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How Well Do You Manage Diversity?

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By Dr. Laura Hills, President, Blue Pencil Institute, www.bluepencilinstitute.com

Assess your diveshutterstock_71958349rsity management skills by answering yes or no to each of the questions below:

1. Do you test your assumptions about the people you manage before you act on them?

2. Do you believe that there is usually more than one way to accomplish a goal?

3, Do you convey that to your staff?

4. Do you have honest relationships with each staff member you supervise?

5. Are you comfortable with each member of your staff?

6. Do you know what motivates each member of your staff, what his or her goals are, and how he or she likes to be recognized?

7. Are you able to give negative feedback to a staff member who is culturally different from you?

8. When you have open positions in your organization, do you ensure that a diverse pool of candidates has applied?

9. Do you orient new employees to your organization’s culture and unwritten rules?

10. Do you rigorously examine your organization’s policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that they don’t differently impact different groups?

11. When they do, do you (or would you) change them?

12. Are you willing to listen to constructive feedback from your staff about ways to improve the work environment?

13. Do you implement staff suggestions and acknowledge their contributions?

14. Do you take immediate action with members of your staff when they behave in ways that show disrespect for others in the workplace, such as inappropriate jokes and offensive terms?

15. Do you make good faith efforts to meet your affirmative action goals?

16. Do you have a good understanding of institutional “isms” such as racism, ageism, and sexism and how they manifest themselves in an organization?

17. Do you ensure that assignments and opportunities for advancement are accessible to everyone in your organization?

If you were able to answer yes to more than half of the questions above, you are on the right track to managing diversity well. Continue to improve your diversity management skills so that you can answer every question with a resounding yes.

Practical Guidelines for Communicating Ethically at Work

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by Dr. Laura Hills, President, Blue Pencil Institute (www.bluepencilinstitute.com)

Practicing ethicalshutterstock_9551143 communication at work isn’t always the easiest way to live. Often, you’ll find it easier to say nothing rather than to tell the truth. However, ethical communication means being truthful and upfront and saying what needs to be said, even when that’s difficult. Fabricating false information is clearly unethical, but so, too, is exaggerating or omitting important information that others need to know.

Ethical communication expresses care and respect for others. Everyone in your workplace deserves to be respected, regardless of the individual’s job, socioeconomic status, gender, race, age, or other characteristics. Communicate with others in ways that demonstrate that respect. And, don’t tolerate communication from others that degrades individuals and humanity through the expression of intolerance and hatred.

Career professionals who practice ethical communication also support others as they share information, opinions, and feelings. Be a person who supports diversity of perspective and freedom of expression in your workplace. Believe wholeheartedly that unethical communication threatens the well-being of others and the integrity of all communication in your workplace. Be a thoughtful listener and keep an open mind to those around you.

Badmouthing your employer or colleagues is unethical communication. Even after work hours, you need to be very careful about what you say about your employer and to whom. Avoid negative communication about your workplace in a public place where your conversation may be overheard. The most ethical behavior is to keep your thoughts to yourself or to address important matters directly with the individuals involved, at appropriate times, in an appropriate place, and in appropriate ways.

Finally, a career professional who communicates ethically maintains confidentiality. Once you’ve agreed to work in your profession or your place of business, you’ve also agreed to abide by certain policies and procedures for maintaining confidentiality. Breaching these rules, except with prior and appropriate permission and under very special circumstances, is unethical communication and carries with it severe consequences. You have an ethical duty not only to keep things confidential by not sharing them wrongfully, but also, to safeguard confidentiality by making sure you’re not overheard and by keeping documents from wandering eyes.  Be careful when handling confidential documents or computer files to ensure that others without need don’t have access to the information. Close doors, keep your voice low, and do whatever else you must do to ensure confidentiality.