Diversity in the Workplace: A Reflection About Organization

Introduction

It is hard to disagree that there are numerous components that define the success, efficiency, performance, and competitiveness of organizations. Skillful and competent leaders should be aware of such factors and understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion are among them. The modern world is a place where discrimination is being replaced by inclusion, and those firms that fail to actively support this positive trend may face numerous challenges when trying to win the market. When assessing my company, I determined that it lacks inclusion and diversity, cannot use its employees’ full potential and uniqueness, and has numerous other weaknesses. The purpose of this paper is to discuss my findings and provide several recommendations regarding embracing diversity.

My Organization’s Commitment to Diversity

I am an IT manager of a governmental organization, and one of my primary responsibilities is to manage information processes. Unfortunately, I cannot say that our organization is committed to diversity to a proper extent. For instance, there is no DE & I statement, and employees do not receive training aiming to emphasize the need for inclusion, which are integral components of diversity commitment (University of Michigan, n.d.). As for the mission statement, it is the following: to provide professional Customs services through effective utilization of modern technology, networking with stakeholders, and legislation that facilitates legitimate trade while protecting our borders. Researchers note that companies committed to inclusion and diversity promotion mention these components in their mission statements (University of Michigan, n.d.), which is not present in ours. What is more, while we do have employees of different races, ages, and genders, I notice that the organization’s leadership sometimes supports discrimination.

Assessing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The previous paragraph probably signifies the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our company. Almost all areas related to these valuable elements require significant improvements. For instance, what is good in our firm is that there are some representatives of different races and cultures, genders and sexual orientations, and both young and older workers. Nevertheless, many of these employees may sometimes face challenges due to their diversity, and the company does not want to put any effort into making these workers feel welcomed, included, accepted, and safe. While we do not have severe cases of harassment, the environment is not very positive either. Female and male staff members are not perceived and treated equally, some African Americans find themselves not included, and the organization’s leaders do not recognize any issues related to diversity and inclusion. Consequently, all these areas should be improved in order to make sure that any type of discrimination is not tolerated, workers are equal and evaluated only according to their competence, and everyone feels welcomed and safe.

Some Obvious Elements of My Identity

It is certain that some of my identity features are noticed by my colleagues and subordinates. First of all, I have a strong moral code that I am committed to, and I also expect others to have the same values. Thus, it is challenging for me to accept the fact that some individuals can tolerate incompetence or lie and the lack of discipline or responsibility. Furthermore, I feel that others see that I am dependable and always willing to share my knowledge with those who need it. In other words, when it is required to complete a task in a timely manner and efficiently, I am usually the ‘go to person.’ Additionally, my core sense of self remains intact despite changing circumstances. For instance, even when the workplace atmosphere changes and becomes more negative, I am able to hold to my inner positivity and calmness, which makes me a unique person.

How My Organization Utilizes My Uniqueness

Further, I would like to explain why I think that our organization fails to utilize my uniqueness to its full capability. As mentioned above, I am quite an experienced and dependable professional who is usually trusted with urgent tasks. However, as a female employee, I constantly face the need to prove or remind others that I am capable of achieving challenging objectives. It often happens that my male counterparts are considered to be more trustworthy, knowledgeable, or experienced in performing a certain task, and our company’s leadership can ignore the fact that I am much more qualified than them. When this happens, we as the firm sometimes face the negative consequences and have to address the objective again. This is the primary reason why I believe that my organization could utilize my uniqueness in a more effective way.

Fitting Into the Organizational Culture

There have been certain situations in which I felt that if I changed some of my identity aspects, I would fit into the organizational culture better. For example, whenever I am openly forceful, my colleagues and subordinates perceive it as being emotional and make me understand that this is not welcomed. I realize that the fact that they consider me extremely nervous or emotional makes me somewhat different and unfitting. Further, my confidence is often perceived as arrogance, which is quite overwhelming to me. I mentioned previously that I am a true expert and can professionally deal with difficult tasks, which is why I believe that my confidence is justified and deserved. At the same time, this is a reason for my colleagues to be wary of me because few people like arrogant ones. Of course, such attitudes sometimes infuriate me, but they are also a strong motivation for me to work harder and achieve more.

My Recommendations Regarding Embracing Diversity

Finally, as a manager and potential major leader, I can make several recommendations regarding embracing diversity. First of all, it is essential for companies to provide employee training devoted to the issues and necessity of inclusion and diversion (Forbes Coaches Council, 2019). Thanks to receiving more information, workers will want to embrace it and welcome their diverse colleagues. Second, leaders need to set the example and be the first ones to treat everyone with respect and equality, as well as spend quality time with their employees, notwithstanding the difference in their positions and backgrounds (Forbes Coaches Council, 2019). Third, I would also recommend developing compassion and empathy and including these two elements, as well as the components of diversity, equity, and inclusion, in the company’s mission statement (Smith, n.d.). Overall, there are some effective ways to eliminate workplace inequality and discrimination, and I hope they will work when I become a leader of my firm.

Conclusion

To draw a conclusion, one may say that welcomeness, inclusion, and diversity are indeed essential concepts that have to be considered by every business. Without them, employees may feel uncomfortable, unmotivated, unproductive, and not fitting into the company’s culture. There are numerous ways for an organization to demonstrate its commitment to diversity, but some of them fail to make the simplest steps, which is quite upsetting and disturbing. The care for employees should be the firm’s priority, which is why it is vital for leaders to set the example, treat everyone with respect, provide training, and include these critical elements into the organization’s mission statement.

References

Forbes Coaches Council. (2019). Embracing diversity: Seven approaches leaders can use. Forbes. Web.

Smith, J. (n.d.). Embrace diversity! (Wait, what does diversity mean?). Emmanuel College. Web.

University of Michigan. (n.d.). Assessing how committed an organization is to diversity, equity, inclusion. Web.