Welcome to the October 26, 2005 issue of The Total View

Published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Visit our Human Resources Blog and Perfect Labor Storm Blog where we can post daily (and more often) human resource updates, news, and Perfect Labor Storm facts. 

What's Inside:

1.  Diversity and Cultural Awareness

An organization's success rests heavily on how well it harnesses the array of skills and experiences of its employees while they remain a part of its workforce. How good is it at fostering teamwork? Does it bring together people of diverse backgrounds and styles in order to enhance creativity, solve problems more effectively, and discover new approaches to old issues? The organizations must do all these things if it wants to achieve its goals and hold on to its best and brightest workers.

Many researchers and industry experts believe that the organizations that excel at managing diversity have six characteristics in common - six competencies form the foundation of a successful team of people who take pride in together achieving greater levels of success.

These six competencies are:

1. Awareness. Organizations and their employees develop and awareness of the benefits that can flow from cultural diversity, and establish and maintain a climate of mutual trust.

2. Inclusion. Minority groups feel a part of and are included in the major decision-making processes of the organization. Their views and ideas are genuinely valued and seen to be important.

3. Tolerance and Understanding. Different beliefs, stated views, actions, and reactions are fully understood and are naturally tolerated and accepted as part of the rich overall "tapestry" of human behavior.

4. Empathy. Warmth, sincerity, and goodwill are extended to every individual and group without applying stereotypes, so that each person feels high levels of mutual empathy.

5. Adaptation and Change. Groups and the organization as a whole permanently adapt and change when bias or prejudice toward people who are different from the majority begin to hold back the organization or the work of individual employees.

6. Persistence and Commitment.   Individuals and the organization as a whole persist in their efforts in their efforts to recognize diversity and cultural awareness shortfalls; commit to increasing overall knowledge; and seek to reap the long-term benefits from people's differences, rather than insist on similarity.

(Source: Diversity and Cultural Awareness Profile, Jon Warner)

2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts # 464 to # 466

Don't miss day-to-day updates on Perfect Labor Storm. Save the Perfect Labor Storm blog to your favorites.

Fact #464:   About half the country's 400,000 electric-utility workers will be eligible to retire by 2010. (Source: Carnegie Mellon University)

Fact #465:  About 40 percent of the manufacturing work force is expected to retire by 2015. (Source: National Association of Manufacturers)

Fact #466:  Sicty-two percent of HR professionals reported difficulties hiring workers with the skills essential for a 21st century workforce. (Source: SHRM - 2005 Future of the U.S. Labor Pool)

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.

3. Diversity and Cultural Awareness Profile

The Diversity and Cultural Awareness Profile details these competencies in the sense that they are required attitudinal and behavioral changes if the organization is to harness all the skills and experiences of its members. This instrument looks at the measure of commitment to diversity and awareness of cultural differences as it exists from two perspectives - the individual view about their own commitment, and the commitment of the organization around them.

The DCA profile provides a detailed gap analysis in six diversity and cultural awareness categories. These are Predisposition and Climate, Levels of Inclusion and Assimilation, Levels of Tolerance and Understanding, Degree of Empathy, Organizational Adaptation and Persistence and Commitment.

Order Diversity and Cultural Awareness Profile

Also available online as self, multi-rater, and 360 degree assessments.

4. Diversity and Cultural Awareness SkillBuilder

SkillBuilder booklets provide a 12-page training snapshot that presents the competency in logical steps or stages that are easy to understand and learn. SkillBuilders provide the individual the ability to self pace learning and quickly move to on-the-job practice.

Order Diversity and Cultural Awareness SkillBuilder

5. Diversity and Cultural Awareness One-Page Coach Handouts

The One-Page Coach, a one-page 4-color storyboard handout, is a concise distillation of the steps and processes required to execute Diversity and Cultural Awareness, all on a single page. The reverse side of the handout provides an application job-aid that enables learners to outline specific actions to improve execution of the competency on the job.

Order Diversity and Cultural Awareness One-Page Coach Handouts

6. Manager's Pocket Guide to Diversity Management
by Dr. Edward E.Hubbard

This pocket guide will teach you the skills required to effectively manage a diverse workforce - not because it's the "right thing to do" or your organization requires it. But because it is good for business.

Order Manager's Pocket Guide to Diversity Management



Ira S. Wolfe. 2005 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

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