Diversity In Workplace

In today’s global marketplace, organizations are striving to understand the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Diversity in the workplace isn’t new topic and has evolved since the 1800’s. Improvements in diversity date back to the African American Civil Right Movement and the passing of the Civil Right Act of 1866. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 stated that all persons born in the United States would be recognized as citizens. The movement was reignited with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960, which resulted in the end of racial segregation and discrimination. Key events of the movement include Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the March on Washington in 1963, the Civil Right Act of 1964, and several race riots to
name a few.
Brown v. Board of Education was a Supreme Court case in the early 1950’s. The ruling in the case was that racially segregated schools were unconstitutional. The case overturned the 1896 ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson which allowed for racial segregation with separate but equal facilities. The 1963 March on Washington was influential in the rally for human rights and was influential in the end to racism and the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
As a nation, we have come a long way in the advancements of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, but in order to remain a global power we must continue to make strides forward.
Research has proven that organizations with a diverse workforce outperform those who don’t.
Walmart founder, Sam Walton, knew what it took to build and run a successful company. He was a transformational leader who knew the value in positive encouragement, motivation, and challenging your team to think outside the box. Sam Walton was an influential leader who like many others, followed a path to build the largest retailer in the world.
This research will explore the importance of fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace through Kouzes and Posner Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership is a model that encourages leaders to build a relationship with those that follow them and forge a shared vision. When leaders perform at their best, they practice these five competencies. They Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.

MODEL THE
WAY Exhibiting the ability to stand up for what they believe in and setting an example for others to follow is how leaders model the way. Credibility is the foundation of leadership. If a person doesn’t believe in the messenger, they won’t believe in the message (Kouzes and Posner, 2012). The first step that a leader must take in becoming credible is to understand their values, standards, ethics, and beliefs. Your personal values act as your foundation when dealing with life events or making decisions. Modeling the Way isn’t just about your personal values but it also involves building a foundation of shared values.
The values that people look for in a leader are excellence, integrity, innovative, and respectful.
When a leader exhibits excellence they set goals, are accountable, and strategic in their plans for the organization. For example, Alex met with his managers to plan for the upcoming associate engagement survey. During this meeting, he discussed the purpose of the survey, past metrics, and the strategic plan going forward to accomplish this year’s goal. As a leader, it is your responsibility to celebrate the successes of your team and be responsible for results. This involves making clear choices and anticipating changing
conditions. Our second value is integrity. A person with integrity is described as honest, trustworthy, open, transparent, and courageous. Linda has been appointed team leader of the diversity program. They have been tasked to bring awareness and education to the work force about diversity and inclusion. Diversity is the workplace refers to having a team comprised of a different race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, education and more. Many companies don’t recognize the significance of having a diverse workplace. Increasing diversity into the workplace is a challenging and rewarding task. Inclusion in the workplace refers to creating an environment where similarities and differences are respected, celebrated, and recognized. A diverse and inclusive work force in one in which associates similarities and differences are respected resulting in a positive atmosphere. The third value, innovation, means to be creative, supportive, and empowered. Alex and Linda both understood the importance of setting the example and being consistent in their words and deed. They developed an action plan that encouraged cohesion, full participation, and the diverse talents of their team. Your associates need to know that their concerns and suggestions are being heard and that their opinion matters.
The final value is respect. A respectful leader listens to others, leads by example, and embraces the ideas and experiences of all regardless of their demographics. The above examples are of two leaders who understood the power of leading by example. They set the example, took the time to get to know their associates, they were highly visible and visionary leaders.