The benefits of diversity in a team environment

Introduction

Diversity refers to what makes every individual distinct, and it involves their backgrounds, personalities, personal encounters, values, and everything else that defines them who they are. The unification of multiple ethnicities and group traits enhances diversity by creating holistic concepts that help organizations thrive. When there is diversity in a community, individuals attempt not to make everyone equivalent but rather appreciate the differences that make them all exceptional. Diversity amongst an organization does not occur simply by mixing individuals with different backgrounds. To assist the organization, people’s peculiarities must be acknowledged, appreciated, and matched. This article aims to explore the benefits of diversity amongst a group, types of diversity, issues that group experiences with diversity, various ways small groups can bridge differences, and some of the principles they should apply.

Benefits of diversity in a small working group

Diversity in the workplace helps the workers to be more engaged, and it helps in employee retention. Organizations with a diverse staff are more accepting of various individuals’ features and opinions (Leroy et al., 2021). In the organization, diversity makes all workers feel appreciated and respected. Workers who feel appreciated and respected at work are happier, thus improving their workability, resulting in increased profits. As a result, organizations with increased organizational diversity have reduced turnover percentages. Workers have a sense of ownership of the organization and are less inclined to quit due to the organization’s dedication to diversity.

Identify at least ten different types of diversity.

Cultural diversity- This form of diversity is tied to every individual’s ethnicity, and it is typically the collection of standards they receive from the community they were nurtured in or the ideals of their families (Reiners, 2021).

Race diversity- Race is a recognized trait that relates to an individual’s ethnicity, color, country, and cultural or geographical background.

Religious diversity- This form of diversity relates to the existence of various faiths and religious perspectives in the organization.

Age diversity- This refers to working with individuals of various ages and, more significantly, generations.

Sex and gender diversity- pertains to all the differences in sex traits, and gender identification, without specifying each identity, conduct, or attribute that makes up this plurality.

Sexual orientation- This refers to the emotional and sexual attractiveness of an individual toward others. It can vary and is not always similar to an individual’s sexual behavior.

Disability- This category includes a wide range of impairments and persistent diseases, from psychological to physiological (Reiners, 2021). Organizations usually make appropriate adjustments to assist individuals with impairments in integrating into the workplace, such as creating accessible elevators or offering psychological medical assistance.

Life experiences- Many individuals go through a diversity of events throughout their lives, and these encounters can assist some colleagues at work or the firm as a whole.

Personalities- Organizations must have a variety of personalities for innovative discoveries or insights to emerge.

Socioeconomic status- Individuals from various socioeconomic backgrounds seem to have diverse perspectives and viewpoints on life, which could help the firm or group.

How might diversity benefit a group?

Cultural viewpoints can stimulate innovativeness and drive invention, so diversity may enhance a team. A team’s varied ideas and individual and professional achievements can provide new ideas that can motivate group members to perceive things creatively. Collaborating with individuals from various backgrounds, opinions, and mindsets can result in creative thinking. Diverse teams are also highly efficient and function effectively. A varied team’s diverse backgrounds, abilities, and operational techniques can result in problem handling ability and high production (Leroy et al., 2021).

What are some of the issues that small groups experience with diversity?

Tolerance and appreciation, ethnicity and regional variations, and interpersonal communications are some of the challenges that small organizations face while dealing with diversity. Acceptance fosters reciprocal esteem within small organizations, and if neither one appreciates and embraces each other, disputes emerge. Group members may develop prejudices towards persons of other colors, nationalities, races, and religions, which can lead to conflict. Finally, employing a group participant who communicates limited or, no English might diminish efficiency by causing communicative problems among group participants.

How can small groups bridge differences, and what are some principles that they should apply?

Small teams can overcome disparities by carefully paying attention to comprehend each other before issuing judgments, creating conversational environments that cultivate an appreciation for individuals’ specific interests, and eliminating communication that is destructive to each other’s dignity. Small teams must be vigilant, flexible, eager, and thoughtful in order to overcome disparities. Participants of teams must be able to trust in the benefits of diversity. According to Adams and Galanes (2021), there are two rules that small teams must follow in order to overcome gaps. The first is recognizing the importance of diversity. “Enjoying the advantages of diversity necessitates valuing it rather than merely “managing” it” (Adams, Galenes, 2021). The second is to recognize the discrepancies publicly. Small steps can be taken to foster the importance of diversity proactively.

References

Bailey Reiners. (2021, February 1). Types of diversity in the workplace you need to know. Built In. https://builtin.com/diversity-inclusion/types-of-diversity-in-the-workplace

Hannes Leroy, Inga J. Hoever, Claudia Buengeler, Marlies Veestraeten, & Meir Shemla. (2021, April 27). Fostering team creativity through team-focused inclusion: The role of leader harvesting the benefits of diversity and cultivating value-in-Diversity beliefs – Hannes Leroy, Claudia Buengeler, Marlies Veestraeten, Meir Shemla, inga J. Hoever, 2021. SAGE Journals. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10596011211009683

Katherine Adams, & Gloria J Galanes. (2021). Communicating in groups: Applications and skills (Book, 2021)