TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT DIVERSITY
Society is more complex than it used to be, which has allowed us to enjoy new and exciting experiences. The bad news is that change and complexity have become a never-ending phenomenon. We therefore have to face and handle changing conditions, which includes dealing with constantly moving business targets.
Businesses that recognise these facts are benefiting from change, both external and inside their organisations, as they adapt to new conditions. Change is also the major source of new product and service development. Any company that can move with the times will never be left out. I see a number of organisations worthy of praise as good examples, such as Apple, Japan Airlines, Renault, Thailand Post and Uniqlo, to name a few.
Diversity is surely one of the issues that challenge top executives who want to manage successfully in this new world. It can be referred as differences among people who work and share the same environment, which includes the organisation’s vision, objectives, targets and culture. Since a corporation cannot and should not discriminate when it recruits capable people to join its workforce, top executives have to ensure that everyone is treated properly.
It is obvious nowadays that organisations are facing diversity issues such as the generation gap, nationality, religion and/or spiritual belief and gender diversity. They are being compelled to adapt as society becomes more complex, driven by ubiquitous information sharing, migration of global populations, technological development, mixed marriages and so on.
A number of Thai corporations that run operations abroad — Banpu, Siam Cement and CP Group, to name a few — are familiar with diversity, not to mention many multinational corporations that operate in Thailand. Thailand’s large canned-fish industry, which depends greatly on a workforce from neighbouring countries, is another example.
While these companies have been running successfully, which suggests that they are also managing diversity well, it is not an easy thing to do. Any CEO who wants to ensure and profit from diversity needs to carefully consider the following four basic ingredients:
Clear diversity policy. The CEO and top executives should be aware first that they cannot just ignore diversity and leave it to operational personnel to handle, as in the past. They have to clearly address their positions by means of clear policy on various diversity issues. In doing so, everyone in the organisation, including board directors, will have the same clear direction.
Culture is critical. Not all top managers perceive that “soft” issues are more important than hard issues such as financial performance. Human beings are good at observing and adapting if they have to. That is why the culture in the organisation is critical when it comes to promoting diversity.
Culture is the way people do things in a particular environment. The same people may act differently at home, in their own families or among their own countrymen, than in workplaces where they interface and carefully manage relationships with others who may be different from them. They may need guidance to help them adapt.
Generally speaking, culture evolves based on people’s beliefs or core values, which top executives can influence and manage effectively to build diversity. Nobody will accept situations or people that deviate from their own norms. Emphasising an ideal culture and core values regularly is something a CEO and top executives have to focus on, so that they can trust their team members to manage assignments according to the same attitudes and on the same wavelength.
Behaving as a role model. Even when the rules, cultures and core values are clear and visible, and the direction of the company in the form of its mission and vision is inspiring, an organisation can fail unless the very top people behave as role models. They have to practise what they preach.
We know how some children will behave when they grow up when their parents always behave unreasonably. We can predict what will happen with the company if top executives always have their eyes glued to their smartphone screens during a meeting. Action speaks louder than words.
Respecting differences. Respect means honouring the others’ beliefs and different personal characteristics. None of us is born alike. That is the beauty of life. Hence, we should not expect others to be like us. Respecting differences allows us to live and work harmoniously, peacefully and productively. Nowadays we can see how conflict in the workplace can arise from basic factors such as gender difference or the generation gap. If only we respect others the way they are, there will not be an issue in the first place.
In order to successfully handle diversity issues, the CEO must review the above four issues with the head of human resources. He or she also needs to communicate with top management the importance and necessity of the subject. Besides harmony and happiness in the organisation, the practice of etiquette, both business and social, will be encouraged, which can help teamwork in the long term.