started by recognizing the uniqueness of each team member. This can be achieved through assessment. One of the main functions of assessment is to provide an understanding of the unique characteristics of team members, both to managers and to fellow team members. With an assessment, managers can better recognize the uniqueness of their various team members, and provide treatment according to the conditions of each team member. In this way, managers can leverage team diversity to achieve mutual success, create an inclusive work environment and drive better performance.

Article by Herjuno Tisnoaji - Resident Assessor of prasmul-eli