Cultural competence and diversity initiatives in the workplace

Harping on diversity and inclusion in education, the workplace and the public sphere can seem like the same old story is being retold again and again. This is true, but its value never diminishes. We are still not inclusive enough. We are still slow to respect diversity. We all have a part to play in this.

Understanding people’s cultures and where they come from is paramount to accepting people without prejudice in the workplace. This is the definition of cultural competence. The more employers, managers and team leaders understand that their subordinates or team members’ perspectives are informed by their cultures, the easier it will be to give and take ideas that foster growth in the workplace.

Culture can be informed by where one comes from, one’s generational background, customs, ethnicity, nationality, religion and even one’s sexual orientation. Therefore, when attempting to understand the character behind the person, one must be open-minded enough to be sensitive towards ideals and perspectives that one might not usually agree with. 

For instance, if as a team leader you are atheist or agnostic, you should still be respectful of other people’s beliefs and faith enough to understand that your Muslim team member will need a quiet space and a few minutes for afternoon prayers. If you are unwilling to consider this as a necessary part of your co-worker’s life, then you are already creating a hostile environment where neither your co-worker or the company can succeed.

Training leaders in cultural competence

If you feel you are not a culturally-competent leader, fear not. It is something you can work on, and will develop with time. As a first step, acknowledge your own biases and ideals and try to step outside of those. Try to learn by actively engaging in conversations with your employees and colleagues about how they were raised, what their lives are like now, and what you can do to facilitate better understanding of their inclusivity struggles. While this may seem like you are being nosy, it is different in that you are prying into personal issues your colleagues feel uncomfortable talking about, but letting them know that you care enough that if they feel their personal values are being compromised, they can come to you to address it.

Certainly, you will make mistakes. Prepare to accept them, learn from them and do better next time. Seek to train yourself and also enable the conducting of workshops within the workplace that arm everyone in the office with the tools to be culturally competent. And do not be afraid to try new things such as promoting and supporting Pride Month initiatives within the workplace so that your team knows that you are a leader without judgement, no matter what your personal beliefs may be. But whatever you do, ensure that you do not make arbitrary decisions that will affect the work and life of your employees. In order to avoid problems, discuss your plans with other leaders and even teammates where possible and troubleshoot by listening to their own views and ideas. 

A good leader always listens.

Plan to be competent

Since these are sensitive areas in one’s work life, it is always best to check online and with others in a similar capacity and even professionals such as industrial therapists about what the data and research show. Qualitative and quantitative data will make your decisions more valid rather than the haphazard and doing something for the sake of it. Employee feedback is a great way to obtain some qualitative data on this, and it can remain anonymous. An example of this would be asking employees to anonymously rate you on the inclusive language you use and if they feel the inclusivity workshops you facilitate are useful or just a means of antagonising them further. Based on these, you can change your own behaviour and also urge others in your office to think about what has been said.

Overall, seek for professional development that is culturally relevant across the board. To do this, invest in global citizenship training, listen to foreign work mates’ views, and even celebrate their cultural festivals. In the first example, if your company does a great deal of business with Hong Kong, ask a colleague who has lived and worked in Hong Kong to conduct a training session on the customs and characteristics of the people of Hong Kong. 

Mostly, keep your ear to the ground. This is not prying, but being aware enough to know when people are unhappy with workplace culture and how they are treated. Also remain up-to-date on diversity matters in the global workplace and the way in which people change the way they work. For instance, millennials work differently to Gen Zs, while Gen Zs are quite different to Gen Alpha. The latter can be more open to flexibility in terms of how work is carried out, while millennials might be more prone to follow the methods that have been tried-and-tested.

Making a difference

The culturally-competent leader will learn to embrace new cultural experiences and expand diversity in the workplace. Different experiences and backgrounds bring different benefits to the table. Needless to say, employees who feel that they are valued, respected and heard will work more productively and inspire others to do so as well. 

However, all this is not to say that things will easily fall into place. There will be clashes in ideas, opinions and backgrounds, but as a leader it will be your job to resolve these quickly and sensitively. Invest in a trained counsellor who can be brought in to actively listen and help to iron out problems that may crop up. 

Finally, celebrate each of your employees. Have everyone under your leadership celebrate birthdays, achievements, and career milestones. Foster an environment of positivity through example. As they say, leading by example always matters.