Free Report on Fostering Diversity and Inclusion: Personal and Professional Insights

Part 1: Personal Reflections Section

I first began regarding my personal understanding of diversity and inclusion at school. Diversity entails any element that can be used by individuals and organizations to differentiate people and groups from one another (Jayakrishnan, 2020). In other words, diversity and inclusion involve empowering people by supporting what makes them different and respecting them regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, education, sexual orientation, disability, and religion. With that said, my school lacks diversity and inclusion.

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Even though racial discrimination has gradually reduced in the 21st century, a lack of inclusion and diversity is still prevalent in my school. Teachers have developed certain stereotypes about individual races, making it challenging for students to feel included. For instance, I experienced racial stereotypes when one of my teachers was surprised to find out I was a smart Latina student. Teachers at this school always associate students from some ethnicities to be smarter than other students from other backgrounds. In today's schools, these stereotypes are prevalent not only to Latina students but also to other minority races. Americans are extremely stereotypical of different races, and this applies to my school too.

As a result of these experiences, I gained an insight into diversity and inclusion and, in turn, enhanced my personal growth and understanding. For instance, I realized that most teachers believe that Indians are smart and expect them to perform well in school. Some teachers perceive Mexicans to be uneducated. They also view African Americans as athletic but dump in class. All these are stereotypes that should be eradicated from schools because they prevent progress.

According to Bucher (2015), some schools unknowingly operate in the process and are based on one cultural model. As a result, some students feel excluded, alienated, and isolated. This is similar to what I experienced when my teacher was more biased towards white students. Dike (2013) urges that students' engagement, retention, and achievement are likely to suffer due to a lack of inclusion and diversity. After I graduate, I will pursue a career as a teacher to ensure there is diversity in schools. With my experience involving diversity and inclusion, I believe my classroom influence will be crucial and perfect. Furthermore, I understand that every school, public institution, and business in the country should preach diversity as its primary goal. Hence, schools should have diversity officers, diversity training, and value diversity and "inclusion" over everything else.

To this end, I gained a clear understanding of the transformational and teleological relevance of conversations around diversity and inclusion in the following ways. First, I understood that diversity and inclusion consciousness are among the most critical aspects of a person's life. According to Bucher (2015), it helps modify people's behaviors and think inclusively. It helps people become more aware of others and what messages they are communicating about diversity. My personal experience is a perfect representation of diversity consciousness. My perception of personal growth and understanding is a product of diversity consciousness. Secondly, I learned that diversity consciousness helps empower a person and others. Diversity and inclusion provide people with skills that enable them to capitalize on their potential and help others realize their potential (Hays-Thomas, Bowen & Boudreaux, 2012).

Moreover, I understood that conversations around diversity and inclusion change the way people view differences. It makes people aware and understands the need to embrace integration and value differences. Mary can see things in other people who appear different. For instance, by talking about diversity, other students can understand what it feels like to be excluded or isolated based on ethnic background or religion. Additionally, I gained an understanding that conversations around diversity and inclusion prepare people for the future. By experiencing what it feels to be discriminated against, individuals can be prepared for the uncertain future. Therefore, if people continue to embrace diversity and inclusion consciousness, they are more likely to accept what sets them apart and work together to create a better tomorrow. Individuals need to be more involved in activities that connect them to the worlds of other people.

Part 2: Professional Reflections Section

I began regarding my professional understanding of diversity and inclusion during my internship. During the internship, I realized that most people are biased because of their past experiences. They tend to believe that these stereotypes keep them safe in the workplace. At that time, my manager thought Blacks were too lazy to work and hired less of them. However, being biased is not the right thing to do, especially when an individual understands what other people are going through and their personal experiences. The manager is wrong not to hire Blacks based on the stereotype that they are generally lazy. In my understanding, the manager made a great mistake when he decided to be biased and judge who to hire based on race and social class. Managers can avoid these problems by investing in diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The most important lesson in my professional growth and understanding is that diversity and inclusion can be enhanced in the workplace through diversity consciousness. According to Patrick and Kumar (2012), diversity consciousness provides people with the understanding and awareness they need to embrace differences. Knowledge of diversity provides managers with an opportunity to acknowledge, respect, and accept other people the way they are regardless of their ethnic backgrounds and other misconceptions. With this information, managers can establish a work-friendly environment that supports all people's views and ideas to enhance efficiency and productivity. Diversity and inclusion consciousness is vital because bias might lead one to make bad decisions and act without having enough facts. As a result, they can assume things are right that may not be true or out of emotion rather than allowing rationality to influence how they act.

To this end, I would integrate my professional insights into a larger organization in the following ways. First, I will ensure the organization's leaders are educated on diversity and inclusion. Leaders need to understand the importance of diversity in an organization. In that way, they can implement strategies to foster diversity and inclusion within the organization. Secondly, I would form an inclusion committee within the organization. The committee will act as a communication link between the employees and top management executives. The team will advocate for diversity and inclusion in meetings with top-level managers when required. The team will also engage in setting organizational goals concerning creating a diverse workforce, recruitment, and retaining existing employees. Lastly, the committee will be tasked with solving any workers’ engagement problems among the various diverse groups.

Moreover, I will operationalize my professional insights into my teams by establishing a sense of belonging for all employees. For employees to perform to their full potential, a sense of belonging must be first established (Dahlin, Weingart & Hinds, 2006). Having a connection with employees or team members makes them feel valued. As a result, they are more likely to demonstrate greater engagement and creativity in the workplace. This will not only increase productivity but will also enhance workplace efficiency. Lastly, I will integrate my professional insights into an organization by establishing hiring goals to boost diversity numbers. Even if this strategy does not automatically create an inclusive culture, it will allow the organization to retain and nurture top talent. Ultimately, the organization will have conditions that promote inclusion in the workplace.

Successful efforts to strengthen and advance diversity and inclusion can be beneficial to an organization. Numerous studies indicate that organizations with a diverse workforce tend to be more profitable than homogenous companies (Leadley, 2015). Diversity and inclusion within an organization increase employee creativity since diversity encourages diverse perspectives and opinions. Hence, these organizations are more likely to be financially successful. Also, diversity and inclusion promote global-level competition. As a result, diverse populations provide organizations with different views to compete on a global stage.

On the other hand, unsuccessful efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within an organization can have some disadvantages. The reason is that an organization that employs a diverse workforce must establish a culture that promotes inclusiveness and respect to avoid tension among the workers. Additionally, diversity and inclusion in an organization will likely result in challenges concerning creating a diverse work environment (Anita & Swamy, 2018). The reason is that the old culture and entrenched prejudices may hinder the company's efforts of inclusiveness. Therefore, unsuccessful efforts may create conflict and tension.

References

Anita, R., & Swamy, V. K. (2018). Diversity Management at Workplace: Aspects, Challenges, and Strategies. International Journal of Engineering Technology Science and Research, 5(1), 306-316. http://www.ijetsr.com/images/short_pdf/1516207839_306-316-SJ10.pdf

Bucher, R. D. (2015). Diversity Consciousness Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and Opportunities (Fourth Edition ed., Vol. 1). New York: Pearson Education.

Dahlin, K., Weingart, L., & Hinds, P. (2006). Maximizing Productivity in Diverse Teams. HBR Store. https://store.hbr.org/product/maximizing-productivity-in-diverse-teams/ROT023.

Dike, P. (2013). The impact of workplace diversity on organisations. Core.ac.uk. Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/38093915.pdf.

Hays-Thomas, R., Bowen, A., & Boudreaux, M. (2012). Skills for diversity and inclusion in organizations: A review and preliminary investigation. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 15(2), 128–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/10887156.2012.676861

Jayakrishnan, S. (2020). Diversity and inclusion. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338829272_Diversity_and_Inclusion.

Leadley, S. (2015). Reflections on diversity and organizational development. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 54(4), 6. https://journals.ala.org/index.php/rusq/article/view/5702/7145

Patrick, H. A., & Kumar, V. R. (2012). Managing workplace diversity: Issues and challenges. Sage Open, 2(2), 2158244012444615. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244012444615