(2-day and 3-day versions available)

Discrimination on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, or religion often violates the most basic precepts of ethics and morality, but increasingly it is obvious that organizations that practice arbitrary discrimination, whether knowingly or inadvertently, are also doing substantial damage to their own potential for success. Discrimination shrinks the talent pool accessed by organizations, impeding or preventing them from hiring, training and promoting people based on potential and performance.

This two- to three-day customizable programexamines both the ethical and the practical dimensions of discrimination versus diversity. It begins with an examination of research on how gender, race and cultural differences relate to performance on a variety of dimensions. It then considers cases in which greater inclusiveness has provided a key advantage with regard to improved organizational performance. Having made the “business case for diversity,” the program turns to how specific processes need to be harnessed in planning and implementing an integral diversity effort.

Through cases, exercises and discussions on fascinating research studies, participants will consider:

1) How to recruit and evaluate candidates for employment and promotion in ways that avoid both overt and hidden forms of discrimination;

2) How to take proactive measures to guarantee that the organization is not limiting itself to so-called “main-stream” options for getting good people;

3) How to create an environment that is truly comfortable for people from diverse groups and backgrounds, rather than one that merely give lip service to the diversity concept;

4) How to leverage the strengths of diverse backgrounds in finding creative solutions to all sorts of problems including the design and production of goods and services; and

5) How to legitimately employ accomplishments in the area of diversity to build the organization’s reputation and sense of community.

A variety of strategies for building diversity into organizational culture are considered and compared in terms of the practical outcomes achieved in each of these areas. Participants are guided to develop a plan for a strategic diversity initiative and emerge from the program better equipped to implement such a plan in their organizations.