The World According to Cachia

For many organisations the diversity journey begins with legal compliance around EEO, bullying and harassment. The communication of policies and procedures that have been developed play a crucial role in guiding a workplace to being more respectful, however it is the knowledge and skills that are imparted to staff that are critical to ensuring an inclusive workplace that will be accepting of diversity in all its forms.

It is hard to believe that in 2011 organisations still weigh up the cost of skilling staff in the area of equal employment, bullying and against the likelihood of a claim occurring. As human beings we all have bias, both conscious and unconscious and as a result it is a fair assumption to make that at some point a negative opinion will be formed about someone or a group of people based upon race, religion, gender, age or disability without knowing all the facts, and inappropriate behaviour will result. It is never a question of if this behaviour is likely to occur; it is always a question of when this behaviour will occur.

Organisations need to be committed to developing the knowledge, understanding and skills of individuals across all levels of the organisation. Often organisations opt for a quick and easy fix either in the form of a short online program that covers the key components of the legislation or a video for all new employees to watch during induction. This does not guarantee a deeper level of understanding around the core competencies of respect and equal opportunity. To ensure that organisations maximise their return on investment when implementing diversity and inclusion strategies, significant resources need to be allocated to this basic cornerstone of building an inclusive workplace.

The middle managers in your organisation have the opportunity to directly influence the attitudes, behaviours and performance of a vast number of your overall staff. When these managers feel frustrated by particular actions and events from above it can have significant impact on the effectiveness of their performance, which then impacts the overall performance of the organisation.

After years of training hundreds of middle managers across a wide range of industries, the feedback on the frustrations that middle managers experience with their bosses (the executives in the organisation) remains remarkably constant...

While some of the frustrations are inevitable, the best (and most successful) executive managers are those who truly believe that high performing teams lead to high performing executives and are willing to take the time to invest in understanding how to get the best out of their people.

For Human Resources professionals, when executives come to discuss issues, concerns, or just to complain about their team, it’s worth re-enforcing some basic fundamentals as to how they can get more from their teams – particularly with the added pressures of today’s tough economic climate:

1. Communication is key

2. Deliver on your promises to your people

3. Support your middle managers

4. See potential but realise limitations

5. Provide coaching and offer suggestions 

It's important to remember the more engaged and motivated your people, the greater the amount of discretionary effort – and hence productivity – you’ll receive in return!