Agenda Introductory activity What diversity is (and what it is not) - PDF document

Diversity & Inclusion Jason Kanov , Ph.D Nick Sanchez , J.D. Associate Professor of Management Employment Inclusion Manager Western Washington University Western Washington University Agenda — Introductory activity — What diversity is (and what it is not) — What we are working toward — Various approaches — Important assumptions — Discussion What is Diversity? — Diversity = difference? — Diversity encompasses but is not limited to difference — Diversity is the collective, all-inclusive mixture of differences and similarities — Diversity pertains to EVERYONE Thomas (2009) 1

What We’re Working Toward “ Diversity calls for managing people who aren’t like you and who don’t aspire to be like you. It’s taking differences into account while developing a cohesive whole. ” – Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. CEO of R. Thomas Consulting & Training, Inc. and founder of the American Institute for Managing Diversity What We ʼ re Working Toward � Melting � pot � � vs. � � Salad bowl � (or cultural mosaic) � The Goal is 
 Inclusiveness � — It ʼ s more than avoiding lawsuits… � — It ʼ s more than not discriminating… � — It ʼ s more than Affirmative Action… � — It ʼ s more than shattering glass ceilings… � It’s about fundamentally transforming the culture of an organization 2

(Well-Intentioned?) But Misguided Approaches — Denial or ”Colorblindness” — “People are all the same deep down.” — Suppression — “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” — Assimilation — “You can play with us as long as you play by our rules.” — Isolation — “Separate but equal.” — Tolerance — “We put up with each other.” Adapted from Thomas & Woodruff (1999) Inclusive Approaches — Reparation — Actively offset inequities — Use this approach sparingly — Mutual Adaptation — All parties make adjustments — No one group is privileged or advantaged — Ongoing mutual adjustments are made as necessary based on the needs of any one situations Adapted from Thomas & Woodruff (1999) Important Assumptions Working toward inclusiveness must… — Be a sustained, long-term undertaking — Be comprehensive — Involve efforts to actively increase diversity — Be more than a dispassionate, intellectual exercise — Make you uncomfortable 3