WEBVTT

00:00:31.568 --> 00:00:32.479
You know,

00:00:32.490 --> 00:00:34.943
we hear a lot
about diversity these days.

00:00:35.116 --> 00:00:37.484
A lot of what we hear
has to do with differences

00:00:37.495 --> 00:00:40.859
based on race,
gender and ethnicity.

00:00:41.103 --> 00:00:45.821
And diversity can also be things like
personality or lifestyle differences.

00:00:45.956 --> 00:00:50.161
Or even the different job roles
and workgroups within an organization.

00:00:50.294 --> 00:00:53.301
In other words, any point
of human difference.

00:00:53.388 --> 00:00:54.426
But you know what?

00:00:54.513 --> 00:00:57.277
There are points of difference
that matter in the workplace

00:00:57.304 --> 00:00:59.615
and points of difference that don't.

00:00:59.765 --> 00:01:01.506
So, for the next few minutes,

00:01:01.517 --> 00:01:04.865
we're going to talk about
what diversity is and isn't.

00:01:05.087 --> 00:01:08.601
We're going to take a look at what it
means to be culturally competent

00:01:08.611 --> 00:01:10.351
and why that's important.

00:01:10.579 --> 00:01:14.492
And we're going to talk about a tool we
can use to be culturally competent -

00:01:14.751 --> 00:01:16.398
it's called FAIR.

00:01:23.374 --> 00:01:24.893
Diversity?

00:01:25.524 --> 00:01:29.320
Isn't that about affirmative
action, and that EEO stuff?

00:01:29.377 --> 00:01:31.332
Um, aren't they about...

00:01:31.342 --> 00:01:33.894
race and gender
and things like that?

00:01:34.934 --> 00:01:38.339
If you're confused about
the difference between EEO,

00:01:38.350 --> 00:01:40.895
Affirmative Action and diversity,

00:01:40.942 --> 00:01:42.161
you're not alone.

00:01:42.231 --> 00:01:44.550
The truth is -
they're often interrelated -

00:01:44.561 --> 00:01:46.237
but they're not the same.

00:01:46.715 --> 00:01:49.667
EEO, or Equal Employment
Opportunity,

00:01:49.678 --> 00:01:52.480
is about complying with
the laws and requirements

00:01:52.490 --> 00:01:55.230
that prohibit discrimination
in the workplace.

00:01:55.849 --> 00:01:58.604
Affirmative Action is designed
to increase the representation

00:01:58.620 --> 00:02:00.397
of certain groups in the workplace;

00:02:00.428 --> 00:02:04.614
for example minorities, women;
and sometimes people with disabilities

00:02:04.625 --> 00:02:06.625
and some categories of veterans.

00:02:06.915 --> 00:02:10.068
Diversity, on the other hand,
is about relationships.

00:02:10.144 --> 00:02:14.005
You see, the similarities and
differences that exist among employees,

00:02:14.015 --> 00:02:18.193
customers, and suppliers are what
create diversity in the workplace.

00:02:18.405 --> 00:02:22.279
When we talk about diversity, one of
the most important things to understand

00:02:22.290 --> 00:02:23.661
is that it's about culture.

00:02:24.232 --> 00:02:29.380
Culture is a way of living, thinking,
doing, being and believing.

00:02:29.562 --> 00:02:34.130
It has to do with things like dress,
customs, language, and beliefs.

00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:37.450
So, you can think about
diversity in two ways -

00:02:37.461 --> 00:02:40.567
cultural diversity
and workforce diversity.

00:02:40.859 --> 00:02:45.741
Cultural diversity can include things
like gender, sexual orientation, race,

00:02:45.752 --> 00:02:49.085
national origin, religion,
and regional differences.

00:02:49.572 --> 00:02:52.977
Let me give you an example of how
cultural diversity can have an impact

00:02:53.019 --> 00:02:54.227
in the workplace

00:02:54.237 --> 00:02:57.306
and on a company's
critical business objectives.

00:02:57.689 --> 00:03:01.538
A Fortune 500 company relocated
to a Rocky Mountain location.

00:03:01.698 --> 00:03:02.745
The reason?

00:03:02.829 --> 00:03:07.976
Lower costs for salaries, space,
and a reputation for a strong work ethic.

00:03:08.485 --> 00:03:12.577
First, there's the obvious cultural
issues between living in New York City

00:03:12.587 --> 00:03:14.171
and then moving out west.

00:03:14.383 --> 00:03:15.765
But there was a lot more.

00:03:15.893 --> 00:03:17.208
The role of religion -

00:03:17.255 --> 00:03:18.687
the religious norms -

00:03:18.697 --> 00:03:21.780
affected the workplace and
every aspect of the community.

00:03:21.867 --> 00:03:24.374
And in the case of racial
and ethnic diversity-

00:03:24.436 --> 00:03:26.912
people from the various groups
that make up New York City

00:03:26.943 --> 00:03:28.280
were a bit uncomfortable -

00:03:28.315 --> 00:03:31.624
some of them - in an environment
where they felt isolated...

00:03:31.774 --> 00:03:34.030
There was no community
of people like themselves.

00:03:34.180 --> 00:03:35.968
Now, it eventually worked out.

00:03:36.352 --> 00:03:39.702
They increased their level of cultural
competency as a result of this.

00:03:39.836 --> 00:03:42.749
But the tuition was quite
high for the learning.

00:03:43.303 --> 00:03:48.046
So, cultural diversity is about
differences that exist in society

00:03:48.127 --> 00:03:51.577
that come into every workplace
through the hiring process.

00:03:51.712 --> 00:03:54.312
Now, what about
workforce diversity?

00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:58.202
Basically, workforce diversity
is about the similarities

00:03:58.268 --> 00:04:02.824
and differences created by organizations
themselves, through things like...

00:04:02.897 --> 00:04:04.153
Occupations,

00:04:04.215 --> 00:04:05.653
job classification,

00:04:05.719 --> 00:04:07.386
compensation plans,

00:04:07.396 --> 00:04:08.906
hourly or salaried,

00:04:08.916 --> 00:04:11.292
and sales or research
and development.

00:04:12.957 --> 00:04:15.812
You know, you can have a workforce
that looks pretty much the same

00:04:15.823 --> 00:04:18.136
and still have workforce diversity.

00:04:18.505 --> 00:04:20.547
Take, for example,
a Midwest company

00:04:20.562 --> 00:04:24.172
where the diversity issue was
really between Production and Sales

00:04:24.229 --> 00:04:25.563
more than anything else.

00:04:25.776 --> 00:04:27.453
Production was convinced

00:04:27.464 --> 00:04:30.812
that Sales was out there making
impossible promises to customers

00:04:30.823 --> 00:04:32.438
just to boost sales.

00:04:32.707 --> 00:04:34.055
On the other hand,

00:04:34.174 --> 00:04:38.602
the salespeople saw themselves
as the key to the company's success.

00:04:38.842 --> 00:04:40.842
They felt that they worked
long hard hours

00:04:40.852 --> 00:04:43.352
to sell a product
without real support

00:04:43.384 --> 00:04:44.665
from production people.

00:04:45.345 --> 00:04:48.986
They called the production department
the "sales prevention " department.

00:04:49.136 --> 00:04:50.189
Now, this could be written off

00:04:50.200 --> 00:04:53.392
as the "normal" tension between
sales and production that exists

00:04:53.426 --> 00:04:54.878
just about everywhere -

00:04:55.123 --> 00:04:57.123
but this company went
a step further.

00:04:57.179 --> 00:04:59.179
They used their cultural competency

00:04:59.189 --> 00:05:02.565
to really get at the underlying
cultural issues behind this conflict.

00:05:03.278 --> 00:05:04.971
Now, they have
cross-functional teams

00:05:04.982 --> 00:05:07.174
that include both sales
and production people,

00:05:07.272 --> 00:05:09.272
and this has meant increased sales,

00:05:09.282 --> 00:05:12.546
increased customer satisfaction,
increased team work,

00:05:12.635 --> 00:05:13.609
and better morale.

00:05:14.337 --> 00:05:16.640
So, let's review for just a minute.

00:05:16.728 --> 00:05:18.906
EEO is about requirements.

00:05:19.025 --> 00:05:21.593
Affirmative Action
is about representation.

00:05:21.656 --> 00:05:23.906
And diversity is about relationships.

00:05:24.118 --> 00:05:27.203
And, when it comes to diversity,
we all need to be able to recognize

00:05:27.237 --> 00:05:29.237
and respond to those situations

00:05:29.247 --> 00:05:33.187
where diversity really does matter,
so we can deal with them productively.

00:05:33.431 --> 00:05:35.431
And that's what we're
going to look at next...

00:05:35.459 --> 00:05:39.234
the skill of being culturally competent
and why that's so important.

00:05:45.633 --> 00:05:47.875
You know, I know what diversity is...

00:05:48.033 --> 00:05:50.171
how important it is and everything.

00:05:50.228 --> 00:05:53.468
But it's not like something practical;
something I can do.

00:05:53.665 --> 00:05:55.468
How can I use it?

00:05:56.602 --> 00:06:00.796
Okay, diversity is a fact of life
in our organizations, right?

00:06:00.971 --> 00:06:04.640
So, the question is - how can we use
our awareness of diversity

00:06:04.651 --> 00:06:06.359
to be more effective?

00:06:06.806 --> 00:06:09.382
Being culturally competent
means having the ability

00:06:09.398 --> 00:06:13.054
to recognize and respond to
our similarities and differences;

00:06:13.200 --> 00:06:16.648
and make better decisions
based on that understanding.

00:06:17.220 --> 00:06:18.726
Why is that so important?

00:06:18.808 --> 00:06:20.679
Well, think about it.

00:06:20.921 --> 00:06:23.679
See, people entering
the workplace today

00:06:23.689 --> 00:06:25.945
have grown up in a diverse world.

00:06:26.064 --> 00:06:29.414
They not only expect diversity
to be part of the workplace;

00:06:29.424 --> 00:06:33.914
they expect the people who work there
to be able to deal with it effectively.

00:06:34.221 --> 00:06:36.610
Being culturally competent
is also important

00:06:36.621 --> 00:06:41.133
because it helps us adjust and adapt
to the change that's all around us.

00:06:41.392 --> 00:06:45.023
Everything from global competition
to changing technology.

00:06:45.105 --> 00:06:47.289
The list goes on and on.

00:06:47.533 --> 00:06:50.851
And then, of course, there's
the customers we deal with.

00:06:50.940 --> 00:06:54.351
You've got to be culturally competent
to keep your competitive edge -

00:06:54.361 --> 00:06:57.648
to be able to anticipate a wider
range of customer needs.

00:06:58.658 --> 00:07:01.219
There's a great example of
a major automobile company

00:07:01.230 --> 00:07:04.886
that used cultural competency in
coming up with the design for a minivan.

00:07:05.051 --> 00:07:08.004
Instead of the traditional
"heads down engineering approach"

00:07:08.015 --> 00:07:09.072
they had used in the past,

00:07:09.083 --> 00:07:11.900
they listened to several women in
the company who pointed out

00:07:12.050 --> 00:07:15.290
that most of the buyers for
mini-vans are women

00:07:15.300 --> 00:07:16.322
with children.

00:07:16.597 --> 00:07:20.060
So, they asked the women
employees - in effect -

00:07:20.445 --> 00:07:22.825
what would you want in a new van?

00:07:22.923 --> 00:07:25.247
And the result was innovations like

00:07:25.355 --> 00:07:26.591
built in car seats,

00:07:26.602 --> 00:07:30.544
remote control doors so you can
get in and out easily with a toddler

00:07:30.580 --> 00:07:32.310
or an arm full of groceries.

00:07:32.653 --> 00:07:35.607
They used the diversity in the organization
to come up with new solutions

00:07:35.633 --> 00:07:38.825
that helped them sell their
product more effectively.

00:07:39.678 --> 00:07:44.364
So, being culturally competent is
important because, among other things...

00:07:44.530 --> 00:07:46.724
It helps us communicate better;

00:07:47.014 --> 00:07:48.942
build better relationships,

00:07:48.952 --> 00:07:50.896
develop better solutions,

00:07:50.937 --> 00:07:52.708
and be more productive.

00:07:52.974 --> 00:07:57.021
It also helps the organization
become an employer of choice.

00:07:57.306 --> 00:08:00.536
It helps us respond to rapid
change in the workplace.

00:08:00.624 --> 00:08:03.458
And it helps us anticipate
customer needs.

00:08:04.311 --> 00:08:07.263
See, the reason being
culturally competent

00:08:07.274 --> 00:08:09.364
can help do all those thingseing.

00:08:09.374 --> 00:08:11.817
is because when you're
culturally competent,

00:08:11.827 --> 00:08:15.817
you know there is more going on beneath
the surface than what you're seeing.

00:08:16.108 --> 00:08:17.208
For example,

00:08:17.219 --> 00:08:18.426
take an iceberg.

00:08:18.644 --> 00:08:22.037
Most of what's going on with an
iceberg is below the surface.

00:08:22.158 --> 00:08:24.412
It's a lot like that with people.

00:08:24.546 --> 00:08:27.178
The most important
parts of who we are;

00:08:27.344 --> 00:08:28.959
those things that define us,

00:08:28.970 --> 00:08:32.350
like our beliefs, our values
and our thought patterns -

00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:35.350
the things that drive our
behavior and our decisions -

00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:37.303
they're pretty much
below the surface

00:08:37.314 --> 00:08:39.318
where they're
not obvious to others.

00:08:39.593 --> 00:08:42.209
The real clash occurs
beneath the surface,

00:08:42.281 --> 00:08:45.240
where beliefs, values,
and thought patterns

00:08:45.282 --> 00:08:46.412
conflict.

00:08:46.719 --> 00:08:48.719
And, like I said earlier,

00:08:48.775 --> 00:08:51.965
being culturally competent is
the skill of being able to recognize

00:08:51.976 --> 00:08:54.230
what's going on under the surface,

00:08:54.252 --> 00:08:57.480
and then make better decisions
based on that understanding.

00:08:57.692 --> 00:09:01.077
So, if cultural competency
is a skill we all need,

00:09:01.140 --> 00:09:02.734
how do we practice it?

00:09:03.024 --> 00:09:05.359
Well, by being FAIR.

00:09:05.624 --> 00:09:07.952
And that's what we're going
to talk about next.

00:09:14.711 --> 00:09:19.874
I think being fair is treating others
the way that you'd want to be treated;

00:09:20.095 --> 00:09:23.677
or maybe treating them the way
they would want to be treated...

00:09:23.792 --> 00:09:25.443
I think that's right.

00:09:25.640 --> 00:09:29.052
But, still, I can't read
people's minds.

00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:32.320
So, how do you know
exactly what to do?

00:09:33.172 --> 00:09:35.289
We all want to be treated fairly.

00:09:35.314 --> 00:09:39.148
And we all want to be seen like
we're being fair with others, right?

00:09:39.401 --> 00:09:42.211
So, the question is,
how do we do that?

00:09:42.611 --> 00:09:47.743
Well, the key is to have a common way
to talk about and practice being fair.

00:09:47.870 --> 00:09:50.462
And that's what
the F.A.I.R. tool does.

00:09:50.705 --> 00:09:52.962
By giving and receiving feedback.

00:09:53.034 --> 00:09:55.259
Offering and requesting assistance.

00:09:55.346 --> 00:09:58.946
Including others and making
sure we ask to be included.

00:09:59.105 --> 00:10:02.725
And making sure we encourage
respect by treating people

00:10:02.736 --> 00:10:05.072
the way they want to be
treated and letting others

00:10:05.103 --> 00:10:07.368
know what respect means to us.

00:10:07.830 --> 00:10:11.571
See, being fair is more than
just an idea or philosophy -

00:10:11.652 --> 00:10:14.008
it's a practical, proven tool.

00:10:14.206 --> 00:10:16.135
F.A.I.R. is like
a checklist we can use

00:10:16.146 --> 00:10:18.440
to make sure we're asking
the kinds of questions

00:10:18.476 --> 00:10:20.428
and doing the kinds
of things that we need to do

00:10:20.439 --> 00:10:22.284
in order to be culturally competent.

00:10:22.490 --> 00:10:26.127
You won't always know the diversity
issues behind every situation.

00:10:26.366 --> 00:10:29.742
But if you use this tool,
it will help guide you.

00:10:30.282 --> 00:10:33.337
For example, not long ago, I worked
with an employee and his manager

00:10:33.348 --> 00:10:34.986
who were really struggling.

00:10:35.439 --> 00:10:37.837
The employee was unhappy
because he felt

00:10:37.902 --> 00:10:40.524
like he was running up against
some issues that were

00:10:40.535 --> 00:10:42.852
a direct result of his race.

00:10:43.049 --> 00:10:47.133
And he felt like any time he tried
to discuss it with his manager,

00:10:47.144 --> 00:10:48.835
it just fell on deaf ears.

00:10:49.235 --> 00:10:52.499
The manager, on the other hand,
felt the employee was using race

00:10:52.525 --> 00:10:55.927
as an excuse for being uncomfortable
in a new job assignment;

00:10:56.223 --> 00:10:59.096
the manager was about to give
the employee a low performance rating,

00:10:59.107 --> 00:11:02.798
and the employee was ready
to file a discrimination complaint.

00:11:03.027 --> 00:11:06.350
Using the F.A.I.R. approach with
them resulted in a dialogue

00:11:06.396 --> 00:11:08.367
where both employee and manager

00:11:08.378 --> 00:11:11.339
came to a new level of understanding
about the challenges

00:11:11.350 --> 00:11:12.679
they both faced.

00:11:13.152 --> 00:11:16.992
And they agreed on a more productive way
to address those issues in the future.

00:11:17.189 --> 00:11:18.367
In short,

00:11:18.683 --> 00:11:20.836
F.A.I.R. helped them become

00:11:20.880 --> 00:11:22.429
more culturally competent.

00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:26.484
The point of understanding
the impact of diversity

00:11:26.495 --> 00:11:30.082
and being culturally competent
by using the FAIR approach

00:11:30.093 --> 00:11:33.146
isn't just to ensure we'll all
be nice to each other.

00:11:33.327 --> 00:11:37.036
See, our organizations are in
business to accomplish a task.

00:11:37.118 --> 00:11:39.958
And that takes the cooperation
of employees

00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:41.443
and customers.

00:11:41.655 --> 00:11:44.349
Now, to maintain that cooperation,

00:11:44.415 --> 00:11:47.536
we have to be able to deal with
three things effectively:

00:11:47.611 --> 00:11:51.528
the business environment,
change, and diversity.

00:11:51.772 --> 00:11:53.528
You neglect any
one of those three -

00:11:53.539 --> 00:11:55.539
and the organization
will crumble.

00:11:55.658 --> 00:11:59.700
You pay attention to all three, and
the organization will continue to grow.

00:11:59.866 --> 00:12:01.943
And that's why we've
been talking about the things

00:12:01.958 --> 00:12:03.691
we've been talking about today...

00:12:03.794 --> 00:12:05.113
because they're important...

00:12:05.124 --> 00:12:06.441
to all of us.

00:12:06.576 --> 00:12:08.301
Here's what it comes down to...

00:12:08.311 --> 00:12:11.098
When we understand
and value diversity;

00:12:11.217 --> 00:12:13.217
when we're culturally competent...

00:12:13.304 --> 00:12:15.082
When we use the F.A.I.R. approach...

00:12:15.106 --> 00:12:17.596
We get better at the things
that really matter.

00:12:17.758 --> 00:12:19.488
We're better at communicating.

00:12:19.623 --> 00:12:23.004
We're better at building relationships
and solving problems.

00:12:23.045 --> 00:12:24.645
We're more productive.

00:12:24.695 --> 00:12:28.051
We help create the kind of place
where we all want to work.

00:12:28.232 --> 00:12:30.678
And we help maintain
our competitive edge

00:12:30.689 --> 00:12:33.319
and build our customer
service advantage.

00:12:33.453 --> 00:12:37.740
So, if you want to help make all of
that happen at your organization,

00:12:37.900 --> 00:12:39.444
here's what you've got to do...

00:12:39.613 --> 00:12:41.412
Here's the real bottom line...

00:12:41.484 --> 00:12:43.484
You've just gotta be F.A.I.R.

00:12:43.557 --> 00:12:44.412
Period.

00:12:44.468 --> 00:12:46.115
End of story.