Hypothetical Training Situation
Chicken Mix International is facing a diversity problem due to its mixed branch employees. The company needs to train its managers and supervisors who interact with its employees in all its branches.
Diversity Training Program
- Introduction of Diversity in the Workplace (1 mins).
- Presentation: Various Issues on Employee Diversity (4 minutes).
- Ice Breaker Activity: How Does One Feel When Appreciated? (3 mins).
- Conclusion: Summary of Key Points (2 minutes).
Training Session
Introduction
Our organization is composed of different people in many ways, including their viewpoints and approach to various issues affecting the business. These diverse perspectives make it easy for the company to develop its team and innovate its processes quicker than if it lacked a differentiated employee workforce. Several factors can impact the dynamics and effectiveness of any group of employees, depending on their cohesion, nature of work, and organizational culture (Shuffler et al., 2018). Understanding how each employee or team responds to a given factor helps in knowing and appreciating the complex nature of groups and the business environment and how all the relevant elements can be integrated to provide the desired outcome. As supervisors and managers, you should know and use your skills crucial in understanding diversified teams by learning conflict management skills, accepting various lifestyles, acknowledging age differences, and fostering effective communication between teams.
Employee Behavior Dynamics
As managers and supervisors, you need to understand that the company workers observe and imitate each other as they form relations. You are dealing with adults who want to be considered knowledgeable and attentive to directives; hence they do not want conditions in which they are frequently subjected to ridicule. You need to understand that as you continue to supervise workers, they become acquainted with what they are supposed to do at any given time. Find ways of checking their limits to ensure their work remains checked at all times.
Understanding the Impact of Rewards and Punishment
While an employee can acquire traits through observation and imitation, teams can learn specific behaviors through rewards and punishments. According to Afota et al. (2019), external factors can be used to reinforce the desired outcome. You should understand that when a behavior is constantly rewarded, it may result in competition among workers, leading to better quality work. On the other hand, rewards can result in reservations among workers, especially if there is a notion regarding unfair treatment and prejudice in giving such tips. You also need to understand that retributing workers can achieve the desired alignment with organizational principles, but only when conducted appropriately. Excessive chastisement leads to adverse outcomes, such as reduced employee morale. Therefore, you must understand the limits in dealing with your teams.
What are Some Diversity Issues in Your Workplaces?
As leaders, you must teach your juniors to understand the need for mutual respect at work, which incorporates accepting individual differences to foster copacetic and productive efforts. The lack of care can lead to conflict among workers, especially in instances of racism, prejudice, and discrimination. You need to understand how to handle such cases without compromise and taking sides. Moreover, there are instances in which problems among diverse workers arise from gender differences and potentially sexual harassment. You must teach your juniors to appreciate that their peers are hired to work because they possess unmatched skills and continue to offer their best talents to succeed and get promotions or rewards. Employees who sexually harass their peers must be terminated immediately or severely warned to help maintain a professional environment within the workplace.
Foster Communication Among Teams and with Leadership
Supervisors should also understand the need for open and effective communication between teams and with the management. Employees with no prejudice do not experience delays due to failure in communication. However, the hiring department must ensure that all the workers can understand one language for official communication. Sometimes, the communication channel can be a significant hindrance to the passage of messages, especially between peers whose age differences are vast (Bucher & Bucher, 2010). Workers should understand the implication of age differences in the workplace and accept the decisions of the supervisors or managers.
Ice Breaker Activity: How Does One Feel When Appreciated?
- Give each trainee a dollar.
- Ask the participants to get acquainted with each other and try to share what they have.
- Ask the participants to tell each other something about the gift they have given or received.
Conclusion
In conclusion, leadership in the workforce plays a crucial role in realizing the objectives and mission of the company. Leaders in various capacities must understand their roles when dealing with a diverse workforce. Significant diversities occur due to age, gender, ethnicity, education, or disability. Supervisors must understand these differences and help teams work cohesively and respectfully to achieve the desired organizational outcome. The success of the company depends on how leaders work to address various issues resulting from differences among employees.
Theory Used and the importance of Diversity Training
The above training on diversity in the workplace has used social learning theory and adult learning theory. According to Shrivastava and Shrivastava (2017), social and adult learning are considered cognitive processes that occur in any social context and among adults. Such knowledge acquisition methods can result from observation or repeated directives, where there is no motor reproduction. These two learning theories are crucial for managers and supervisors because they inform the leaders that a team of workers can be accustomed to the repeated situation, thus becoming used to instructions. The training helps leaders to learn about the value of appreciation and care, which are crucial factors needed by employees. The participants are expected to transfer the knowledge gained and apply them in working with their juniors.
References
Afota, M. C., Ollier-Malaterre, A., & Vandenberghe, C. (2019). How supervisors set the tone for long hours: Vicarious learning, subordinates’ self-motives and the contagion of working hours. Human Resource Management Review, 29(4), 100673. Web.
Bucher, R. D., & Bucher, P. L. (2010). Diversity consciousness: Opening our minds to people, cultures, and opportunities. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
Shrivastava, S. R., & Shrivastava, P. S. (2017). Employing adult learning theories in designing a module. Research and Development in Medical Education, 6(2), 64-65. Web.
Shuffler, M. L., Diazgranados, D., Maynard, M. T., & Salas, E. (2018). Developing, sustaining, and maximizing team effectiveness: An integrative, dynamic perspective of team development interventions. Academy of Management Annals, 12(2), 688-724. Web.