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Managing a Culturally Diverse Staff

According to Census 2000 one out of every four Americans identified themselves as a member of a minority group, up from one in five 10 years ago. This means that workplaces are becoming more culturally diverse, which often requires managers and others to continually rethink the ways they work with people.

“Cultural competencies are not something that you can learn in a four-hour diversity training,” says Kelly, principal consultant and trainer of St. Paul, Minnesota-based Lila Kelly Associates. “They are developed through a lot of hard work, just like other skills and abilities. Diversity is the way of the future, and there’s no turning back. If you want to be successful as a manager, working to become culturally competent is one way to get ahead.”

For the past 15 years Steve Morris of Singapore-based Steve Morris Associates has worked with Global Fortune 500 firms headquartered throughout Asia, promoting diversity management into workplace cultures. He says awareness and acknowledgment are imperative for the future success of any manager.

“The main thing to remember is to respect each person as an individual. Everyone has a unique background and heritage,” says Morris. “Show respect for others’ heritage, traditions and most importantly, them as individuals. Don’t generalize. No ethnic or cultural groups are exactly the same.”

Caleb Fullhart is an Area Manager for Ajilon Office, a national administrative staffing firm. He manages eight direct reports and about 100 indirect reports, who together form a melting pot of ethnic backgrounds.

“Managers should take the time to learn about the skills, knowledge and backgrounds of their staff,” says Fullhart. “These conversations will allow managers to find out about the differences and similarities in the cultural values of their staff and build on those differences for the benefit of the group.”

Fullhart says that managers should embrace the value of diversity, which helps employees to work collaboratively and in turn be more productive. Morris, meanwhile, says it’s important for managers of culturally diverse workplaces to dedicate time to bond as a team, including holding team sessions to discuss ideals or values, or where people can discuss their culture, heritage and history.