by Maximizing the Performance of All Employees
Desired Outcome: The purpose of this approach is to maximize the performance of each employee by removing barriers that limit an individual’s potential, regardless of whether those barriers are diversity issues (e.g.: race, culture, gender, etc.) or other barriers that hinder one’s progress (e.g.: language skills, education, work ethic, off-purpose work behaviors, social skills, etc.). The goal is to raise the productive output of each individual by understanding their unique differences and overriding whatever keeps the person from reaching his or her fullest potential. The ultimate outcome is to get 100% from 100% of the employees 100% of the time. Likewise, this approach seeks suppliers, vendors, and construction companies who can produce the desired quality products on time, on budget, and within scope regardless of their owner or employee demographics.
Indicators of Success: The success of this approach is witnessed when each individual within the company has achieved the highest level of performance of which he or she is capable. It is also signified when barriers are removed to allow employees to go beyond what anyone had previously believed was possible because of preconceived insurmountable diversity issues. Success entails helping diverse suppliers, vendors, and construction companies to raise their productive output to a level where they are capable of winning company contracts and successfully delivering their goods and services as specified in the contracts without the company lowering the requirements of the contracts. In other words, the success of this approach is not in lowering standards or raising people up, but in raising a person’s performance up so they are viable candidates for future promotions and contracts regardless of their diversity.
Achieving the Desired Result: This approach entails a mature and sophisticated approach to managing the business using proper management techniques. It entails an acceptance that diversity is a normal practice of good management wherein managers are charged with increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of all of their employees so they can produce more. This approach requires good management systems that create a productive work environment where all employees feel comfortable, confident, proud, and included. It requires managers to deal with employees as individuals (rather than ethnic groups, genders, etc.) and to implement individual development plans so every employee can overcome barriers that inhibit the achievement of their highest potential. It also requires working with diverse vendors, suppliers, and construction companies who currently do not qualify as acceptable resources to help them raise their performance capabilities so they can qualify for contracts with the company.
Affirmative Action
Desired Outcome: The goal of this approach is to create a company that truly provides equal opportunity for people of diverse backgrounds and characteristics to be paid fairly, promoted equitably, obtain supplier and vendor contracts, and/or to win construction projects. It entails more than just consideration for such things, but rather an affirmative and aggressive desire to achieve diversity in the managerial, supplier, vendor, and construction company ranks. The goal of this approach is to have a representative number of people in key positions throughout the company that match the diverse demographics of the community. Vendor, supplier, and construction contracts must also be awarded to a representative diverse group.
Indicators of Success: The key to this approach is the typical EEO approach of making sure the company has numbers that confirm that it is affirmatively providing opportunities for people of diversity regarding pay, promotions, supplier contracts, and/or construction projects. Success is achieved when the company has the right numbers and percentages that indicate it is a diverse company.
Achieving the Desired Results: This is a relatively simple approach to diversity. All it requires is identifying viable employee, vendor, supplier, and construction company candidates who can be hired or developed into qualified individuals for key management positions, vendor or supplier contracts, and/or construction projects. All that must be done is to search for candidates in the obvious places where they might be found (e.g.: black colleges, suppliers from minority communities, etc.). Or, even simpler, just identify the right diversity mix the company wants and hire it, regardless of qualifications.
Brand Image
Desired Outcome: The purpose of this approach is to create a brand image of being a company that values the diversity of its employees. The focus of this approach is on getting name recognition and awards for the company’s diversity programs. The primary goal of this approach is to be viewed as a benchmark company when it comes to diversity programs. Under this scenario, it is only necessary to achieve a perception that the company is a diverse company. If customers, employees, vendors, suppliers, shareholders, and the general public believe the company is a diversity champion, and hold the organization in high regard because of it, the diversity program can be considered a success.
Indicators of Success: With this approach, the focus is on getting the company’s name in the media, obtaining industry awards, and being at the top of mind regarding all diverse issues so people accept the message that the organization is a diverse company.
Achieving the Desired End Result: If a message is repeated loud enough and often enough people begin to believe it. This approach to diversity requires a strong marketing and public relations component to make sure the company’s name is at the top of mind in all of the important venues of interest regarding diversity. The key to success is having anecdotal stories that show the company is diverse. The more examples one can give of where the company has provided opportunity and growth for diverse construction companies, vendors, and employees, the better the company brand image will be. Consequently, all one has to do is find a few powerful success stories of diversity, share those stories loudly and often, and the organization will be successful in creating the desired brand image.
Culture of Acceptance
Desired Outcome: This approach seeks to create a company that truly values and appreciates the diverse nature of its workforce. It recognizes that diverse people have different needs, different values, different characteristics, different styles, and different desires in the workplace; and it seeks acceptance and tolerance for these differences in order to create a healthy and productive workplace. The key to this approach is to get everyone to be aware of and accept these differences in order to reduce conflict, maximize performance, and allow each person to reach his or her full potential by removing diversity barriers or conflict in the workplace.
Indicators of Success: The key to this approach is helping everyone within the company to become more diversity-conscious; to become aware of their personal beliefs, biases, and actions regarding people of diverse backgrounds; and to alter their actions in order to provide equal opportunity and a work culture that meets the needs of every employee in the company. It includes removing the barriers that limit growth opportunities for certain people because of diversity issues. It also entails creating a culture that strongly condemns discrimination of any type in any form.
Achieving the Desired Results: This approach requires people at all levels of the company to become introspective and aware of their belief systems and actions regarding diversity issues. It requires specific policies, procedures, processes, practices, and systems that create a culture that accepts and assertively values the diversity of its employees. This acceptance must also lead to opportunities for diverse people to raise their potential, be promoted, and take on different roles and responsibilities that previously may not have been available to them in a less diverse-sensitive company.
Individual Approaches to Manage Diversity
Individual approaches to managing diversity typically take two interdependent paths: learning and empathy. The first is based on acquiring real or simulated experience; the second is based on the ability to understand feelings and emotions.
Empathy
Closely linked to the individual learning strategy is empathy, the ability to put oneself in another’s place and see things from that person’s point of view. Empathy is particularly important in managing diversity because members of diverse group often feel that only they can truly understand the challenges or problems they are facing.
Empathy is an important way to deal with more subtle problems because it helps the manager understand the diverse employee’s point of view. By learning how to empathize and by offering encouragement, guidance, and after-the-fact backup support, the manager can play an important individual role in more effectively managing diversity.
Learning
Many managers are often unprepared to deal with diversity, because of their inexperience they are unsure of how to respond. To better prepare themselves managers must work hard to learn and experiences as much as they can about developing appropriate behavior. At the heart of this learning process is communication. Managers must openly communicate one-on-one with young and old employees, women, minorities, and those challenged with a disability in order to determine how best to understand and interact with them. In this way mangers can learn more about a diverse group’s personal values and how the individuals like to be treated. Mangers can also begin to develop a personal style that works well with each member of a diverse group.
