Leveraging Human Potential
Creating Organizational Initiatives to Appreciate Diversity and Leverage Human Potential
Diversity in the workplace is the reality not the exception in today's business world, so it is vitally important that organizations launch initiatives that relate to understanding diversity. Also, by relating realistically and fairly to diversity, organizations should to what they can to leverage the human potential available to them, including getting the most out of employees from every ethnicity, every culture, and every nationality. In this paper the references are used in order to address the initiatives that I feel are important.
True to Myself
In the Chapter 13 "True To Myself" feature the scenario follows the plight of a woman hired as the token female just to satisfy diversity requirements. Only because major shareholders were females -- the daughters of the deceased founder -- was there an apparent need to comply with diversity standards. Ethney, the new hire, was told that if she was willing to become "one of the guys" and accept that the men run things, she would survive.
Answer to question number ONE: If I were Ethney, I wouldn't play the game of being one of the boys, but I wouldn't go out of my way to push my policies and opinions right away. I would be cooperative and helpful and try to get to know the men on a one-to-one basis, if possible. But I wouldn't try to be someone I am not because faking my own values and beliefs would cause me great stress and eventually I would break down. Question Two: One important strategy would be to become a very alert listener; listening to the men discuss the history of the company, the way oil is found and extracted from the ground, and showing tolerance for their opinions. The pro: you show you're willing to listen and learn; the con: you might be viewed as an insignificant neophyte. Question Three: Being "true to yourself" is not as important as getting a firm grip on your new job. Learning, listening, cooperating -- those...
Moreover, it is quite doubtful that Ethney will be able to leverage her true human potential in this work environment.
Analysis -- HR Professionalism
If we're talking about diversity within an organization, the origins of putting together a diverse workforce (and the process of sustaining a diverse workforce) is the duty and responsibility of the Human Resource department. A 2013 peer-reviewed article in the International Management Review doesn't relate specifically to diversity but certainly addresses the way in which HR managers can leverage the potential of employees. While this article specifically brings attention to the need to bring IT (information technology) advances into the HR component of organizations, it also points to six behavioral competency domains that impact a company's ability to get the most out of employees (i.e., how to leverage the human potential of employees).
"The Credible Activist" is a person that takes a stand or a position that may not be universally embraced, but this person is "respected, admired…and listened to" (Suen, 2013). This is what Ethney should attempt to become but the odds are stacked against her. "The Operational Executor" assures that policies are put in place that advances HR technology (and if technology can enhance the chances of getting the most out of everyone, then it should be a priority) (Suen, 20). "The Business Ally" is the person on board that "serves the value chain" and interprets the "social context"; the "Talent Manager & Organizational Designer" is responsible for finding and keeping top quality talent in an organization, and presumably diversity and leveraging potential is part of that person's assignment (Suen, 20). "The Culture & Change Steward" in an HR department "appreciates and embraces the company's culture" and is a communicator that helps the good flow of information…
