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Diversity Success
Strategies
By Keji Giwa
Keji Giwa, is an
internationally recognised expert in career and personal
success. Through his life changing 'How To Get The Career
You Want' eWorkshop, thousands ...
In today’s fast growing and global economy, businesses risk
falling behind as leaders in their key sectors if they
continue to be reactive and not proactive in relation to
diversity and equality.
By 2010, 50% of the UK workforce in urban areas will come
from diverse backgrounds. With the word ‘Global’ following
the word ‘Economy’ in almost every business case, diversity
a key government initiative companies cannot afford anymore.
The following are constantly a reminder of why diversity is
key to the success of every business in the UK today:
1. Age discrimination
2. Bullying and harassment
3. Disability
4. Equal pay
5. Ex-offenders
6. Race discrimination
7. Religious discrimination
8. Sex discrimination
9. Sexual orientation
Here at Diversity Success, we focus on developing and
equipping people from diverse backgrounds with the soft
skills required to help employers gain a competitive edge in
today’s global economy while helping employers understand
the following:
1. Diversity and the business background 2. Understanding
diversity and its effects on employers 3. The impact of
diversity on business performance 4. The consequences of
failing to manage workforce diversity 5. Key factors that
influence the effects of diversity 6. Diversity and the
business case 7. Understanding and implementing diversity
measures 8. Successfully measuring the impact of diversity
to make progress. 9. And using diversity to gain a
competitive edge over competitors.
For example, Halifax Building Society increased profits by
£130,000 at six branches trialling an older workforce and
Nationwide Building Society saved £7million in staff
turnover costs by widening the recruitment age.
I met up with Celia Oke, one of UK’s leading Diversity &
Equality consultants for the Job Centre Plus and after hours
of sharing ideas and opinions, we came up with a number of
critical points to implementing a successful diversity and
equality strategy.
It is not ground breaking news that we are in the people
business and people buy into people before they buy from
them. Global diversity has come of age and in today's
constantly changing business environment, a multicultural
Britain with different cultural values, beliefs and
standards, if you are not recruiting the right people, i.e.
people who understand your customers, then you are not ready
to succeed in a global and diversified business economy.
In order to increase sales, improve customer loyalty and
satisfaction then employers must be proactive in adapting a
workforce that spans across time, space, cultures, and
geographies.
This means that managing global diversity effectively is
imperative for businesses that want to be faster, better,
and more cost effective in the chaotic and complex global
marketplace.
During my informal chat with Celia Oke, I finally came up to
the following 7 conclusions for a successful diversity
success strategy:
1. Where the head directs, the body follows: Global Business
thinkers recognise that implementing a diversity success
strategy is a business and social opportunity to increase
productivity and growth. As a result, it should be high on
the priority list when business leaders are determining the
financial success and growth of the business. If the head
does not direct the body, the body can do nothing. Business
leaders must therefore invest the time and money needed to
develop, implement, monitor, and review a diversity strategy
that will have a positive impact on business, employees,
suppliers, customers, products, and services.
2. Birds of the same feather flock together: In order to win
and retain more customers who are constantly from diverse
backgrounds, then you need to see, speak, hear and
understand their language and way of life. To do this you
need a diversified team – A global team that can speak the
language and understand the way of life of your customers.
Their key role must be to identify, define, design, and
launch a successful global diversity initiative for your
organisation. Include participants who represent diverse
regions, countries, cultures, and languages already existing
in your community. Let every implemented initiative be
focused on creating a workforce that reflects the economy.
3. Assumption can be the mother of all failures: Knowing
your current workforce culture and its effects on previous,
current and future customers is key to identifying key
diversity issues; globally, regionally, and by country. If
your employees cannot engage your customers at all levels,
then your competitors could be winning over your customers.
Identify the barriers in the environment that prevent people
engaging your employees and vice versa. You can do this by
working with locals to find out what differences make a
difference in their country or region and learning how those
differences help or hinder people from performing to peak
potential.
4. Communicate don’t tell A well thought out communication
plan must involve learning how to listen to the needs and
requirements of employees and customers alike. Consider the
responses and not the reactions of local communities by
understanding local preferences. This ensures the support of
a global diversity initiative. Make sure you understand the
business objectives of Senior leaders and be ready to
present how a diversity led initiative can help meet their
business goals.
5. If you are doing it – Front it Creating awareness for
your diversity led initiatives among employees and
communities will secure the success and growth of not only
the initiative but also the business. You can do this by
educating the workforce to increase awareness and build the
skills needed to lead, manage, and team effectively in a
globally diverse organization.
6. Accountability can secure proactively Where people are
held accountable, an answer is always expected for every
action. If it can be measured, dated and recorded, it can be
analysed, assessed and improved. Evidently companies succeed
by making their employees and departments accountable. A
diversity led initiative should be no different if you are
to sustain a successful campaign.
7. Reflect! Reflect!! Reflect!!! If you have an end date in
mind, then you might as well mark that date as a drop in
profitability and sales. Globalisation is here today. It’s
always been here and it’s not going to go away. To remain in
it is to effectively and continually manage your Diversity
led initiatives. It is a continual process that is integral
to the success and future of the business. An open ended
project not a closed one. Always work in terms of outcomes
and communicate these outcomes to Senior leaders,
departments and the communities involved. Remember, your
mission is to sustain the loyalty and satisfaction of your
customers. You can only do this by communicating feedbacks
to all parties involved.
By Keji Giwa
http://www.diversitysuccess.co.uk
Other readings:
Managing Diversity for Success
By: Elizabeth K. McArthur
By Doug Harris, Managing Director and Leader,
The Kaleidoscope Group, LLC
ProGroup's 10 Critical Success Factors for Global Diversity
Success
DIVERSITY SUCCESS STRATEGIES
By Norma Carr-Ruffino, Ph.D, Professor of Management at San
Francisco State University since 1973
By Keji Giwa
http://www.diversitysuccess.co.uk
Article Source:
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Keji Giwa - EzineArticles Expert Author |
