Successful Management Of Diverse Workforce

Successful management in a diverse workplace can be challenging today. Supervisors must use their skills to deal effectively with some of these challenges. A good way to begin managing in a diverse workplace is to be aware of situations, problems, and issues as they arise. If you want to be a successful manager in a diverse workplace, there are many things to consider, for instance: good communication, strong leadership, and training and development. In this paper, each of these will be discussed and how it affects the environment in the workplace and the outcomes of successful management.

First, strong communication in the workplace is extremely important. If you have an employee or coworker that approaches you for advice, inspiration, or feedback, it is important that the employee has your complete attention. It is also imperative that communication is clear and you understand exactly what your employee needs or wants from you. ''What they really need to do is put some sort of implementation plan in place before the acquisition,'' said Pete Collins, director of the survey, so that everyone ''really knows what their role is going to be.'' (Flaherty, 2001). If it is impossible at that moment to give your employee your complete and undivided attention, then you should suggest that your employee come back at a time that is convenient for you to sit down and talk about any concerns. Other commitments such as meetings, conferences, or other distractions are understandable; however, it is crucial that your employee feel that his/her concern is important to you. Explaining that their time is valuable and needs complete and full attention will make the employee feel that you truly are interested in their comments or concerns. It is not worth insulting your employee by humoring or not listening to their concerns halfway. If your employee is insulted by lack of attention, he/she may feel resentful and may not work at their full potential. It is far better for an employer to reschedule the discussion when there is time to listen with full and deep attention. Also, many managers or supervisors are accustomed to helping people solve "problems" that their first thought is to begin brainstorming solutions and give advice. Maybe the employee just needs a listening ear, and wants someone to hear them out. The best approach is to listen deeply, ask questions for clarification to make sure the situation is fully understood. If advice is asked, then advice may be given if desired, however, if it is not asked, do not put in your two cents.

Good leadership is the second important skill in a diverse working environment as well, "leadership has become the universal vitamin-C pill. Everyone seems to want megadoses of it," says psychologist David Campbell, a senior fellow (Lanier, 1985). A great leader can make or break the link to successful management. Some leaders are very strong willed and want things done precisely the way they dictate. However, others are extremely passive and allow the majority to rule on just about everything. They wait for that consensus and fail to provide direction. "You need the time and willingness to hear people out but not fall victim to trying to please everyone all the time." (Jones, 2005) There is a fine line here. There cannot be too many chiefs and not enough Indians. A strong leader needs to do exactly thatÐ'...lead. "The leader needs to lead the pack, not stand back and follow where the group decides to go." (Jones, 2005). Worse yet, it is even more damaging for a supervisor to wait for an employee to lead the group in a certain direction and expect others to follow along. This will in turn cause hostility and resentment among some employees. In any case, it is the leader who sets the tone and the work environment in which their employees can exercise freedom of expression. If a leader is genuine and open to comments and truly has an open door policy, then their employees will definitely have the courage to make comments and express their ideas. If the leader claims to have an open door policy, but their actions speak louder than words, the employees will not have the confidence