Suggested Practices to Address Diversity Paradigm Shift Pre-Conditions

TO: Project Management Team

FROM: Project Coordinator

DATE: February 22, 2016.

SUBJECT: Suggested Practices to Address Diversity Paradigm Shift Pre-Conditions

Workplace diversity occurs when organizations, including ours, recruit employees with different experiences and varied backgrounds. In fact, we recognize that diversity in the workplace is very important in building better businesses. Despite the benefits that workplace diversity brings to an organization, it still poses challenges both to our managers and employees. Therefore, it requires careful consideration to be implemented effectively. As our company grows more international, it must continue to embrace diversity as a focal point, but this requires that we understand the challenges that it brings and ways of dealing with the challenges.

Managing diversity is important to us because it will increase our adaptability, broaden service range, lead to varied viewpoints, and promote effective execution of tasks. I have identified the two paradigms that for a long time guided how most of organizations approached their diversity initiatives. The two, the discrimination-and-fairness paradigm and the access-and-legitimacy paradigm, though prominent in their own ways have had their shortcomings. Consequently, while we can apply these paradigms to some extent, we also must realize that views and perspectives on diversity have continually expanded. This means that we have to be ready to implement a number of paradigm shifts. Fortunately, there are eight preconditions that we can use to successfully to implement the two paradigm shifts. Though we are at liberty to use all the eight preconditions, I believe we can choose only two and examine them exhaustively. In the end, we shall be able to achieve the same result that we could have got if we looked at every thing.

In our case, the two preconditions that I believe would help to enhance diversity among us include, culture of being valued, and stimulating personal development in our organization. Even though I will be indicating to you further my reasons for choosing the two preconditions, I have decided to explain a little bit here. The brief explanation that I give in this memo should prepare all the members for a candid and fruitful discussion later on. I would like to urge all the team members to do more research beforehand on this topic so that when we finally meet to discuss, our discussion will be from personal experiences, knowledge and real life situations supported by theoretical and conceptual frameworks. I believe that from our varied standpoints, we certainly would come up with a workable principle or belief that that will be specifically tailored to steer our organization forward to greater prosperity.

To briefly illustrative the two preconditions, I would start by saying that a feeling of being valued empowers team members. I believe that we become more comfortable and take initiatives using our skills and experiences. Recognizing that we all have different skills and experiences in one way or another, if we bring them together for a common purpose, then we should be able to find solutions even to the trickiest situations that befall us, as a team. The next precondition of stimulating personal development I believe should occur through continuous training, mentorship programs, and linking up with industry experts. Personal development will enable our team to acquire appropriate skills and knowledge to wade through challenges from within us and outside of the team in our projects.

This memo informs you that the debate has only started. Your full contribution towards this initiative is appreciated. Therefore, when we meet in three weeks time, our discussion should result in a united, but diversified team with the sole objective of completing our project successfully.