What does diversity mean to you

The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.

It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Diversity is a reality created by individuals and groups from a broad spectrum of demographic and philosophical differences. It is extremely important to support and protect diversity because by valuing individuals and groups free from prejudice and by fostering a climate where equity and mutual respect are intrinsic, we will create a success-oriented, cooperative, and caring community that draws intellectual strength and produces innovative solutions from the synergy of its people.

Diversity is a set of conscious practices that involve:. Diversity includes, therefore, knowing how to relate to those qualities and conditions that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet are present in other individuals and groups. Finally, we acknowledge that categories of difference are not always fixed but also can be fluid, we respect individual rights to self-identification, and we recognize that no one culture is intrinsically superior to another.

Diversity Training - Understanding how our differences may effect or influence our relationships at work peers, subordinate, boss, and customers - intentionally or unintentionally. Relationship Between Diversity and an Inclusive Work Place - The intent of looking at the diversity in your workplace and customer ranks is to create impact a more inclusive work environment for all employees and in the process attract more customers. We were able to ask questions and get to know the candidates while voicing our concerns, as well as those of our organization's members.

Diversity is more than just integration. Diversity is a state of mind. Diversity is more than just enrollment percentages or a welcoming environment. Diversity exists when you go above and beyond being aware of differences or accepting differences to the point of actively including people who are different from you. Diversity is learning from our differences to make the whole community a better place.

My voice at UVA Law was heard when I dropped by my Civil Procedure professor's office out of office hours to vent about a non-class related issue. I just needed someone to listen, and he stopped what he was doing to do just that. He didn't give me a hard time, but went beyond his job description to give me the support and advice I needed to get my head back in the game.

Even though people were scattered around the country as summer associates, they took time to welcome our new addition to the family. That's the UVA community: thoughtful and supportive, never too busy to help others. There are a lot of different faith perspectives represented at UVA Law.

Instead of being a topic of conflict, I have found many opportunities to discuss various religious beliefs in meaningful and valuable ways — not just among people from my own religion but also with those of different faiths. I have found a community here at UVA that celebrates thoughtful, heartfelt discussion. The gracious way in which people share disagreements about serious topics makes this place an incredible place to be.

Your voice at UVA Law was heard when… I took a year-long religious liberty seminar with people of widely divergent religious beliefs. The larger and more similar the group, the less likely individuals are to dissent. On one hand, individuals may feel such a strong group identification that it feels uncomfortable or threatening to disrupt the group consensus. Group norms and behaviors form and solidify quickly because they seem to share so much in common.

On the other hand, all of the individuals in the group might share such a similar set of experiences that they share the same blindspots and the same lack of awareness of their blindspots. Even groups with the best intentions can fall prey to groupthink. Irving Janis, the psychologist who first researched group decision-making, found that behavior such as bullying, rationalizing, and lapses in moral judgment were more likely under these circumstances.

Having a diverse team provides access to a wider range of skill sets and experiences and different ways of thinking, behaving and communicating. This facilitates the growth of new ideas and reduces groupthink.

Changing the culture of a workplace is challenging but rewarding work. However, there won't ever not be a demand for inclusive and diverse workplaces.

Now is always a good time to start, but if previous efforts failed, the organization needs to take a different approach. Ensure diversity in your hiring practices by making sure that you are looking at talent from all backgrounds. Don't needlessly apply barriers to entry in the hiring process, like advanced degrees, expensive certifications, or experience with certain firms.

Restate your organization's commitment to inclusive hiring, regardless of background and disability, in the job description. Make sure that when conducting interviews, you represent diversity among the panel of interviewers as well as in potential employees. Your employees are whole people, and they bring their entire selves to work everyday.

There is no way to separate work you and home you. Leaders set the pace for their organizations in more ways than one. Inclusive leadership boards make better decisions, and are a powerful reminder to the rest of the company of the values the organization embodies. Many people from under-represented backgrounds are concerned about their ability to progress in their career that ever-present glass ceiling , so seeing someone they can relate to in the C-suite reassures them that your organization is a place where they can thrive.

Don't try to build diversity on your own. Be transparent about your efforts and ask your teams for help. One person can't see or fix everything by themselves. Consider implementing regular meetings and feedback devices where your team can report on what they see, what needs to be improved, and discuss in a neutral space any concerns they may have.

Be sure you follow up by acknowledging their concerns and implementing meaningful changes. There's possibly no faster way to lose the trust of your people than by putting out a statement that isn't reflected in their day-to-day experience.

Take an unequivocal stance against racism, discrimination, sexism, prejudice, and harassment. These are human rights issues , not limited to special interest groups. Building an environment where people feel safe and valued means standing up for their rights. Diversity and teams means diversity of thought. Ask people to contribute to the discussion, especially if they haven't spoken up before.

Remember, when a conversation becomes too homogeneous in other words, when there is groupthink it becomes harder for people to speak up with dissenting opinions. Play your own devil's advocate and discuss the pros and cons of your own ideas. This will demonstrate that you are interested in the best idea, not just the most popular one.

Share the benefits of diversity with your team. Research continues to be done on the benefits of a diverse workplace. Across the board, employees are happier, healthier, stay longer, and produce more when they feel respected, valued, and included. Inclusivity builds trust within an organization.

Everyone has something that makes them different.