Change & Diversity
The only thing constant in life is change. Making use of differences increases our creativity to deal with change.
Diversity is about all the differences people can experience with other people. This includes visible and less visible aspects, such as age, gender, ethnicity, sexual preference, character, religion, etc. Everyone has a unique combination of characteristics and qualities, and with these a unique view of the world. Organisations that are able to make use of the different insights and perspectives of their employees are more innovative and more productive. This requires specific attention to the dynamics of diversity.
The dynamics of diversity is about how different we are and how alike we are. In some senses, we are all the same (we are all human after all). In other senses, we are more equal to some people than others (the social networks we live in and grew up in). And in some ways we are totally unlike anyone else (we are all unique individuals).
Some people are so different from one another that we can say there is
a ‘great cultural distance’. This can result in tension when people work together. The cooperation, communication and group formation in international, culturally diverse teams often takes place differently from homogeneous teams.
The key lies not so much in the differences, as in the dynamics that arise through these differences. The dynamics of diversity are about inclusion and exclusion and about potential misunderstandings. Improving these dynamics requires a mixture of connecting and forceful interventions. Connecting interventions are aimed at dialogue, understanding, meeting, exploring and similarities. Forceful interventions are all about differences, creating solutions, decision-making and action.
A culture scan can determine how the cultural dynamics within your organisation or team can be improved. For example, in a post-merger situation; a relatively homogeneous organisation (with the mission to appoint more women to senior positions, or create greater cultural diversity on the shop floor); or at a highly international company. What unique mix of connecting and forceful interventions would guide the dynamics in the desired direction and lead to genuine cultural change?
HumanDimensions trains, coaches and facilitates individual and collective learning in this area.
The dynamics of diversity is about how different we are and how alike we are. In some senses, we are all the same (we are all human after all). In other senses, we are more equal to some people than others (the social networks we live in and grew up in). And in some ways we are totally unlike anyone else (we are all unique individuals).
Some people are so different from one another that we can say there is
a ‘great cultural distance’. This can result in tension when people work together. The cooperation, communication and group formation in international, culturally diverse teams often takes place differently from homogeneous teams. The key lies not so much in the differences, as in the dynamics that arise through these differences. The dynamics of diversity are about inclusion and exclusion and about potential misunderstandings. Improving these dynamics requires a mixture of connecting and forceful interventions. Connecting interventions are aimed at dialogue, understanding, meeting, exploring and similarities. Forceful interventions are all about differences, creating solutions, decision-making and action.
A culture scan can determine how the cultural dynamics within your organisation or team can be improved. For example, in a post-merger situation; a relatively homogeneous organisation (with the mission to appoint more women to senior positions, or create greater cultural diversity on the shop floor); or at a highly international company. What unique mix of connecting and forceful interventions would guide the dynamics in the desired direction and lead to genuine cultural change?
HumanDimensions trains, coaches and facilitates individual and collective learning in this area.
