| |
Greetings!
It is hard to believe that the second month of
2008 is already over. We hope that 2007 was
productive and that you are well on your way to making
2008 the best year ever.
We have been doing a series on the Attributes of a
Difference Maker. Thus far we have talked
about:
- Being a door opener
- Believing in others when they don't believe in
themselves
- Speaking up when you see injustices occur
- Treating people as if they are significant and have
value and
- Helping others to be successful
In this newsletter we will complete the series by
introducing our sixth point. Hope it is meaningful to
you.
Steve
A Difference Maker Creates a Safe Work Environment
In 1993 a Chicago based research
firm reported that $4.2 billion was being spent on
issues of workplace violence. In the wake of such
events as Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine, 9/11
Virginia Tech and Northern Ill. University, this figure
has climbed much higher. Although I don't know the
new figure, I do know we are paying more attention to
issues of safety. We have worked with clients who
give safety procedures prior to any session. They
inform the group which exit to use in the event of a
disaster, who will be the "lead person" in exiting the
building, etc.
Like so many other things in life we
tend to pay attention to those things that are tangible
or that we can see. Underneath what is visible are the
intangibles. This is also true when we approach the
issue of safety. In addition to physical safety, consider
three other types of safety that need to be addressed:
political safety, emotional safety and spiritual safety.
Political safety has to do with
employee fear of repercussions (i.e. losing out on a
promotion) by saying what's really on their mind.
Emotional safety deals with being ostracized for not
conforming to main stream or normative culture. And
spiritual safety focuses on the struggle we have in
allowing for religious differences in our workplace.
Several years ago I was working with
a government agency that had a fairly strong diversity
initiative. A significant conflict arose between the
Christian and Gay/Lesbian affinity groups that
impacted all the other groups. The administrator
directed all affinity groups to go away for two days with
the directive to work out the conflicts or else he was
going to shut down the entire diversity program. I was
the consultant in the room with members from these
different groups.
We began our work to break down
stereotypes and misconceptions each group had of
the other. Most notably the Christian and Gay/Lesbian
representatives had to have some very hard
discussions about the fears and prejudices they had
towards one another. Both groups came to realize that
they were being victimized by different stereotypes that
weren't necessarily true for individuals who came
from those particular groups. They began to see the
common denominators and impacts of pain and
prejudice. At sessions' end, they agreed to tell all
employees about their respective groups and they
also agreed to have dinner with each other from time
to time. The net result was that when we went back
nine months later we found that the groups were
working together respectfully while still being clear
about the issues they couldn't agree upon.
Respect does not mean
compromising your values or beliefs. Likewise,
speaking one's mind doesn't mean you can say
anything you want when you want. But we do need to
create an environment where people can be heard;
where they will be treated as people of value; where
they will know that their work makes a difference to the
team and organization at large.
So what do employers need to do in
order to create a safe work environment? Consider
the following suggestions:
- Create a positive climate. Make sure the individual
worker can be free to say what is on their mind without
fear of reprisal.
- Strengthen your ability to listen to different view
points while still maintaining your own belief systems.
- Discuss and develop rules of engagement. Be
clear about what are acceptable and unacceptable
behaviors.
- Make sure people are clear about what is
expected. Examples like honoring timelines and
agreements, using appropriate language, etc.
- Increase your awareness of different
communications styles which may be impacting
group interaction. Many times we have found that
individuals mean well, but have no idea that the
conflict they are experiencing is due to communication
style differences.
The managers and leaders of today's
workplace need to steadily increase their competence
in serving a diversified employee base. This includes
the need to pay attention to safety issues which, from
my vantage point is the place to begin establishing
harmony on the job.
News Briefs
The outlook for 2008 is bright for
Hanamura
Consulting. We have a good balance between work in
our local area, down the road, and in the air. We
anticipate some new course offerings this year which
include "Engaging in the Difficult Conversations"
and "Managing Religious Differences in the
Workplace." We will continue our work in leadership
and organizational development, managing and
leading diversity initiatives and managing personal
and organizational change. Our work in generational
differences and people with disabilities will be taken
to a new level.
The next three news letters will focus
on inclusion and
its impact on diversity and productivity.
So until next time remember to be a difference
maker.
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Hanamura
With over 30 years of experience, Steve Hanamura is
a nationally known speaker, consultant and trainer. He
is widely sought after in the areas of leadership
development, building effective teams, leading
diversity initiatives and managing generational
differences. With a national client list spanning
Fortune 500 companies to regional not-for-profit
institutions, Steve is highly regarded for his unique
perspectives and distinct training techniques.
As president of Hanamura Consulting, Inc. he is
committed to making a difference in the lives of
individuals and organizations. His goal is to assist
organizations to work together to build constructive
relationships by understanding how we must draw
from the past and work in the present so we can plan
and build for the future.
|
|
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECIEVE THE HANAMURA NEWSLETTER? |
|
|
