ALT-1 What does Diversity Training really Accomplish
Diversity training makes many people uncomfortable. Everyone wants to believe they are fair-minded, diversity training usually shows there is room for improvement. So why do so many organizations require diversity training, and in some cases, have departments dedicated to diversity? Money, it all boils down to the green stuff, both for the company, and for you, but there are other benefits as well.
There is an altruistic benefit from diversity training, but if that were the only benefit, most companies would pass on this training. No, the Fortune 500 has discovered that diversity plays a major role in the bottom line, and that is why this is the new wave of corporate thinking.
As a former member of the Diversity council in a company in the top Ten Fortune companies, I think my perspective is rather acute.
As long as your company has two or more employees, you have diversity in the workplace. Making that diversity profitable is the key to a company's success. This is the main difference between the "equal opportunity" initiative and diversity action. Equal opportunity gets you in the door; diversity training makes you more productive (profitable) once you are there.
How can training in diversity make you more productive? Simple, it enhances your networking skills; it allows you to collaborate at optimum power. We have all seen the silos that permeate a corporate structure. The marketing guys stick together, accounting never leaves their cubicles, and we have not even got into the race cards yet. Diversity training takes down the silos, and invites interchange of ideas.
Does the fact that diversity training enhances the company's profitability make it a bad thing? Absolutely not! Just as the "greening" of corporate America can improve the financial as well as ecological aspects of an organization, diversity improved several components of a company.
Diversity is a characteristic of every company, be it a profit or non-profit organization. Understanding your own viewpoint on diversity is the first step toward harnessing this characteristic, and using it to the company's and ultimately your own benefit.
