Diversity and Healthcare
Managing a Diverse Workforce
The health care institution is making the possible steps to address the concerns disclosed during the mock accreditation assessment. Various working teams and groups are being organized to develop corrective action plans for forecasted dilemmas as they become evident.
For this scenario, I was chosen to lead a specific project team. Because I’m aware that diversity is an important element to producing successful outcomes, I’ve scheduled a meeting with other team leaders to provide information on this subject. Therefore, a preparation for a report on the value of diversity on the following was initiated:
- Work Groups Functions
- Different Forms
- The types of diversity as it is important among healthcare organizations
- Tools that can help ensure that diversity principle exists in these project teams
Effective work groups’ main goal is to engage in external knowledge sharing; they exchange information, ideas, and feedback, the values of sharing different ideas and knowledge increases with diversity, their different organizational affiliations, roles, or positions, can expose the group to unique sources of knowledge.
It is hypothesized that if members of structurally diverse work groups engage in external knowledge sharing, they will be exposed to different elements of work principles because of this active exchange of knowledge through unique external sources can establish new information frontiers.
The following values should be taken in consideration when dealing with diversity within a workgroup:
- There is a need to stick to the regulations and be pertinent while communicating with a diverse workforce.
- It is crucial to avoid the use of slang words when having a conversation with individuals coming from a diverse workforce.
- There is a need to understand how the persons from different cultures interpret communications.
- There should be proper mentoring of people from different cultures and sectors.
- There should be communications training given to local employees while communicating with a diverse workforce.
- Extra training should be given to foreign employees while communicating with a diverse workforce.
- Open-doors policy should be moderated while communicating with a diverse workforce
The work group function is to build skills and knowledge while helping others to understand what each team member does, and actively reflecting on team accomplishments and challenges.
The values of diversity forms are categories in social diversity, diversity in values, and information resource diversity. There are also moderating variables such as work type and work interdependence, on workgroup performance
Organizations are now initiating to discard the old stereotype of the “ and are beginning to consider the idea that realized factors such as any genders, any ages, racial groups, ethnic affiliation and cultural types can produce excellent managers. Healthcare organizations are able to see more creativity and innovations due to the embracement of letting go of this old stereotype in which the resulting diversity can bring a competitive advantage to the healthcare organization.
To reach this point, healthcare administrators must grasp several concepts. They must first have the ability to understand exactly what diversity entails. Then there should also be an understanding of the purpose behind diversity management. Third, healthcare administrators must understand that other unknown or invisible biases do exist in their respective workplace. Finally, managers should be aware of the solutions they can employ to deal with the issues of diversity management; tools that can help ensure that diversity exists in these project teams for better competency.
Specific skills and knowledge areas essential for managing a diverse workforce with sensitivity and competency begin with managers who knowledgeable in cross cultural skills, business practices and customs as well as possess increased knowledge about cultural sensitivity issues and communication styles of different cultures in order to operate and communication and thus function effectively in an increasingly diverse workforce.
Managers must have developed great communication styles attuned to different cultures to prevent any communication gaps and confusion while relaying info to a diverse workforce. Managers need superior interpersonal and communication skills to lead any workforce especially one that is made up of various ethnic groups, generations, and other orientations. Knowledge of diversity principles is essential.
All employees’ wants and delegated needs significantly evolve according to how they want their life stages to be characterized, and an efficient manager will adjust to these types of changes. By drastically addressing these changes, managers can structure a stable organizational culture out of identified diversity. (Goliath Business Knowledge on Demand, 2003)
References
- Goliath Business Knowledge on Demand. (2003, June 01). Retrieved February 29, 2003, from Industry & Market Reports: http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0198-63372/Diversity-management-an-imperative-for.html
- Liebler, J. G. (2004). Management Principles for Heath Professional. Sudbury, MA:
