At a diversity conference a few weeks ago, Paul met Todd Dewett. During their conversation, Todd told a story about the time he was mistaken for a minority group member and what it felt like. Below, he shares the story with us.

Everyone Can Understand What It Means To Be A Minority

Many times diversity trainers find it difficult to connect with an audience comprised mostly of white males. Not surprising since white males who are in the majority are not used to being stereotyped like a minority – right? Kinda. While it is true that white males do not understand what it is like to be anything other than what they are – white males, they can understand what it means to be stereotyped. You – the trainer or executive – can help them remember, and in doing so increase their comfort level with and curiosity about diversity-related issues at work.

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Last week I finished the third and final class of Cleveland State University’s Leadership Forum on Diversity series. Since most of the information presented during the series served as refresher for me, it was the dialogue among students that provided the greatest knowledge. Like in real life, open conversation is often the best teacher.

The class was filled with diverse learners: students, staff, faculty and regular folks from the community like me, interested in increasing diversity awareness and cultural competency. Yet with all of these varied personal experiences competing, we were able to create meaningful dialogue and learn a few things in the process. Did you know that military families were horrified when the KIA car company was introduced because the name also means killed in action?

It’s often the information that we don’t consciously think about and that others don’t know that provide such interesting dialogue revelations. Several months ago I wrote a post about taking the point of view of others and what I learned from having a candid discussion about race with one of my closest friends, who also happens to be African-American, although knowing her she’d probably just like me to refer to her as black.

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Here are some recent news items you may have missed concerning respectful workplaces:

>> Why employees should be shown more respect
>> How to make diversity part of the IT culture
>> University of Richmond policies help stop workplace violence
>> Face time with boss can help during downturn
>> “Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act” bill introduced

Respectful Management of Difference at Work

Have you ever had something happen to you at work that made you so upset you burst into tears?

The likelihood of you answering yes to that question is directly related to whether you check the male or female box on a census form. Without getting too caught up in the whole Women Are from Venus and Men are from Mars debate, past the age of 12, before which crying is still a gender neutral activity, women tend to cry more than men. While both men and women get angry, discouraged and frustrated, they tend to express those emotions differently. Men may yell, and scream or punch the wall. Women cry.

According to Martha Stewart, crying at work is a career limiting move. As she told one of the women on the losing team on The Apprentice some years back “Cry and you are out of here. Women in business don’t cry, my dear.”

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I realize it has not even been a year since we here in the US elected the first African-American president and that change is slow. But the recent incident at the Hunt Valley Swim Club in suburban Philadelphia  makes me wonder if we are making progress at all. Earlier this year, I questioned the future of diversity training, but now I see that we still have a long way to go in resolving race relations.

This incident at the Hunt Valley Swim Club is the latest to spark a race-related debate. Earlier this month the club rescinded the invitation as well as refunded the money of an inner city summer camp prohibiting them from swimming at the pool for the remainder of the summer. Many of the children from the camp are African American or Latino.

Although the club has denied this was a case of racism, insisting instead, it was a space issue in the pool, the comments made on television by John Duesler the swim club president seem to prove otherwise:

“There is a lot of concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion . . . and the atmosphere of the club.”

Whether you think this was an act of racism, as the camp alleges or not, as the swim club asserts, I hope we can all appreciate the wisdom and insight spoken from one of the kids involved:

“I didn’t understand because we’re all the same. We’re just a different color,” said 9-year-old camper Kevina Day Morris.