What is diversity

Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. Understanding one another Diversity allows for the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. Recognising our differences Each individual in an organisation brings with them a diverse set of perspectives, work and life experiences, as well as religious and cultural differences.

Contact us to find out more Inclusion Appreciating our differences. Inclusion is a sense of belonging. Get in touch to see what GDP can do for your organisation. Better business performance Openness to diversity widens our access to the best talent. Our Story Founded in , GDP pioneered a new approach to business and management consultancy based on embedding principles of diversity and inclusion across organisations, impacting every business division and department.

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The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.

It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Diversity is a reality created by individuals and groups from a broad spectrum of demographic and philosophical differences. It is extremely important to support and protect diversity because by valuing individuals and groups free from prejudice and by fostering a climate where equity and mutual respect are intrinsic, we will create a success-oriented, cooperative, and caring community that draws intellectual strength and produces innovative solutions from the synergy of its people.

Diversity is a set of conscious practices that involve:. Diversity includes, therefore, knowing how to relate to those qualities and conditions that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet are present in other individuals and groups. Finally, we acknowledge that categories of difference are not always fixed but also can be fluid, we respect individual rights to self-identification, and we recognize that no one culture is intrinsically superior to another.

Diversity Training - Understanding how our differences may effect or influence our relationships at work peers, subordinate, boss, and customers - intentionally or unintentionally. Relationship Between Diversity and an Inclusive Work Place - The intent of looking at the diversity in your workplace and customer ranks is to create impact a more inclusive work environment for all employees and in the process attract more customers. Because when managers and leaders know how to draw out diverse perspectives, build on them, and be inclusive of all the perspectives available on their teams, they get better ideas, question assumptions, identify blindspots, develop new approaches, and create better solutions.

As a result, they see massive team innovation, performance, and growth. Inclusive organizations produce better leaders, as well. A diverse team is the best kind of challenge for a new manager, who will naturally have to learn a wide range of communication and motivation styles to be successful in their role. While it is crucial for any organization to develop a team that represents people of all ethnic backgrounds, focusing on just one characteristic can quickly begin to seem inauthentic.

In fact, it may further isolate members of that community, especially when that diversity is thought of only as a visible or superficial identifier. There are many examples of diversity and lack of in the workplace. Homogeneity can be in the eye of the beholder. People often fall into an unconscious habit of thinking of diversity in only one or two dimensions.

But depending on the situation, you can almost always find a way to increase the level of diversity on a team, on a decision, in planning, or in a conversation.

Diversity on a product development team. The more organizations are trying to serve and create value for a diverse set of customers and customer needs, the more they need multidimensional diversity in their teams. First documented in , groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when individuals avoid disagreeing with a group or expressing doubt.

The larger and more similar the group, the less likely individuals are to dissent. On one hand, individuals may feel such a strong group identification that it feels uncomfortable or threatening to disrupt the group consensus. Group norms and behaviors form and solidify quickly because they seem to share so much in common.

On the other hand, all of the individuals in the group might share such a similar set of experiences that they share the same blindspots and the same lack of awareness of their blindspots. Even groups with the best intentions can fall prey to groupthink. Irving Janis, the psychologist who first researched group decision-making, found that behavior such as bullying, rationalizing, and lapses in moral judgment were more likely under these circumstances.

Having a diverse team provides access to a wider range of skill sets and experiences and different ways of thinking, behaving and communicating. This facilitates the growth of new ideas and reduces groupthink. Changing the culture of a workplace is challenging but rewarding work.

However, there won't ever not be a demand for inclusive and diverse workplaces. Now is always a good time to start, but if previous efforts failed, the organization needs to take a different approach. Ensure diversity in your hiring practices by making sure that you are looking at talent from all backgrounds.

Don't needlessly apply barriers to entry in the hiring process, like advanced degrees, expensive certifications, or experience with certain firms. Restate your organization's commitment to inclusive hiring, regardless of background and disability, in the job description.

Make sure that when conducting interviews, you represent diversity among the panel of interviewers as well as in potential employees. Your employees are whole people, and they bring their entire selves to work everyday. There is no way to separate work you and home you. Leaders set the pace for their organizations in more ways than one. Inclusive leadership boards make better decisions, and are a powerful reminder to the rest of the company of the values the organization embodies.

Many people from under-represented backgrounds are concerned about their ability to progress in their career that ever-present glass ceiling , so seeing someone they can relate to in the C-suite reassures them that your organization is a place where they can thrive. Don't try to build diversity on your own. Be transparent about your efforts and ask your teams for help. One person can't see or fix everything by themselves. Consider implementing regular meetings and feedback devices where your team can report on what they see, what needs to be improved, and discuss in a neutral space any concerns they may have.

Be sure you follow up by acknowledging their concerns and implementing meaningful changes. There's possibly no faster way to lose the trust of your people than by putting out a statement that isn't reflected in their day-to-day experience.