Now, more than ever, consumers and workers alike are demanding specialized products and services to suit their individual needs. Companies are listening and responding to these demographic shifts. They are building workforce that mirror society, and they are discovering an array of benefits for both their employees and their customers. In organizations that value diversity, employees are more able to express creativity, contribute ideas and solutions, seek challenges and assume leadership, says Shirley Harrison, director of diversity management at Philip Morris, in Business Week. Different perspectives contribute to creative problem solving.
Productivity increases when employees perceive that they have full opportunity to achieve.
The impact of these startling demographics is already being felt in the workplace. Diverse groups bring different expectations in work styles, needs and values and managers must learn to make diversity an asset to improve working relationships and productivity. Much of the writing on diversity, especially in the workplace, offers generalizations about what to do or how to react in certain situations. For example, you re told, Try to be more sensitive to differences. But that is a far cry from knowing exactly what you may be saying or doing that offends others or is insensitive to their feelings and values.