Paul PelletierProject management key note speaker, author, corporate lawyer, and executive| Paul Pelletier Consulting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Diversity Intelligence is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. The concept of diversity intelligence encompasses acceptance and respect. It is the exploration of our differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment.
A recent article I wrote published in the Project Management World Journal submits that our goal as project leaders is to leverage diversity not only by making ourselves more aware and comfortable around those different from us, but also ensuring that you make others working with you more comfortable interacting with you.
What do you do to make it easier for others to approach you?
You made me to think. I agree on - ensuring others comfortable interacting with you, and drawing people through awareness.
Thanks for sharing the link. Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
Paul, this is an interesting topic and something that needs to be discussed more often. You speak of diversity in terms of merit and finding the best person, regardless of differences, which is the right approach. Far too many people now use the term "diversity" as a sort of demographic measure. The problem, of course, is that if you hire to balance the demographics of your team based on gender, skin color, religion, age, national origin, sexual preference, or other non-work factors, then you must first collect this information about your employees and applicants. This opens the door to abuse, not to mention illegal discrimination, and it threatens the merit-based system you promote.
There's a real Catch-22 to this: I can't create a team that is diverse in their personal (not work related) aspects without collecting and considering personal information.
How do we promote diversity in the workplace without practicing exclusion or considering personal factors in applicants?
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1 reply by Gary Hamilton
Aug 14, 2017 7:52 AM
Gary Hamilton
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How do we promote diversity in the workplace without practicing exclusion or considering personal factors in applicants? This is a very good question. In some companies, the leaders set Diversity metrics. (i.e. X% of leadership roles filled with Y, where Y may be gender, race etc.) The slippery slope is oiled, to become more slippery in this types of targets, whereas, decisions as to who to place in role can be influenced by demographic data and not merit.
Paul, this is an interesting topic and something that needs to be discussed more often. You speak of diversity in terms of merit and finding the best person, regardless of differences, which is the right approach. Far too many people now use the term "diversity" as a sort of demographic measure. The problem, of course, is that if you hire to balance the demographics of your team based on gender, skin color, religion, age, national origin, sexual preference, or other non-work factors, then you must first collect this information about your employees and applicants. This opens the door to abuse, not to mention illegal discrimination, and it threatens the merit-based system you promote.
There's a real Catch-22 to this: I can't create a team that is diverse in their personal (not work related) aspects without collecting and considering personal information.
How do we promote diversity in the workplace without practicing exclusion or considering personal factors in applicants?
How do we promote diversity in the workplace without practicing exclusion or considering personal factors in applicants? This is a very good question. In some companies, the leaders set Diversity metrics. (i.e. X% of leadership roles filled with Y, where Y may be gender, race etc.) The slippery slope is oiled, to become more slippery in this types of targets, whereas, decisions as to who to place in role can be influenced by demographic data and not merit. Saving Changes...
Paul:
Interesting article; my takeaway is that leaders and organizations need to promote openness, empathy, emotional intelligence, inclusion and ideas gleened from their diverse workforce. Leaders, managers and teams need real tools to help manage today's challenges along with a growth mindset to adjust/shift their behavior and improve their competencies. Saving Changes...
"This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy."
