Managing Diversity in a MultiCultural Workplace

Chess and Checkers

They connect with individuals based on their unique personalities and strengths. Basically,
great leaders understand you can not get the best out of people by playing checkers with
them. What qualities do you feel leaders must identify in each team member in order to
play chess instead of checkers?

ANSWER

As aforementioned, all of the checkers pieces move in the same direction. Depending on each piece's
skill in chess, you move them in a different way. When managing organization, wise leaders play chess
rather than checkers. The legendary chess champion Bobby Fisher famously remarked, "Winning in this
game is all about learning how to capitalize on each piece's abilities and timing their moves just
perfectly." Effective managers are aware that managing people uniformly, expecting the same things
from everyone, and treating them like a generic commodity on a shelf will not result in getting the best
performance from them. Therefore, great leaders must identify what makes each person exceptional
and take advantage of it, just like in chess. First, leaders need to connect with followers where they are
strongest. We must recognize both the areas where they are weak and waste time, as well as the areas
where they are strong and flourish. Second, leaders need to understand what inspires their team
members. Is it verbal adulation? Is the leader's time up? Is it presents of money? Everyone has a
motivating factor that makes them eager to devote themselves to the cause. Also, understanding the
various personality types of their workforce is essential for leaders. They are the jovial sanguine, right?
The driving choleric, perhaps? Or the phlegmatic who is relaxed? Or the melancholy of analysis?
Establishing personalities is crucial to effective leadership. Moreover, what learning style do your people
like is a last revelation. Are they a data "analyzer"? Or do they have to step up and take action as the
"Doer"? Or do they want to see it replicated so they can learn anything, or are they a "Watcher"?
Finding out how each person differs from the others and figuring out how to best incorporate those
distinctions into your plan of action are the ideal ways to establish rapport with individuals. Smart
leadership is about connections and release rather than control. It's not about you having power, it's
about you giving others power. And when people are empowered, it works best when it plays to their
strengths.
  Discussions:

Why is it we naturally expect others to be like us?

Why are we more comfortable with people who are similar to us?

As 21st century global leaders, how do we overcome this?

The idea that diversity is centered on the visible contrasts between people has given way to the term
"diversity." Although this is still relevant today, diversity presently encompasses much more. It's about
our individual traits, our values, and our experiences – culture, religion, gender and etc. It focuses on
empowering people by valuing and honoring what makes them unique. Even beyond these markers, the
modern broader understanding of diversity is not often acknowledged. The inquiries above will prompt
you to reflect on certain things; that despite diversity, it’s a fact that there are times that we tend to
perceive ourselves in other people and assume to the point we naturally expect others to be like us,
inasmuch we are comfortable with that similarities. That perceived commonality may support our views
and might as well satisfy our expectations. By that, it’s not surprising that we naturally gravitate toward
those who hold the same ideals as we do. In my humblest opinion, even though it is normal, it’s not
totally healthy. Though cultural diversity is inescapable, one must take lead in developing cultural
diversity that must be seen, understood, and embraced by organizations, and it must be at the center of
their leadership philosophy. Making the growth of a global mindset a daily practice, the cornerstone of
organizational strategy, and a strong readiness to be exposed to various cultures and cultural influences.

Diversity in the workplace is all about fostering an atmosphere that is open to all people and embracing
of their substantial differences. This enables all employees to attain their full potential, which, in turn,
enables your organization to grow to its maximum potential.
MODULE 2

Discussions:

In this seminar you learned that leadership is action and is defined by what you do and not your
position. It is genuine leadership, or leadership with a little i one that is not conferred by a title or getting
all the credit.

Take time to attempt acts of kindness anonymously. Do not let anyone know what you are up to,
including the ones who will receive the act of kindness. It may be as simple as sending them an
encouraging email or handwritten note.

Or, it could be as creative as paying for someone in the coffee line behind you. As you perform these
acts of kindnesses, examine your heart and your inner leadership. Then post one act you accomplished
and ask yourself, Are you okay with serving without getting any credit?

I don't think it pays to be kind, most especially with strangers. Every day, I commute going to school or
somewhere. Usually, you’ll deal with lots of strangers and that includes people that seems to be needy
in streets. I do give some of my extra snacks, and sometimes dropped a few coins. I totally understand
the fact that every time you drop a penny into a beggar's palm you help degrade a man and make it
more difficult for him to rise with dignity but it’s also a fact that for those who are reasonably fortunate,
those pennies don't mean much, but for the homeless, they could mean a lot. The process of weighing
happiness is straightforward. The joy those pennies would provide to a homeless person is far more than
the joy they would bring to a person with average means. Obviously, I don’t expect something in return,
it’s just that giving modest sums of money or getting a homeless person a meal in a respectful and
considerate way can offer temporary relief and assistance. Most of the time, we should practice this
unwritten rule of expectation, give but don't expect something in return.

I believe that leadership with little “I” has always been in us, we just
In job, it’s indeed you’ll get paid or credit for what you worked for, such as doing what’s the standards of
the operation, your duties and responsibilities. However, in the service industry, I had to learn and

Module 3

What motivates leaders to take the initiative and be a host? How are leaders different from others in
this respect?

One must don't wait to be told what to do. Effective leader appears to be adaptive, confident, and
courageous. They think quickly and act appropriately; most of the time, they are proactive rather than
reactive. Being host in the sense of establishing connections is just an easy task for effective leaders. In
today's interconnected world, preserving team’s cohesiveness at work is growing essential, and the
difficulty of doing so should never be underestimated as it is one of the ten critical skills that leaders
should possess. Taking initiative doesn't just imply that you are a self-starter, it means seizing the
possibilities that are offered to you. Stepping up, going above and beyond with typical responsibilities.
MODULE 4

If you consider that the mind of a person from one culture is going to be different in
many ways from the mind of a person from another culture, then you have the
explanation for the most fundamental of all cross-cultural problems: the fact that two
people look upon the same reality, the same situation, the same example of behavior,
and see two entirely different things.

What implications does this statement have on the workplace and a global leaders
role? How do leaders deal with these types of situations in the workplace? Use what
you have learned in the seminar.

There are myriad of things encompasses a culture, it might be a set of values, viewpoints and
backgrounds that makes up an accepted way of life of a certain group. Thus, having said that, everything
distinguishes one’s unique mix from other people. Undeniably, your culture shapes who you are, how
you perceive the world and life, inasmuch of what are the things you value. In connection with the
statement above with our modern realm that bears a highly diversified workforce, it’s evident that
cultural barriers are inevitable. For that reason, everyone is at stake for managing such. Effective global
leaders develop inclusive work environment that provides an accepted, understood, acknowledged,
celebrated and valued workplace. This could be in a way of a good grasp of stereotypes, bridging power
gaps and effective communication. The bottom line is that even diversity challenging to manage, it offers
a variety of skill sets and talents that can boost a company’s competitive advantage.
MODULE 5

Explain the following the statement

To be effective at managing diversity, we need to break down the barriers and start
bridging the cultural divide by understanding and acceptance. Be specific in your answer
and reflect back to the words learned in the seminar.

Creating a diverse workplace is all about fostering an environment that is welcoming to all people and
embracing their individual differences. This enables all workforce to achieve their best extent with their
skill and knowledge pool by which in turn, enables your organization to grow to its maximum potential.
In this intricate realm, it’s evident that cultural barriers are inescapable. Managing a multicultural team
to perform effectively despite their cultural differences is a challenge for global leaders and might as
well to team members. One must initiate to actively strive to overcome such – embracing diversity,
promote open communication and discussions with regards shared culture, vision, and cause of the
organization, and more importantly, be mindful of any stereotypes and prejudices that one possesses,
and work to dispel them.
During both good and challenging times, effective global leaders are capable of moving their
organization to thrive and by doing so, it entails going beyond traditional management approaches and
developing key skillset for success. Perhaps surprisingly, empathy—a powerful leadership skill is one of
those skills. In the context of being a good listener, one must display empathetic leadership. It can be
done through recognizing the early indicators of burnout that could lead to disengagement, showing
genuine concern for the wants, aspirations, and needs of others, expressing a readiness to support a
person with personal matters, promoting perspective-taking, and building compassion. As establishing
and keeping connections and retaining people is a crucial component of top companies wherever in the
globe, empathic leaders are assets to organizations.
Being an effective communicator has always been one of the foundation for being a true leader. It is
undoubtedly a key component of organizational success, especially with today's rapidly expanding
communication channels and increased desire for connectivity between a leader and their people.
Based on what I gained from this session, to be an effective global leader, one must learn the skills
necessary to have effective workplace communications while keeping in mind the organization's vision,
mission, and changes. Thus, leaders' communications are crucial. Moreover, it is essential to foster a
culture of trust in the workplace by having leaders communicate effectively, which helps to keep team
members motivated and directed in the appropriate directions. To add more, having authenticity, being
direct, clear-thinking, open-minded, concept expression, and information sharing with many people are
skills that leaders must possess most especially when establishing effective cross-cultural
communication to avoid misunderstanding and erroneous interpretations. Indeed, establishing effective
communication requires intention and purpose. One must be aware of when and how to communicate,
and one must choose the appropriate style for one’s intended audience.
Hot air balloons rise as the burner is released. But eventually they begin to fall and need to
be refilled. They must continue to be filled in order to go up. People are like this. As we
learned in this modules seminar, team members must be consistently encouraged, or
motivated, in order to reach their highest potential.

The word encourage literally means to inspire courage. Encouragement is more than

There is no one size fits all guide to know the best times to encourage others, but together
let us use this discussion to share our ideas. Take time to post a specific example when
a leader would need to fill other peoples balloons and how you would do this based
on cultural differences.

One of the most important foundational elements for creating outstanding organizational cultures is
effective leadership. Regardless of position, everyone with influence qualifies as a leader as they shape
the culture of their organizations. Even though almost all organizations have increased their emphasis
on diversity, equity, and inclusion; evidently, it is still tricky to navigate. Sometimes, even the most
effective leaders occasionally fail to consider some of these crucial problems. Hence, there is still a
substantial opportunity for improvement. Given the high diversity of today's teams, not all members will
be motivated by the same things. One must take an effort in developing an inclusive strategy for the
team's success. The best way for an effective global leader to inspire a diverse team is to get to know
their people and learn what motivates them. People must feel empowered as individuals if they are to
persevere in the face of difficulty, change, and uncertainty. Everyone wants to feel as though their
efforts are recognized and valued and that they are making an impact. Likewise, encouraging others
begins with demonstrating your trust in their potential and efforts to excel prior to actually
acknowledging results. The courage and motivation that great leaders provide others with to keep
moving forward and attaining remarkable things come from taking the time to demonstrate our belief in
our team and to recognize their efforts. Leaders must be innovative in recognizing their performance
and personalize the commendation for the team members, recognitions could be in a way of sincere
compliments or genuine gestures of gratitude. Effective global leaders know that motivation is energy,
encouraging others, and putting trust in the team is a key leadership skills. Hence, no matter how
diverse the workplace environment is, establishing approaches to encourage your team will result in
greater mindsets and increased efficiency.
Inside out leadership means becoming the author of your own story and creating your
history. Based on what we have learned in this course, lets use this last discussion to share
with your fellow global classmates the following question.

What type of leadership legacy do you want to leave?

Remember, The legacy you leave is the life you lead.  And with that, your legacy starts now!
Thank you for sharing.

Ideally, the last snap of your door closing will mark the conclusion of a long, prosperous
career that filled your life both personally and professionally with joy, significance, and
fulfillment. Being remembered as an effective leader in sorts of areas of expertise might be
a great thing, but rather I don’t want to limit my footprints on that. I desire that my
leadership legacy will inspire people to make an impact and difference instead of making
impressions – influence over authority and actions over words. Moreover, I desire to make
a permanent mark with the excellent character, choices, behavior, consistency, confidence,
and compassion that will leave how others will grow, create, and develop. If you take care
of that, your leadership legacy will take care of itself, and that is how I want to be
remembered – leading from within; not leaving something for people, but leaving
something in people.

I don't want to be remembered; instead, I want to continue to exist in the hearts of

be authentic,
remembered as even though as flawed AUTHENTICITY, SAFE SPACE (balancing influence
and managing authority)

I want to leave my legacy worth sharing that will touch lives,