Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity is the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc. Diversity and inclusion go hand in hand in practice. You cannot have diversity without the inclusion of differences. These differences in background and experience come with diverse perspectives, skills, and personalities- essentially, all you need to make a well- rounded and quality team. Effective communication skills are a necessity for working with diverse teams, and empathy goes a long way in understanding.
Diversity & Inclusion in Leadership
Today’s workforce highly values diversity, with many actively looking for diversity in the workplace, meaning that diversity should also be a primary concern for organizations looking to attract the best and brightest employees. Similarly, leaders should always be looking for diverse skills, backgrounds, perspectives, and personalities to include in their teams and organizations. Particularly on innovative and product development teams, these varied perspectives make the difference between good and great outcomes. It should also be important to leaders that their company fulfills their ethical requirement to the communities they serve by giving equal opportunities to all prospective candidates. Diversity and inclusion practices and policies are smart business decisions and a moral responsibility of organizations.
Artifact
One of the first final projects that I completed in my courses at ASU was for OGL 200, Introduction to Organizational Leadership. The assignment tasked us with sharing and presenting one of the most valuable lessons we learned during the course. For my final project, I chose to highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion in organizations. While I recognize that the audio quality on my recording was not the best, this was my first time presenting and recording a presentation for one of my courses. I am proud of the quality of the message I wanted to share, which was that diversity has greatly impacted my organization and career development.
Diversity is the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc. Diversity and inclusion go hand in hand in practice. You cannot have diversity without the inclusion of differences. These differences in background and experience come with diverse perspectives, skills, and personalities- essentially, all you need to make a well- rounded and quality team. Effective communication skills are a necessity for working with diverse teams, and empathy goes a long way in understanding.
Diversity & Inclusion in Leadership
Today’s workforce highly values diversity, with many actively looking for diversity in the workplace, meaning that diversity should also be a primary concern for organizations looking to attract the best and brightest employees. Similarly, leaders should always be looking for diverse skills, backgrounds, perspectives, and personalities to include in their teams and organizations. Particularly on innovative and product development teams, these varied perspectives make the difference between good and great outcomes. It should also be important to leaders that their company fulfills their ethical requirement to the communities they serve by giving equal opportunities to all prospective candidates. Diversity and inclusion practices and policies are smart business decisions and a moral responsibility of organizations.
Artifact
One of the first final projects that I completed in my courses at ASU was for OGL 200, Introduction to Organizational Leadership. The assignment tasked us with sharing and presenting one of the most valuable lessons we learned during the course. For my final project, I chose to highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion in organizations. While I recognize that the audio quality on my recording was not the best, this was my first time presenting and recording a presentation for one of my courses. I am proud of the quality of the message I wanted to share, which was that diversity has greatly impacted my organization and career development.
Reflection
Diversity & Inclusion and Organizational Leadership
It is no surprise that diversity and inclusion are being given a spotlight in today's business markets. The United States is a remarkably diverse country. People want to see themselves represented in the products that they buy and the organizations that they support. Organizational leadership requires that leaders adopt the best and most effective business practices while maintaining moral integrity and ethical responsibility. Excluding anyone based on their race, gender, age, religion, or any other differences is not only unjust, but it also limits business potential. Organizational Leadership majors are responsible for understanding and emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion practices within their organizations.
Personal Growth & Development
Studying diversity in organizations was important to my development as a leader because it emphasized empathy, understanding, and communication skills. These skills are useful in any interpersonal setting, but they are particularly important when working in diverse groups. As a cisgender white female, I have enjoyed a certain amount of privilege in my life that others have not. Understanding that diverse backgrounds and experiences can create misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication is important when managing teams- it also creates opportunities for growth, new outlooks, and empathy. I am grateful for the insights I gained from several courses in my Organizational Leadership program.
Diversity & Inclusion and Organizational Leadership
It is no surprise that diversity and inclusion are being given a spotlight in today's business markets. The United States is a remarkably diverse country. People want to see themselves represented in the products that they buy and the organizations that they support. Organizational leadership requires that leaders adopt the best and most effective business practices while maintaining moral integrity and ethical responsibility. Excluding anyone based on their race, gender, age, religion, or any other differences is not only unjust, but it also limits business potential. Organizational Leadership majors are responsible for understanding and emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion practices within their organizations.
Personal Growth & Development
Studying diversity in organizations was important to my development as a leader because it emphasized empathy, understanding, and communication skills. These skills are useful in any interpersonal setting, but they are particularly important when working in diverse groups. As a cisgender white female, I have enjoyed a certain amount of privilege in my life that others have not. Understanding that diverse backgrounds and experiences can create misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication is important when managing teams- it also creates opportunities for growth, new outlooks, and empathy. I am grateful for the insights I gained from several courses in my Organizational Leadership program.
