Examine what diversity training needs to address in a contemporary workplace.

Upon completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

• Examine what diversity training needs to address in a contemporary workplace.

Diversity training has been around for a while, although it was referred to by other terms. Some of you must have heard the term cross-cultural training. In the United States, diversity training was also called race relations training and multicultural education. Diversity consciousness is a broader concept than just training but training is an important part of developing diversity consciousness.

Discussion

Reflect on what you have learned in this module about diversity training, and respond to the following:

• Research on the internet your chosen company’s diversity philosophy policies and programs, you can review their company website as well as other internet sources. Post a summary of what you have found.
• Based on what you have read in Bucher and the articles, what is this company doing well? What are they not doing that would improve their diversity training and management?
• What do you think are the two most important things a company can do to improve their diversity management and training?
• If you have had diversity training, evaluate it based on what you have learned in this module. What has helped you develop diversity consciousness and what did not and why?

Post your primary response. Be sure to review your writing for grammar and spelling before posting.

Read any postings already provided by your instructor or fellow students. Remember to read the feedback to your own major postings and reply to it throughout the module.

Examine what diversity training needs to address in a contemporary workplace.

Introduction

In a contemporary workplace, diversity training needs to address four critical areas:

The need for diversity training has to do with the workplace environment.

The workplace environment is more diverse than ever. The United States has become more ethnically and racially diverse in recent years, with people from around the world coming to work here and contributing their talents to our economy. It’s important for employers to create an inclusive environment for all employees so that everyone feels comfortable working together as part of a team.

In order for this type of diversity training to be effective, it must address four areas:

• How do we help people understand the needs of others?
• How do we help them understand their own needs?
• How do we improve communication between groups? And how can these improvements lead toward more productive relationships at work

Diversity training needs to address how employees feel about each other.

One of the key aspects of diversity training is how employees feel about each other. The workplace can be a stressful place for many people, especially when there are differences between coworkers or bosses. In order to avoid these problems, it’s important that employees have a positive experience at work and feel comfortable in their environment.

Employees need to trust each other so they don’t feel threatened by someone who might be different from them; this also helps reduce bullying behavior from coworkers who may use their power over others as an excuse for abusing them (or anyone else). Employees also need to know that they can be themselves around others without fear of being judged negatively for who they are–whether it’s being gay or straight, black or white–or what pronouns you prefer using when referring to yourself on social media

Diversity training needs to help employees recognize the value of using their differences as a tool for growth and development.

Diversity training needs to help employees recognize the value of using their differences as a tool for growth and development.

When we talk about diversity, we often think about “diversity” in an abstract way–as something that’s nice but not necessary. But when you think about it, there are many different types of diversity: physical (skin color, hair texture), cultural (language spoken at home), religious beliefs…the list goes on. Each person brings something unique to any given situation; we all bring something different from each other–and that’s what makes us all unique! The more you understand how your own unique perspective can be used as an asset by others and yourself (and vice versa), the more successful conversations will feel like: “Hey! I’m here too!”

Diversity training needs to create an environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of being penalized or ridiculed by others in the group.

Diversity training needs to create an environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of being penalized or ridiculed by others in the group. In order for employees to feel safe and secure sharing their viewpoints, diversity training must address how employees feel about each other. This can be accomplished through open dialogue about topics such as:

• Why diversity is important
• What your company values (scalable)
• What you learned from your last class on diversity

Diversity training needs to create an open environment where everyone is willing to listen and learn from one another.

Diverse training needs to create an open environment where everyone is willing to listen and learn from one another.

Diversity training is a safe space where people can ask questions, and get honest answers. It’s also a place where people can learn from each other, which means it should be inclusive of all perspectives–including those who are different from you or don’t agree with your viewpoint.

Asking questions in diversity training helps you connect with other employees who may have similar interests or concerns as yours; it helps them feel more comfortable sharing their own experiences so that they can better understand your situation; and it allows for constructive dialogue about what makes each individual unique (what makes us all special).

Training designed around these four principles will create a more diverse workplace that encourages learning and growth.

Diversity training is a good idea. Training designed around these four principles will create a more diverse workplace that encourages learning and growth.

• Diversity training helps create an environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves, including their racial identity or gender identity. This can be useful for individuals who may not feel safe in their current work environment because of the language or topic being discussed at work; for example, if your manager makes jokes about how much you should be drinking during lunch breaks because “it’s Friday night.” Or if one of your coworkers says something racist towards another coworker in front of everyone else at work (because hey! There’s nothing wrong with making fun). Diversity training can help address this problem by making sure everyone knows what kinds of comments are inappropriate before they get out there–and also how they should handle any situations like this when they do happen!
• Diversity training allows employees who might not normally feel comfortable coming forward with their own personal stories to do so safely and openly without fear of negative consequences such as being fired from their job(s). This gives them confidence that no matter what problems arise within society or within organizations themselves–or even just within our own families–we’ll always have each other’s backs when it comes down time needing help dealing with those issues together as friends rather than enemies.”

Conclusion

The good news is that there are many different ways to incorporate diversity training into your workplace. The first step is to determine what the purpose of the training will be, and then choose an approach that fits with your goals for the program. You can do this by talking with employees about their experiences or needs related to diversity in the workplace, using role-play exercises as part of a classroom training session (and maybe even having employees volunteer their own stories), or simply encouraging managers or supervisors at all levels to work together on developing an action plan for how they want all employees working together towards greater diversity in their groups.