As I reflect on the time I spent in Corporate America, I am reminded of all of the different types of people I met during my 24 year tenure. Towards the end of my career, I had the opportunity to live and work overseas on two occasions.

In both cases I was able to be successful because I had learned the value of leveraging diversity. During my early domestic assignments I have to admit that I was not always open to the opportunities leveraging diversity can bring. Like a lot of people, I was most comfortable with people who looked and thought like me. I had to sometimes learn the hard way how limiting this type of thinking is.

In fact, when I reflect on when I was most successful, it was during times when I was either leading diverse teams or playing a significant leadership role on a diverse team. When I became more open to other ways of viewing the business, I improved my ability to get results.

When I became more open to sharing my viewpoint with others that I normally would shy away from, I improved my communication skills. When I became more open to dropping my biases about a certain person, I became more open to listening to what that person had to say. As a result, I realized the value the person offered and was able to take advantage of their skills.

In other words, I had to learn that it is not always about me and how I want to do things. This statement is not easy for someone with a dominant leadership style to say. I always want to be in control. Yet, in reflection, I realize that when I released the need to control the project or decision, and became more open to hearing and understanding the perspective of others, the project or decision was always a better one. Learning to leverage diversity is a mandatory skill in today's workplace. With more and more emphasis being placed on team results, each of you will need to have the ability to relate, communicate, and strategize with all types of people.

Open your mind to the possibilities that can take place by you being willing to just take a couple of small steps in embracing diversity. If you would like to talk with me about some of the diversity struggles that are holding you back from reaching your next level of performance, give me a call.

As you expand your viewpoint on the topic of diversity, the purpose of this discussion is to help you leverage your relationships more effectively. If you consider the statement "none of us is as good as all of us," as the correct model for bridging differences, you are well on your way to building effective relationships and team work. I offer you the following two actions, that if completed, will help you to immediately value the differences in people within your organization.

1. During your next team meeting, initiate leadership by polling your team members on where each individual believes they offer the best contribution to the team. To ensure people will be prepared and therefore create a valuable dialog, get their agreement prior to the meeting.

   Taking this action will position you as a leader who understands how to create synergy on a team. When people are talking, actively listen to their responses. Mentally picture how you will work more effectively with each team member as a result of what you learned. You will be surprised how people view themselves vs. your perceived perception of their strengths.

   
   
   
2. Challenge yourself to spend time with two people who you don't normally associate with in the workplace. Choose a topic that if it could be solved, would help your organization to reach its goals. Seek people who are total opposites from you in the areas of communication, skills, and culture. When you initiate the conversation, immediately let them know that your purpose is to learn why they think the way they do about a topic within your organization that you currently struggle with.

   Yes, this means you are putting yourself in a position of need. To ensure you will follow through on the assignment; make sure you choose two people who you believe you could learn to respect if you knew a little more about them. Once you get over the initial awkward stage of approaching someone you don't have a relationship with, you will begin to relax and actually enjoy the conversation. Remember that the purpose of the exercise is to get a different perspective on a topic that you wouldn't otherwise hear.

Give me a call if you want to further explore how going out of your comfort zone with building relationships in the workplace will bring you closer to your professional goals.

My recommended monthly reading on the topic of leveraging diversity is, "The Inclusion Breakthrough" by Frederick A. Miller and Judith H. Katz. This book identifies three new competencies needed to leverage diversity and create an organizational atmosphere of inclusion.

Last month we explored the dynamics of the development meeting that occurred between Doug and his boss Linda. To get the complete details of the scenario, please review the March issue of our newsletter. In summary, Doug and Linda have a great working relationship. Prior to the meeting described in the scenario, Doug was in agreement with where Linda evaluated his performance. During the meeting Linda communicated that she wanted him to focus on two areas of development that she had never mentioned before.

She asked Doug to work on improving his strategic thinking and planning skills and his ability to lead change. Doug is stunned to hear Linda bring up the topic of Strategic Thinking since he felt this was an area of strength for him. During the meeting Doug did not get a chance to let Linda know about the areas he had identified for himself for development.

The questions asked were:


What are Doug's options?
Doug needs to take a moment to reflect on why the meeting took the direction it did. Given that Linda typically listens to him and provides effective feedback, he should not make any assumptions about her changed behaviors. She may know something about a potential promotion or visible project for Doug that she is not privy to discuss and wants to ensure he will be better prepared. If he truly feels he was blindsided by Linda during his development meeting, he needs to first trust that due to their established relationship, there must be a rationale reason for her behavior.

Doug then needs to strategically plan how he will approach Linda about what can be a delicate situation. He should come from a position of curiosity when approaching her vs. a position of demanding a satisfactory response. Asking probing questions about her comments should lead to a better understanding of her expectations. If handled properly, Doug may even be able to find out why Linda acted totally out of character with him.

Should Doug continue to push Linda to discuss the areas of development he has identified for himself?

Doug has aspirations to be a Project Manager and then move into a Director role. If he wants to stay on course with his career goals, he must take initiative in getting his needs met. If he feels inadequate in an area that Linda has not identified as a weakness, he may first want to consider what other resources he can leverage to answer any questions he may have.

After becoming more of a subject matter expert on the topic, he can feel confident in approaching Linda for a high level development discussion on the area. Doug should not run the risk of trying to force Linda to talk about an area of his development where she has no concerns. Remember, there is always the possibility that she is considering him for a larger role, and if that is the case she would let him know any concerns she may have. In fact, she may have done exactly that by bringing up the topic of strategic thinking from seemingly out of the blue.

Don't always assume the boss is out to get you. If you don't know where you stand with the boss, your focus needs to be on creating a better relationship. Only then will you be able to have better discussions about you and your career goals.

Stay tuned next month for a new leadership scenario.

Coaches Corner

Coach's response:
Dear Frustrated,
Do you realize that at no point in your description of the situation do you even acknowledge that you are responsible for finding ways to get the team to consider your ideas? Since you are already frustrated, the last thing I want to do is to make you feel worse, however I had to point out this very visible fact to you.

If you walk around with a victim mentality, your team members will misunderstand why you are frustrated. Most of them will assume that you have some type of issue with them.

Especially if they are of a different ethnic culture or gender. People are not apt to listen to you and your viewpoints unless they feel you will reciprocate. When they are talking in your meetings are you tuned in and giving constructive feedback?

My recommendation is that you place your focus on creating a better relationship with at least one or two people on the team. Ask them how you come across in the team meetings and do not interrupt even if you hear something you don't agree with. It will take more than one attempt to demonstrate that you want to bridge the differences on your team. If you take initiative and are sincere in your efforts, you will find that more of your team members will be interested in what you have to say.

Before you try to run to another team, I encourage you to face this diversity issue with your current team since they are already somewhat familiar with you. You will have a better chance of being heard. By the way, in today's competitive workplace you are often going to be the only person on your team with your ethnic background or gender. If you want to be successful, you must be open to leveraging relationships with others who don't look like you. The ball is literally in your court. How do you want to score?

Each month a question will be answered in the coach's corner. Submit your question to the coach at: deborah@chambersconsult.com. If your question is chosen, your identity will not be revealed.

Leadership Coach Deborah Chambers Chima offers one on one coaching, consulting, and teleclasses designed to assist professionals in creating a work environment that is challenging and provides opportunity for career growth. If you liked today's issue, you'll benefit from her interactive, results-oriented coaching designed to help you define and execute the professional development plan that will lead to achieving your goals. To learn more, log onto my website at www.chambersconsult.com.

Deborah Chambers Chima is passionate about assisting her clients with achieving their professional goals. Prior to launching her consulting and coaching firm, she achieved an award winning, twenty four year tenure in corporate management in the retail industry, in both international and domestic markets. Her clients appreciate her attention to detail and her desire to assist others in improving their productivity.

To learn more about Deborah, please visit her website at www.chambersconsult.com.

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