Diversity

Everyone, if not most people, know and understand the term “Diversity” as it

relates to cultural or race. Diversity tells us how different we really are but there

must be an acceptance and an appreciation to who we are in order to build a

strong team and a productive facility.

• Being Diversified is not always easy because in some cases it goes against the grain of us.

• Most people don’t like to adapt to change or indifferences as it relates to other cultural differences.

• America is probably the most diversified nation in the World because of the Freedoms we offer.

Jimmy Carter

“We have become not a

melting pot but a

beautiful mosaic.

Different people, different

beliefs, different

yearnings, different

hopes, different dreams.”

(39th President of the United States)

Defining Diversity

• Diversity: It’s the understanding, the concept of acceptance, and

respect of the uniqueness, and differences of individuals.

• Based on the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexualorientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religiousbeliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.

• It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simpletolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions ofdiversity contained within each individual.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“I look to the day

When people

will not be

judged by the

color of their

skin, but by the

content of their

character.”

(Civil Rights Activist)

IMAGINE

• Imagine if you will, a “WORLD” where everybody looked alike,

there was only one type of house, one type of car, only one type

of people...etc.

• There would be no choices to make in any particular thing

because there would be only one look of everything of its kind.

Imagine... your wife and my wife would look alike, our children

would look alike, our clothes, houses, cars all would look alike

because there would be no distinction. What kind of world would

this be?

Reality Check• “THE REALITY” is everything is different in the world

we live in, every mountain is different, every ocean,

every lake, every river…..every animal of its kind,

every flower, and even every human being.

• Because we live in a “DIVERSIFIED” world it allows

us to have choices, to be satisfied and appreciate the

differences in this world in all things.

The World We Live In

Scientists believe that the

estimated number of bird

species alive today is

(between 9,000 to 10,000)

There are over 100,000 known

species of trees in the world.

The World We Live In

There are 1,017,018 species of

insects in the world with some

experts estimating that there just

might be as many as 10 million

species out there.

The World We Live In Galaxies within the

universe, on an average have between 100 billion and 1 trillion numbers of stars.

Our own Milky Way galaxy contains about 200 billion stars; and we're actually about an average number of stars.

The World We Live In• There are about 254 nations in the world, but there

are many, many more groups within nations thatmay be distinct because of language or othercultural reasons.

• In America alone there are 198 nationalities.

“We may have come over on different

boats but we are all in the same boat now”

What Does

All Of This Mean??

“DIVERSITY!”

There are two kinds of people when it comes

to “Diversity”

• Those who embrace diversity are people who are more God like or minded people.

• Those who do not embrace diversity are more prone to racism, prejudices or being bias toward others. 14

Those who embrace “Diversity”

• Sees value in all people regardless of race, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

• They respect and accept cultural differences.

• They are willing to develop within themselvesa new way of thinking from old thinking basedon old habits, perception and what has beentaught concerning stereotypes andprejudices.

MOHANDAS GANDHI

“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.”

(A Political and Spiritual Leader of India)

How to incorporate acceptance in a

“Diverse Workplace”

• First know who your cultural groups are within your facility and be open minded.

• Take “self initiative” to learn the different cultural groups within your facility.

• As a facility, create/acknowledge these cultural groups through events such as Black History Month, Octoberfest[German], Hispanic Month, Greekfest……….

• Encourage residents and family members to attend or participate in these events.

How to incorporate acceptance in a “Diverse

Workplace”

• We must recognize that diversity in the workplace is very importantfrom several perspectives.

• From a corporate view, a diverse personnel may contribute to a well-rounded company with limitless possibilities.

• From a personal view, embracing and understanding diversity in theworkplace may lead to breaking down barriers that can inhibitpersonal growth, continued development and an overall enjoyableand fulfilling work and life experience.

• It should NOT be taken for granted that your employees will simplyembrace their diverse work environment.

Managing Diverse Groups

• Managing diversity means acknowledging people's

differences and recognizing these differences as valuable

assets to your facility; it enhances good management

practices by preventing discrimination and promoting

inclusiveness.

• Good management alone will not necessarily help you work

effectively with a diverse workforce. It is often difficult to

see what part diversity plays in a specific area of

management.

Managing Diverse GroupsWhen managing “Diverse Groups” within your facility

seek positive effects of managing diversity:

• Recognize that diversity will bring a greater skill base whenmanaged properly.

• Improve the overall climate on the diversity of your stakeholders inorder to improve satisfaction, reduce conflicts, and improve teammember retention.

• Encourage creativity, flexibility, and innovation among the teammembers, which will allow the injection of new ideas and challengethe normal organizational mindsets.

End Result

Managing diversity provides greater

opportunities to form a more productive

team with better performance, and greater

strategic awareness, which enables them

to be more innovative and responsive

Consequences of Ignoring “Diversity”

Ignoring diversity issues costs time, money, and efficiency.Some of the consequences can include unhealthy tensionsbetween people of differing gender, race, ethnicity, age,abilities, etc.; loss of work productivity because ofincreased conflict; inability to attract and retain talentedpeople of all kinds; complaints and legal actions; andinability to retain women and other minorities, resulting inlost investments in recruitment and training.

All Of Us Must Seek To Understand

Than To Be Understood