Dear Diversity Diva: Enough is enough. I work for a big company that likes to brag about its diversity efforts in an annual report. In flipping through it, I noticed that the company gave money to a group that supported the legalization of gay marriage, something completely against my religious beliefs. How is that fair? — Seeking Some Diverse Diversity
Dear Seeking: Your question strikes at the heart of what workplace diversity represents.
For some, it’s about preventing discrimination. For others, it’s about promoting a wide range of thought that comes from a wide range of backgrounds that makes for better business. What you are talking about is a whole lot trickier — diversity as a means to promote an agenda. And inherent in certain agendas is equally fierce opposition.
You didn’t mention it, but maybe your company was covering its bases by supporting gay marriage organizations because it had supported other groups that were at the other extreme of the issue. If so, would you still be upset? For example, if your company donated $500 to the Republicans and $500 to Democrats, would you think that was OK because its equitable or would you be upset that anything was given to the party you can’t stand?
While you always have the right to take offense at something that your company does, if it’s not illegal, it just remains a observation of how your organization’s values compares to your own. Of course, you can react in other ways if you are a shareholder in the company.
If the situation continues to bother you, I would suggest going to the person in charge of diversity at your organization and having this conversation.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Should people be approached directly about an issue involving race or ethnicity?
Dear Diversity Diva: Recently a fellow manager and I had a fierce debate. Some documents came into our office that were in Arabic and needed to be translated. The other manager said we should just go directly to the two employees with “Muslim names” and ask them if they would like the translation assignment. I said we should send out an e-mail to see if there were any volunteers to translate. What do you think? — Mulling over Muslim Matters
Dear Mulling: With rare exception, one shouldn’t assume that people ever want to be approached about their race or ethnicity in a work situation if they are not the ones bringing it up. Just because someone has a name of Arab descent, for example, doesn’t mean that they are Muslim or speak Arabic.
More significantly, even if they do speak or read Arabic, it does not necessarily mean that they would feel comfortable sharing that information with an employer. While some may look at speaking a language as a unique asset , an individual with that background may have experienced discomfort — or outright discrimination — because of ethnic background and want to downplay attention.
Your suggestion of sending out a department-wide e-mail would be my preference because it allows people to self-select on what they choose to share with their employers. Also, by allowing people to volunteer, you may give an opportunity to an employee who knows Arabic fluently and has been aching for a chance to use that skill at work.
Last but certainly not least, if you approach the Muslim or Arab employee and that person feels uncomfortable about the request, you can bet a box of staples that if that employee ever files a discrimination complaint on the basis of race, national origin or religion against your employer, that totally innocent request for help will be characterized in a far more sinister light.
Just send out the e-mail. At least one of the employees of Arab descent probably will volunteer, and it also would give you the opportunity to ask if that person would mind being asked again if the situation arises in the future.
Dear Mulling: With rare exception, one shouldn’t assume that people ever want to be approached about their race or ethnicity in a work situation if they are not the ones bringing it up. Just because someone has a name of Arab descent, for example, doesn’t mean that they are Muslim or speak Arabic.
More significantly, even if they do speak or read Arabic, it does not necessarily mean that they would feel comfortable sharing that information with an employer. While some may look at speaking a language as a unique asset , an individual with that background may have experienced discomfort — or outright discrimination — because of ethnic background and want to downplay attention.
Your suggestion of sending out a department-wide e-mail would be my preference because it allows people to self-select on what they choose to share with their employers. Also, by allowing people to volunteer, you may give an opportunity to an employee who knows Arabic fluently and has been aching for a chance to use that skill at work.
Last but certainly not least, if you approach the Muslim or Arab employee and that person feels uncomfortable about the request, you can bet a box of staples that if that employee ever files a discrimination complaint on the basis of race, national origin or religion against your employer, that totally innocent request for help will be characterized in a far more sinister light.
Just send out the e-mail. At least one of the employees of Arab descent probably will volunteer, and it also would give you the opportunity to ask if that person would mind being asked again if the situation arises in the future.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Is my boss picking on me for racial reasons?
Dear Diversity Diva: This may not seem like a diversity question, but I just don’t know. My boss is another race than I am, and she’s always sneaking up behind me, looking over my shoulder, to see what’s on my computer screen. In my gut, I think that this boss is picking on me for racial reasons even though I don’t have any problems with the other supervisors and haven’t really had any other problems at work. So am I just being paranoid? — Snippy About Snooping Bosses
Dear Snippy: You’re right to wonder if your issue is a diversity issue. Diversity, generally speaking, is about different perceptions and treatments and the role of differences among groups in the workplace.
Your case doesn’t seem to really be about diversity because you gave no indication about whether this was happening to anyone else.
It sounds like you’re asking a discrimination question disguised as a diversity issue. And this would be something you need to talk over with another supervisor or a human resources person.
Your gut feeling that your boss is “picking” on you because of your race might be entirely accurate and something that your friends and close colleagues might agree with you on when you talk about it on the sly. But it’s just as likely that your boss doesn’t care for you for any number of other reasons and it has nothing to do with race. But constant speculation isn’t going to make your days any easier, especially if this is the only real problem you have at work.
Either way, bosses have the right to see what their employees are up to when they are supposed to be working.
In a truly diverse world, some people who are different than you aren’t going to like you sometimes, and more times than not, there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.
In this case, since you suspect that your boss is creeping up behind you because she has some issue with you, regardless of what the issue is, your best bet is to make sure she only sees work when she looks at your computer screen.
Dear Snippy: You’re right to wonder if your issue is a diversity issue. Diversity, generally speaking, is about different perceptions and treatments and the role of differences among groups in the workplace.
Your case doesn’t seem to really be about diversity because you gave no indication about whether this was happening to anyone else.
It sounds like you’re asking a discrimination question disguised as a diversity issue. And this would be something you need to talk over with another supervisor or a human resources person.
Your gut feeling that your boss is “picking” on you because of your race might be entirely accurate and something that your friends and close colleagues might agree with you on when you talk about it on the sly. But it’s just as likely that your boss doesn’t care for you for any number of other reasons and it has nothing to do with race. But constant speculation isn’t going to make your days any easier, especially if this is the only real problem you have at work.
Either way, bosses have the right to see what their employees are up to when they are supposed to be working.
In a truly diverse world, some people who are different than you aren’t going to like you sometimes, and more times than not, there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.
In this case, since you suspect that your boss is creeping up behind you because she has some issue with you, regardless of what the issue is, your best bet is to make sure she only sees work when she looks at your computer screen.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
When majority member sits on minority panel
Dear Diversity Diva: I’m a white guy who sits on the diversity committee where I work. Maybe I’m just naive, but my company seems pretty diverse to me, so how do we know when we’ve achieved diversity? — Making Progress
Dear Making Progress: That’s a great question. And depending on whom you ask, you’ll get several different answers.
Ultimately, I think the answer anyone gives will be based on the view from their seat. For example, if you’re a member of a racial minority, you’re going to be painfully aware of how few members of minority racial groups, particularly your own, work with you. On the other hand, if you’re in the majority racial group for your workplace, then you may tend to view the minority employees that you do have as the sign of great strides toward diversity.
Additionally, diversity is about leadership. So, if all your leaders are monopolized by one group, even if the working core is “diverse,” that still may not be much of an achievement.
However, diversity isn’t just about numbers. If it were, then it would be an easy number to achieve — you would get a demographic breakdown of the community you live in and just make sure you had the proportionate number in your organization.
No, diversity also is about treatment of the different groups within an organization. That’s one of the reasons most diversity initiatives in recent years have been renamed “diversity and inclusion.”
While some write that off as just words and another stab at political correctness, words do mean something. Inclusion means that a company or organization aims to make sure the workplace doesn’t leave anyone out.
Therefore, I don’t think that diversity is ever something that an organization achieves. Rather, it’s a mandate to keep fairness and equity as an objective that is a continual process of progress and not just a single, final achievement.
Dear Making Progress: That’s a great question. And depending on whom you ask, you’ll get several different answers.
Ultimately, I think the answer anyone gives will be based on the view from their seat. For example, if you’re a member of a racial minority, you’re going to be painfully aware of how few members of minority racial groups, particularly your own, work with you. On the other hand, if you’re in the majority racial group for your workplace, then you may tend to view the minority employees that you do have as the sign of great strides toward diversity.
Additionally, diversity is about leadership. So, if all your leaders are monopolized by one group, even if the working core is “diverse,” that still may not be much of an achievement.
However, diversity isn’t just about numbers. If it were, then it would be an easy number to achieve — you would get a demographic breakdown of the community you live in and just make sure you had the proportionate number in your organization.
No, diversity also is about treatment of the different groups within an organization. That’s one of the reasons most diversity initiatives in recent years have been renamed “diversity and inclusion.”
While some write that off as just words and another stab at political correctness, words do mean something. Inclusion means that a company or organization aims to make sure the workplace doesn’t leave anyone out.
Therefore, I don’t think that diversity is ever something that an organization achieves. Rather, it’s a mandate to keep fairness and equity as an objective that is a continual process of progress and not just a single, final achievement.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Obama Presidency Means Workplace Diversity is Accomplished! NOT!
If you click on the link below you will see the column that I wrote to accompany a story on what President Obama means to the issue of diversity in the workplace.
I was unable to copy and paste the article as I usually do for this blog, but I thought I would use this opportunity to add to the millions of people who have applauded the win and inauguration of President Barack Obama.
While I am beyond thrilled as a black woman that President Obama is our leader, what I've been excited about (and occassionally dismayed by) is the rich, hearty dialogue that has taken place in this country about diversity, particularly race.
However, what has often gotten lost in the celebration and glorification of this country's election of an African-American president is that he is one man and one man with a tough job. He made history but he still has a job to do as this country faces challenges that many have not seen in their lifetime.
He's not the black President, he's the American President and his successes and missteps won't be an endorsement or an indictment of his race. Like most, (with the exception of Rush Limbaugh who openly champions the failure of our President), I'm just praying for President Obama to have the wind at his back for his every initiative that uplifts our country and takes it forward. Like Beyonce says in that commercial, I'm ready for an upgrade!
http://www.kansascity.com/770/story/989957.html
I was unable to copy and paste the article as I usually do for this blog, but I thought I would use this opportunity to add to the millions of people who have applauded the win and inauguration of President Barack Obama.
While I am beyond thrilled as a black woman that President Obama is our leader, what I've been excited about (and occassionally dismayed by) is the rich, hearty dialogue that has taken place in this country about diversity, particularly race.
However, what has often gotten lost in the celebration and glorification of this country's election of an African-American president is that he is one man and one man with a tough job. He made history but he still has a job to do as this country faces challenges that many have not seen in their lifetime.
He's not the black President, he's the American President and his successes and missteps won't be an endorsement or an indictment of his race. Like most, (with the exception of Rush Limbaugh who openly champions the failure of our President), I'm just praying for President Obama to have the wind at his back for his every initiative that uplifts our country and takes it forward. Like Beyonce says in that commercial, I'm ready for an upgrade!
http://www.kansascity.com/770/story/989957.html
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