Today’s workplace is increasingly diverse. Differences in age, race, background, religion, culture, and gender brings many different viewpoints and ideas to the table.
While these changes are typically positive, diversity can be challenging for leaders to manage. You may have team members who are not be used to working with people who are different from themselves so they may not initially get along and work well together. Do be discouraged!

Listen to the spoken and implied complaints about discrimination and be open-minded. Do not write-off their complaints because you think they are being too sensitive. Also, if you see someone say or do something inappropriate, like making a sexist or racist joke, deal with it. Don’t wait for someone else to speak up or protest.

Many people believe that seeing someone as a “generic person” and not acknowledging their age/gender/race is the best thing to do. It is not! Acknowledging differences leads to inclusion and discovering the best way to work together. This not only applies to cultural or racial differences, but also differences in people who may look similar but have different ways of thinking. While these conversations can be awkward or uncomfortable initially, they will prove to be beneficial. As a leader, you need to start the conversation about diversity. Let people know in advance that this will be a topic for the meeting so they can feel informed and prepared. Some conversation starters can be:

• How can you learn from people who are different from you?
• Share a time that they felt diminished or discriminated against.
• Have you met people who have distinct names or talk differently than you do? How did you react when you first met them? How did they react to you?
• Why do people make predetermined judgments about others?

Later, you can focus on your customers and clients and how to better handle their diversity. By doing this, you will help create an environment of appreciation of differences and help your organization be more innovative, engaged and productive.