Understanding diversity issues in the workplace is an important element in the growth and advancement of the facilities leader. As the faces of the facilities department change, along with the rest of the U.S. workforce, to include more women, minorities, and people of various ages, inclusion of all employees will affect work relations, production outputs and team cohesiveness. There are several important steps to creating a diverse facilities department: education, leadership, and inclusion.
Culture “is the collective programming of individuals’ minds that determines how a group of individuals perceives reality” (Ruffino, 2000, p. 25). In essence, people create their own cultures based on what they value and how they perceive the world to be. “It is the lens through which we view and judge the world and other culture” (Fernandez, 1999, p. 76). This is not a conscious decision, and it is based on how the person was raised throughout childhood and the choices made as an adult. One expert (Schein, 1992) suggests that by understanding culture, a leader is better prepared to deal with the daily behaviors of all people. The deliberate attempt to learn about deeply rooted behaviors in employees will help to eliminate misunderstanding of the unfamiliar and begin to celebrate and embrace diversity.
An equally important aspect of culture is that the elements that create and define your personal culture are the same elements that make up an organizational culture. The organization (culture) agrees on what are acceptable behaviors and the rules from which all within the group will live and be judged. Behaviors, rules, and commonalties vary from organization to organization (culture to culture), with sometimes-limited understanding among the various organizational departments (culture groups). The basic elements that define a culture whether organizational or personal are values, heroes/heroines, myths, rituals, networks, and symbols.
Simple definitions:
- Values—an enduring belief that one way of acting or being is preferable to another.
- Heroes—individuals we admire or wish to emulate. They represent value for the individual group; heroes can be considered role models.
- Myth—a story that usually features a hero and expresses a value to the cultural group.
- Rituals—daily activities in which people partake, “the way things have always been done.”
- Networks—methods of communication, such as the grapevines which can transmit very quickly.
- Symbols—shortcuts that remind people of the cultural elements that bind them together. (Ruffino, 2000)
Organizations also feature culture systems based on values. Like other cultural groups, the organization does not define its culture; it is understood by members with the use of words, action, and attitudes to communicate expectations. The organizational culture can be further sub-divided to include cultures at the departmental level. Each department creates it own value system that should reinforce the corporate mission and vision.
Organizational Culture
Each organization has a cultural identity. It is similar to other cultural groups and is often unspoken, but implies a certain way of doing business (Deal and Kennedy, 2000). It is difficult for the employer in an initial interview of a prospective employee to recognize whether that person will fit into the organizational culture. However, for the success of that person within the organization, it is often imperative to adjust or adapt to the organizational culture. The challenge for all organizations, however, is how to address diversity issues. Changing existing viewpoints regarding diversity requires the deliberate questioning of fundamental values. It is difficult, however, to respect or adopt another point of view without devaluing one’s own. It is a challenge to examine other life experiences and admire them without questioning personal experiences as well. Gentile (1998) stated that “most of us want to see ourselves as (and, in actuality, to be) fair, open-minded, intellectually honest, self-aware and even empathetic” (p.12). Many people would describe themselves in this manner, but within personal relationships, businesses, governments, health care, and the world there continues to be a breakdown of perception and reality. Gentile (1998) continued that the basis for change is within individual behaviors, our cognitive strategies — not the thoughts and beliefs themselves but rather the way we put them together. “By changing our thinking habits (and consequently the conclusions we act upon), we can begin to have an impact on feelings and beliefs” (p. 12).
Therefore, if change is going to happen on a personal level or organizational level, it begins with the behaviors of individuals. Human beings are versatile creatures because they have conscious thoughts and can change and adapt accordingly. They can reason through logic and take other people’s feelings and situations into account prior to acting. Understanding cultural differences and then changing personal beliefs and actions will begin the process of allowing everyone to adhere to their respective cultural traditions while working together within the same organization. The challenge to the organization has been one of encouraging inclusion, understanding, and respecting cultural differences.
Gitman and McDaniel (2000) stated that “managing a diverse work group is more difficult than managing a homogeneous group, because each group brings its own ideas, habits, culture, and communication skills to the work environment”. The challenge becomes how to allow the variance among the group members to use their unique abilities, even though their abilities differ from the rest of the group, to create a strong organization.
Diversity Challenges in Facilities
In the facilities department, the efforts of inclusion often begin with the department leaders. People in the department look to those leaders for examples of how to work with those who are different from the majority. Leaders must conscientiously be aware of their words, actions, and non-verbal gestures, thus ensuring that their messages are positive to all employees.
Leaders must understand the implications of implementing the values of fairness and respect for all people. These values are obvious in a formal statement of policy in organizations throughout the world (Cox, 2001, p. 5). Therefore, it is essential to change organizations so as to embrace and celebrate the uniqueness of each employee. Organizations can then begin to use those unique talents to gain competitive advantage.
Creating Inclusion
Managing diversity is achieved by including all persons and excluding none. This pro-active approach provides a supportive work environment for all employees. From an organizational perspective, it encourages the best employees to work for the organization in addition to retaining competent, qualified individuals. Further, it motivates all employees to perform at their personal best, to ensure continued employment. Competitive advantage can be gained in problem solving, creativity, and bottom line efforts by encouraging work group diversity.
Education concerning the vast benefits of inclusion is imperative. All employees need to understand the dynamics of culture. This awareness is the first step in creating diverse organizations. However, the education must go beyond the simple explanation of the various components of a differing ethnic group. Facility leaders must have an active interest in embracing different cultures. A top-down approach to inclusion through positive role modeling and opportunities for all individuals are the beginning steps to corporate diversity. A mentor relationship should be established for employees, also. This provides the opportunity for employees to ask questions, learn organizational policy, and establish a connection to others within the work environment. Workers need to be able to use their unique talents and abilities to aid in bottom-line efforts of the organization. Only through the encouragement of top management will the inclusion and understanding process begin.
Recommendations for Implementation
Here are some recommendations for implementation:
- Education. Management must be trained, not only in diversity initiatives, but also in managing diversity and creating inclusive work environments. The training must be the first step prior to implementation of a diversity program.
- Buy-in. Management must “buy in” to a diverse work force before you can expect employees to embrace the concept. Total commitment is mandatory (Graham, 1997).
- Corporate culture. Each person has the choice to allow diversity to succeed or help it to fail. The decision must be made early on to help it succeed. The corporate culture follows the leaders (Ulrich, Zenger, and Smallwood, 1999).
- You’re in or you’re out. Once a facility takes ownership of diversity, it must set the standard that diversity of employees is the new normal. Employees must understand that lip service does not count for continued employment (Pfau, and Kay, 2002).
- Unique contributions. The work environment must reflect the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Covey, 1990). It is each employee’s uniqueness and skill set that pushes production and output, sameness does not do it.
- Leadership. People must be led, and motivated. Leadership includes inspiration, role modeling, and commitment to the right way of treating its human capital (Kouze and Posner, 2003).
- Commitment to all people. Facilities departments should treat their employees with the same respect they commit to others within the organization and the communities they serve.
References
Covey, S. R. (1990). “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.” New York: Fireside.
Cox, T., Jr. (2001). “Creating the Multicultural Organization.” San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Deal, T.E., & Kennedy, A.A. (2000). “Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life.” Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Publishing.
Fernandez, J.P. (1999). “Race, Gender & Rhetoric.” New York: McGraw-Hill.
Gentile, M. (1998). “Managerial Excellence Through Diversity: Text & Cases.” Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press.
Gitman & McDaniel. (2000). “The Future of Business.” Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Publishing.
Graham, L. (1997). “Progressive Diversity, Proversity.” New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Kouze & Posner. (2003). “The Leadership Challenge (3rd ed.)”. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Pfau, B.N., & Kay, I.R. (2002). “The Human Capital Edge: 21 People Management Practices Your Company Must Implement (or Avoid) to Maximize Shareholder Value.” New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ruffino, N. (2000). “Managing Diversity: People Skills for a Multicultural Workplace (3rd ed.).” Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Pearson Custom Publishing.
Schein, E. (1992). “Organizational Culture and Leadership (2nd ed.).” San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Ulrich, Zenger, and Smallwood. (1999). “Results-Based Leadership.” Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.
