Corner Office: Race in the Workplace

Sept. 18 -- Don't do diversity training! (Well, not the way it's done most often.)

For a decade now, American business has had an obsession with diversity. We've spent millions on diversity training. People have trudged across the country to attend conferences. Books on the subject have flown off bookstore shelves. All of this has been well meaning — but much of it has been misguided.

Why? Because too often, race, ethnicity and gender have been shoved front and center, and that's the last place they should be. Instead of examining people's external characteristics (where they come from and what they look like), we need to explore their underlying values. For the real reward in diversity training is learning to work effectively with people who think differently than we do.

Consider this: native-born Americans generally value directness: we tend to "tell it like it is." As managers we're encouraged to be straightforward and offer constructive criticism.

Well, if we're managing people with that same value, no problem. But suppose we're managing people from the Orient, or Native Americans, even some native-born Americans who value indirectness. To them, saving face is most important; straightforward criticism, even politely offered, can be humiliating. It can even undermine your suggested changes. You'd be far more effective if you offered a subtle suggestion: "When Mary tried it this way she had great success." Perhaps that seems uncomfortably vague. But that's only because you're an acculturated American.

Be wary of the stereotypes, however. Consider Latinos who have lived in the U.S. for a decade. Are their values Latino? American? Or a blend? And what are "American values anyway? Any presidential candidate will tell you that the core values of Jews in New York City aren't much like the core values of Louisiana Creoles. Ultimately, each of us has values all our own.

Understanding those values and observing the behavior that reflects them will make you a better manager. The better you can see another person's point of view, the better you can communicate with him. You'll get the results you need, and people will feel respected. What better retention tool could you have?