| Employees of the modern era consist of a community | | | | go a long way to building a succesful |
| with different ethnic backgrounds which has led to | | | | department.Working in a diverse workplace also has |
| new techniques for managing a diverse workforce. | | | | its fair share of pitfalls. Many of today's companies will |
| Not too long ago, the high profile projects were | | | | make sure that they have a person on staff that |
| reserved for a select few people from a common | | | | speaks another language in addition to English. |
| background. Today, both men and women are equally | | | | Sometimes people that are descendents of foreign |
| represented and today's new corporate employees | | | | nationals have not had formal training in the language |
| are from places all over the world. New management | | | | they have grown up speaking in their homes. They |
| techniques must be learned in order to ensure | | | | have learned the language in their house speaking with |
| success. Ross Perot's old company, EDS, talks of | | | | their parents, brothers and sisters but they do not have |
| using its experience in handling workplace diversity as | | | | a formal education in that language in order to have |
| a way of better understanding a globally diverse | | | | good linguistic skills for reading and writing. This is not |
| marketplace, and sees its CCI as part of such | | | | meant to imply that everybody who learns a language |
| successful management (Grayson, 1993).A manager in | | | | at home is not an adequate interpreter, but this is |
| the modern corporate world must be skilled in knowing | | | | meant to raise awareness of this possibility. |
| how to deal with the issues of a diverse workplace. In | | | | (multilangual planet, 2006) This is just one example of a |
| a small group, each employee may be from a different | | | | pitfall that many organizations succumb to in the |
| background so communication can be difficult. | | | | modern era.There are a wide number of sources of |
| Communication is the essential tool to create and build | | | | barriers that can enter into the communication process. |
| a work team that can carry out both the values and | | | | This can occur when people don't know each other |
| instructions of your organization. Translating materials | | | | very well. In a work setting, it is even more common |
| to include this employee population is not just good | | | | since interactions involve people who not only don't |
| business, its essential to success. Cultural differences | | | | have years of experience with each other, but |
| could lead to miscommunication. For example, looking | | | | communication is complicated by the complex and |
| at a person from an Asian cultural background directly | | | | often confliction relationships that exist at work. |
| in the eye is disrespectful, and therefore the Asian | | | | (interperator, 2006) It is important for a manager to |
| person will look and focus at a different point or object | | | | understand when two or more employees may not be |
| other than your face. (multilangual planet, 2006) A | | | | suitable to work in the same department or team |
| manager in today's workplace must be skilled in | | | | together. This does not mean that one employee has |
| knowing how to communicate with employees who | | | | to be let go because both may be of equal value to |
| are from different parts of the world. This form of | | | | the organization. In most cases, good employees who |
| effective communication is valuable because a | | | | may not be amiable towards each other at first will still |
| department may have different employees from all | | | | understand to have a respect towards each other |
| over the world. Making a mistake in understanding | | | | after some time. Howerver, understanding that there |
| communication could prove to be disasterous to the | | | | maybe a cultural or personality difference between |
| employee-manager relationship.The specific word, | | | | different groups of employees is important to the |
| diversity, was rarely used when people described their | | | | health of the organization.In order to have a successful |
| best, favorite, or most effective manager. However, | | | | workplace, management should ensure that these |
| fairness, respect, objectiveness, and listening recurred | | | | techniques are practiced. One important quality of |
| frequently. These attributes describe an effective | | | | management success is being a person that others |
| manager and leader (Harris, 2006). Learning the | | | | want to follow. Every action you take during your |
| professional goals of all your team members, creating | | | | career in an organization helps determine whether |
| opportunism for your employees to be exposed to | | | | people will one day want to follow you. The key to |
| corporate leaders they may not often get a chance to | | | | successful managing is effective communication. |
| work with, fair delegation and objective performance | | | | Effective communication is an essential component of |
| evaluations are a few essential management | | | | organizational success at any level. It is critical to |
| practices. Some other excellent practices include | | | | understand and be aware of the potential sources of |
| making time to talk privately with each of your | | | | errors and constantly counteract these tendencies by |
| employees, asking your staff in private how they | | | | making an effort to make sure there is a minimal loss |
| would like to be managed and spending some | | | | of meaning in your conversation. |
| recreational time to talk to your staff during their lunch | | | | It is also very important to understand that a majoring |
| break. Taking some time to have a friendly exchange | | | | of communication is non-verbal. Mastering some of |
| with an employee who may be under your supervision | | | | these techniques will make it easier for successful |
| is a key element to building a succesful relationship | | | | management in a diverse workplace. |
| between the manager and employee. These small | | | | CCI: The Strategic Management Tool, Grayson, David. |
| interactons over a period of time shows the employee | | | | Management Development Review. Bradford: |
| that the manager is interested in his life of a personal | | | | 1993.Vol.6, Iss. 3; pg. 3, 4 pgs2. Leadership & |
| level. It is also importanat to know that it is not | | | | Management in Engineering; Oct2002, Vol. 2 Issue 4, |
| necessary to go out after work with the employees | | | | p28, 3p3. Public Personnel Management; Summer98, |
| but a simple friendly exchange during the day will still | | | | Vol. 27 Issue 2, p187, 14p, 2 charts4. |