Diversity in the workplace is a widely discussed topic in today’s workforce. Many companies focus on the notion of becoming more diverse or ‘fixing’ their lack of diversity, while not staying abreast of the challenges of managing diversity. There needs to be a focus on how to MANAGE diversity and not just focusing on how to ‘obtain’ a diverse workplace. Once a company so-called ‘achieves’ a more diverse workforce, what are they doing to manage it? Are companies addressing deep-level diversity issues? Addressing surface-level diversity such as race and gender can help companies reap some of the benefits of diversity, but until there is true understanding of people’s beliefs, values and attitudes it will be an uphill battle to have a workplace culture of diversity and inclusion. There is a connection between diversity and values which needs attention.

What have you learned about diversity in the workplace? Have you had any ‘ah-ha’ moments? Share them with us in the comments.