Are you seeking more engagement in your job? Find new satisfaction through greater participation in your diverse culture at work. Now is a good time to learn more about people you work with and encourage their contributions to the workplace culture. By promoting the benefits of diversity, you can help create a more inclusive environment where people enjoy working.
Needs and Wants
The workplace is a mix of people from different backgrounds, complete with their own needs and wants. You must compete with colleagues for the same rewards and advancement opportunities. Generally, you'll get ahead by building positive relationships with co-workers but damage your career by stepping on them to reach the top. To earn trust, you must put your needs and wants aside at times. You must work with a group toward a common goal. Teamwork requires believing in the benefit of the group, not just living in support of your individualism.
Considerations
Many organizations require teamwork. View a team composed of diverse colleagues as a strength, something of high value. From a perspective that embraces diversity, you quickly learn there are different ways to reach your team's goals. First, you could get input from everyone and help the group pick the best idea, even if it's not yours. Second, you could build support for your idea and push it through until it's picked by the group. Either option gets the job done. The first approach ensures that other people's ideas are heard. The second approach only proves you're good at consolidating support.
Role Values
At work, you will find different opportunities to act as a leader or a manager. You might be in charge of a project or a supervisor of people. Inspire loyalty and support by looking at the benefits of people's personalities. Some people are more inclined to fulfill certain roles in a group. Consider characteristics such as people who like to speak in front of the group, people who prefer to work behind the scenes and people who want to keep everyone organized. It's important to value all of the roles in a group and to help co-workers assume the roles they enjoy, at least some of the time.
Customer Diversity
Many jobs require you to serve customers, whether external or internal. Do your job of pleasing customers more effectively by considering their diverse backgrounds, needs and wants. If you're selling cars in a predominantly Spanish-speaking area, you'd be more successful by learning Spanish. You could open up the market for yourself or for your small-business employer. Learning a second language is a way to bridge differences and connect with others from a different culture.
References
Writer Bio
Audra Bianca has been writing professionally since 2007, with her work covering a variety of subjects and appearing on various websites. Her favorite audiences to write for are small-business owners and job searchers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and a Master of Public Administration from a Florida public university.