Phillips, K. W., Dumas, T. L., & Rothbard, N.P. (2018). Diversity & authenticity. Harvard Business Review.
Open communication builds trust and understanding in relationships. Code switching and the fear of being judged by white colleagues discourages people of color from sharing their authentic selves in the workplace. Self-protection along with homophily, the tendency of “like” attracting “like,” puts members of underrepresented groups at a disadvantage for promotions. Why would a manager promote an employee if she does not know anything about him?
Being true to oneself and opening up across racial lines can be scary and off putting. To build a culture of trust and respect, organizations may consider implementing the following activities:
- Official company events – holiday parties, picnics, etc.
- Informal get togethers – happy hour, baby showers, lunches
- Professional development activities – retreats, skill building seminars, etc.
While these activities could build relationships, making several changes could foster inclusion across boundaries:
- Structure. Incorporate ice breaker games to eliminate the navigation at a cocktail party. Using structure when evaluating job performance could eliminate bias around the employee’s ability to “fit in”. What does that mean? How does that keep people of color out of leadership positions?
- Learning. Encourage a learning-oriented atmosphere. Instead of asking an employee if they watched a certain TV show, ask them what they like to watch. A learning-oriented culture fosters inclusion and allows for status confirming behaviors (gospel concert) and status-disconfirming interests (opera), (Phillips, Dumas, & Rothbard, 2018).
- Mentorship. Levels the playing field and facilitates relationships through interaction
Organizations benefit when employees feel free enough to share their authentic selves in the workplace. Authenticity promotes innovation and creative thinking among internal stakeholders.
L2: Demonstrate the ability to assess complex organizational environments and achieve communicative goals.
L4: Apply communication-centered scholarship to strengthen communication effectiveness.
D1: Iteratively develop inter-professional leadership competencies.
D2: Utilize communication to embrace complexity and difference.
Keywords: diversity, authenticity, inclusion, respect, trust, goals, and leadership
