The reality of today’s work environment in not only North America but
in many places around the world is that diversity is here to stay. As a
result of immigration over the years, we are finding many of our
communities more and more diverse each year, which of course is directly
related to local businesses. Whether it’s inside offices, factories or
on the outside with retail or corporate customers, you will likely
encounter more people from different cultures than ever before. Arming
yourself with some skills in the form of diversity exposure and
education will definitely help you function better in today’s working
world. In fact, here are two major benefits you can realize as a
result.
Diversity Education Includes People Skills Development
It is generally accepted in many business circles that the most
important set of skills required for long term career success these days
involves people skills. The ability to deal with many types of
different people within companies as well as customers or business
partners, is a very desired talent. Today, people skills are considered
to be even more important than technical skills in terms of career
advancement. Notice that the top people at companies are usually those
with superior people skills rather than just pure technical skills.
Those with subpar people skills will likely be held back from
promotions. Good people skills, which include working with cultural
diversity, will allow you to climb that corporate ladder more quickly
than others.
Part of people skills is being able to deal with individuals from
diverse cultural backgrounds given the evolution of our domestic and
global society. With the influx of even more immigration, it can be
expected that both employees and customers will include people from many
different ethnic backgrounds. So diversity education is very much part
of developing overall people skills now.
Direct Education Of Other Cultures
Diversity exposure makes you more knowledgeable about different
cultures out there. In addition to just watching TV travel shows or
reading National Geographic, you can have a more direct exposure on
different cultures by talking and interacting with different ethnic
people during your travels or maybe right in your own community. This
will help make you understand our world better and make you as a person,
appear more ‘worldly’. A lot of companies will perceive you to be more
valuable especially if they are doing business with a diverse market.
Interestingly enough, in addition to boosting your career, there
might be some personal benefits from diversity education as well. Quite
often, the opposite sex will see you as more attractive if you are more
internationally inclined. Just to prove this, think about how many
ladies consider guys with some knowledge of different cultures and
languages to be sexy? Probably quite a few. Picture the guy who could
help you order in a foreign language in some ethnic restaurant. Of
course, the same could be said with the other way around when a lady
adopts the same type of international skills as well.
Cultural diversity exposure and education can be thought of as a form
of upgrading your personal skills to adapt to the changing work
environments of today. But I wouldn’t leave diversity to be limited to
only ethnic cultures. There is also diversity in lifestyles as in
sexual orientations and religions. Even differences in attitudes from
people coming from different geographical regions of the same country
can be considered diversity. For example, think about the differences
we observe with people from different parts of the USA. Even spoken
accents are different.
Being able to function well with people from all walks of life is a
skill that will take you far in your career and possibly social life as
well. This type of skill can be developed through organized diversity
training or even by just immersing yourself with more diversity exposure
starting in your own community and of course with travel.
Clint Cora is a diversity and motivational speaker, author and Karate World Champion. See his free 3-part Personal Development Video Series to help you expand your comfort zone to conquer even your most daunting goals in life.
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