Question

Research diversity expert Martin Davidson, author of “The End of Diversity as We Know It: Why Diversity Efforts Fail and How Leveraging Difference Can Succeed”. What is his direction for “how you adopt a leveraging difference mind-set? (There are three actions that can be instrumental in helping leaders transform how they approach difference!) Name them and tell us how you as a team leader might facilitate the process?

Answer 1

The direction for adopting a leveraging difference mind-set is to drive results and outcomes in positive manner by enabling the diverse team members to perform and become important part of the team. Leveraging the differences is practical orientation for achieving company goals with diversity as a company policy and not considering diversity as just an HR initiative or company obligation. The business should be able to leverage the differences by managing them, reducing conflicts and promoting long term growth.

The three actions that can be instrumental in helping leaders transform how they approach difference are following : -

1. See the differences and identifying them.

2. Understand the differences by learning

3. Using those difference to create results by engaging with them.

As a team leader I will facilitate the process by understanding the differences between the diverse group members in terms of their interests and abilities. This will help to identify their skills, aptitudes and behaviour which is important to know for communicating with them, assigning roles and responsibilities, and resolving conflicts due to differences. Each team member should know their tasks and duties with confidence and commitment for fulfilling them. They should be able to communicate and coordinate with other team members and compete for better performance and growth opportunities.