Posts
The times they are changing. Not the beginning to a well known folk song but an accurate description of the way the world of business is facing up to some of the areas it has perhaps neglected in the past. It's easy to forget, given the way the typical office environment that exists today, that the office was once a much less friendly or accommodating place to do business.
It could be said that the office or indeed any working environment and space is a micro version of the society it finds itself in or a mirror on the world in general. The views and fashions that are heard and seen in any business tend to reflect the world around them. Whether that's the design of the building, the furniture that goes inside it or the prevailing attitudes of the employers this is usually the case.
There seems to be a trend right now for looking back to the 70's and 80's. These decades that were once considered naff and embarrassing in terms of fashion and trends are now being revisited and re-evaluated by a generation too young to have experienced them first time around. TV programmes like Life On Mars are fuelling this trend and it's done in a light hearted and entertaining way, but it's easy to forget that there were some things from that era that were particularly unpleasant even if at the time they were not considered so.
Companies are investing in their employees like never before to meet the demands of the modern workplace and to fall in line with changing attitudes towards gender, race and age. In one high profile case recently the Scottish parliament made it known that they would be looking for a company to provide staff with equality and diversity training. They want their staff to be aware of words or terms that could be deemed offensive to others.
It's a tricky area to deal with as you have to take on board the fact that what was once acceptable is no longer acceptable and, sometimes, vice versa. A person's perception of this will obviously be coloured by their background with factors like age and nationality coming into play. Although there is no definitive list of terms that are no longer acceptable there are obvious things that need to be addressed and the purpose of equality and diversity training is to highlight certain situations and change or adapt behavior accordingly.
Business doesn't function in a void, it is inherently connected to the real world and so has to act responsibly in order to thrive and move forward.
Specialist equality and diversity training is a significant part of this. It works best as part of the fabric of a company's philosophy but lots of companies that offer it as a training programme can tailor it to specific needs. This bespoke approach can be short term or long term but with the term 'politically correct' being used more and more the need for it has never been so great.
There are three areas that even the most basic training can address and improve.
1. Behaviour at work - We all act in a particular way. Our actions could be regarded as a reflection of our personalities an it's our personalities that give us the skills and aptitude we need to perform successfully at work, so the purpose of equality and diversity training isn't to stifle this but to make sure that appropriate behavior is maintained at all times.
2. Corporate Social Responsibility - It's not just the responsibility of the individual to be aware of issues surrounding equality and diversity. Corporations must ensure that their employees are given the necessary tools to perform effectively. Information received through equality and diversity training is just as important as a office equipment in performing tasks.
3. Cultural Awareness - Being sensitive to issues concerning age, race and gender I more important than ever. In an increasingly diverse market place where it is as easy to do business with someone on the other side of the world as it is to do business with someone next door it is vital that employees and employers are aware of cultural issues outside their immediate vicinity.
It could be said that the office or indeed any working environment and space is a micro version of the society it finds itself in or a mirror on the world in general. The views and fashions that are heard and seen in any business tend to reflect the world around them. Whether that's the design of the building, the furniture that goes inside it or the prevailing attitudes of the employers this is usually the case.
There seems to be a trend right now for looking back to the 70's and 80's. These decades that were once considered naff and embarrassing in terms of fashion and trends are now being revisited and re-evaluated by a generation too young to have experienced them first time around. TV programmes like Life On Mars are fuelling this trend and it's done in a light hearted and entertaining way, but it's easy to forget that there were some things from that era that were particularly unpleasant even if at the time they were not considered so.
Companies are investing in their employees like never before to meet the demands of the modern workplace and to fall in line with changing attitudes towards gender, race and age. In one high profile case recently the Scottish parliament made it known that they would be looking for a company to provide staff with equality and diversity training. They want their staff to be aware of words or terms that could be deemed offensive to others.
It's a tricky area to deal with as you have to take on board the fact that what was once acceptable is no longer acceptable and, sometimes, vice versa. A person's perception of this will obviously be coloured by their background with factors like age and nationality coming into play. Although there is no definitive list of terms that are no longer acceptable there are obvious things that need to be addressed and the purpose of equality and diversity training is to highlight certain situations and change or adapt behavior accordingly.
Business doesn't function in a void, it is inherently connected to the real world and so has to act responsibly in order to thrive and move forward.
Specialist equality and diversity training is a significant part of this. It works best as part of the fabric of a company's philosophy but lots of companies that offer it as a training programme can tailor it to specific needs. This bespoke approach can be short term or long term but with the term 'politically correct' being used more and more the need for it has never been so great.
There are three areas that even the most basic training can address and improve.
1. Behaviour at work - We all act in a particular way. Our actions could be regarded as a reflection of our personalities an it's our personalities that give us the skills and aptitude we need to perform successfully at work, so the purpose of equality and diversity training isn't to stifle this but to make sure that appropriate behavior is maintained at all times.
2. Corporate Social Responsibility - It's not just the responsibility of the individual to be aware of issues surrounding equality and diversity. Corporations must ensure that their employees are given the necessary tools to perform effectively. Information received through equality and diversity training is just as important as a office equipment in performing tasks.
3. Cultural Awareness - Being sensitive to issues concerning age, race and gender I more important than ever. In an increasingly diverse market place where it is as easy to do business with someone on the other side of the world as it is to do business with someone next door it is vital that employees and employers are aware of cultural issues outside their immediate vicinity.
Article Source:
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://management-communication.bestmanagementarticles.com
About the Author:
Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the training industry. Find out more about equality and diversity training and modern business practice.
Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the training industry. Find out more about equality and diversity training and modern business practice.
No comments:
Post a Comment