Benefits of workplace diversity include an ability to more readily adapt to the changing needs of the customer. It also helps in adapting to the environment, the regulatory landscape, and changing business conditions. This ability to adapt is often called agility in the business literature. It represents a competitive advantage, especially in a service environment where demands are often competing and fluid in nature.
This increased agility, in turn, also enhances the organization’s capacity to offer a broader service range. It caters to an increasingly diverse customer base. With workplace diversity come an increase in skills, perspectives, abilities, and interests. Similarly, the viewpoints available within a diverse workplace support the organization’s ability to identify relevant services. These services and strategies are meaningful and will have the largest impact on the organization’s mission.
A diverse workplace offers significant assets. One key asset is the organization’s ability to more effectively execute their mission statement, plans, and resources.
The underlying competencies of adaptability and variety of viewpoints help the organization expand its service capabilities. They also enable it to implement those capabilities. This becomes particularly crucial in a fluid work environment.
This does not necessarily mean that workplace diversity is easily supported, or that the benefits are readily optimized and realized. With diversity come opportunities for communication barriers (Lyknis, Weidemeier, Williams, Gill, and Keifer, n.d.), resistance to change, and personality conflicts.
Communication barriers can result from different viewpoints, values, priorities, expectations, or language (to name a few). Resistance to change often occurs when miscommunication exists. It can also occur when the skills, abilities, and knowledge to implement the change are not present.
Evaluation and analytics are essential to identify the appropriate barrier. Without them, your efforts to overcome obstacles will miss their mark.
Socio-cultural factors are often considered determined by upbringing and attitudes, values, family structure, religion, rituals, taboos, and concepts of power.
Education, age, and gender are also considered central to, and expressions of, the socio-cultural factors. A comparison might distinguish socio-cultural factors as pertaining to upbringing. Education and age over the lifespan can influence access and opportunity. Society still has a lot of work to do when it comes to supporting diversity in our communities. This includes increasing access and opportunity for groups.
OVERVIEW OF THE DIVERSITY INNOVATION PLAN GENERATOR
The following accordion lists the components included in the diversity innovation plan. This plan is discussed in the book available on Amazon and the Android App available on the Google Play Store. Click on each step to learn more. You can access the interactive tools in step 4 on the Innovate Vancouver website. These tools are available in the book or Android app.
Culture & Business Model Fit
The culture fit model is a social construct. It evaluates whether a given ‘input’ can meet performance specifications and responsibilities within a specific culture. The implementation and definition of these models have changed over time. This evolution occurs as new insights emerge. Opportunities and risks are realized.
The challenge is that not all changes are adaptive or substantial. Some merely represent past practices but with a new logic. In these cases, the company’s ability to adapt is limited. This affects its capacity to change with new tools, training, and business model modifications. Check out the culture fit innovation interactive tool available here on Innovate Vancouver’s website.
Diversity Innovation Issues in Context (SWOT Analysis)
Building upon existing assets and resources is crucial. Check out the transformation readiness assessment available here on Innovate Vancouver’s website.
Build & Strengthen Your Diversity Innovation Business Model
Identifying models and tools to expand the team’s existing vision is essential if stretch goals are to be reached. Includes links to download three PowerPoints to facilitate team and leadership training! You can download the files through the Diversity Innovation book. It is available on Amazon. You can also use the Android App, which is available on Google Play.
Diversity Innovation Plan
This is the final stage where you will apply what you learned in previous steps. Leverage your new Business Model components to support your strategic plan! Identify business strengths and areas for improvement in each business area.
Print out & save a copy for your records. Begin to fill out the interactive on page business planning tool. Go back to previous steps if you discovered other business model tools or areas that need improvement.
Check out the following section (accordion) for more information about this interactive planning tools.
Diversity Innovation Book & Android App
PowerPoints Available for Free Download with Purchase of Diversity Innovation Book and Android App!
A System’s Thinking Approach to Workplace Diversity Innovation (2nd Edition) is now available in the Amazon Store!
Or check out the Android App now available in the Google Play Store!
Diversity Innovation Planning Components:
Business Overview
The business overview section has a key purpose. It offers readers, coworkers, potential investors, or future business partners a glimpse into your company. It aims to provide coworkers and potential investors with a brief insight.
Future business partners also gain an understanding of your purposes. It also provides insight into its structure and mission. This information helps the reader of the strategic plan to better understand the context and industry of the following sections.
Sales & Marketing Plan
The sales and marketing plan establishes who your customers are. It outlines how they will be reached. It defines the value proposition of your product/service offerings. Without these channels, you have a limited understanding of the problem being solved by your company’s product/service. There is very little chance that your business will be able to thrive.
Human Resources Plan
Human resource assets drive value throughout the business model. Without effective human resource assets the performance in other areas would deteriorate and undermine the business. These areas include technical operations, financial, distribution & logistics, marketing & sales, services, and research & development.
Establishing a human resource plan supports the business’ recruitment efforts and training goals. It supports the strategic vision. It also provides opportunities for business model alignment, strengthening, and innovation.
Action Plan
The action plan incorporates the information from earlier sections. It establishes what goals are in place. It determines what strategies will be used to deliver these goals. It also supports performance evaluation. How goals are evaluated varies depending on the business and its priorities
Executive Summary
The executive summary section provides a high level overview of the business environment. It builds upon the business overview section (mission, values, and business structure). It also describes the product/service offerings and customer categories. Additionally, it provides a high level review of the business’ goals detailed in the previous section.
Your team may choose to leave the summary (here) at the end of the planning document. Alternatively, you may attach it to the business overview section at the beginning of the plan.
Financial Plan
The financial plan establishes how financial and physical assets are allocated and used. The story that these numbers help provide highlights the mission, values, and direction of the business over the coming term. Although the numbers can seem intimidating to many, driving value across the business environment is simple. It involves understanding the story they tell.
Travis Barker, MPA GCPM
Innovate Vancouver
Innovate Vancouver is a Technology and Business Innovation Consulting Service located in Vancouver, BC. Contact us to help with your next project!
References:
References: Gardenswartz, L., Rowe, A., Bennett, M., Tobin, J., & Palthe, J. (2008). Part II: Understanding the Evolving Role of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace. Orange, California: SAGE Publications.
Reference: Lyknis, T., Weidemeir, S., Williams, V., Gill, M., & Keefer, S. (n.d.). Challenges & Benefits of Cultural Diversity. Retrieved October 12, 2015.