“I learned from the class that instead of imposing my gender biases into the situation , I needed to present the full range of duties, responsibilities and expectations to all candidates and allow them to make an informed decision .” Dale credits the workshop , “because it helped me make decisions based on fairness .”

Year of the Know-It-All

Doug is another supervisor who attended one of my workshops .He recalls a major lesson learned from his own employee.

“One of my most embarrassing moments was when I had a Chinese-American employee put in a request to take time off to celebrate Chinese New Year . In my ignorance , I assumed he had his dates wrong , as the first of January had just passed . When I advised him of this , I gave him a long talking-to about turning in requests early with the proper dates .

“He patiently waited , then when I was done , he said he would like Chinese New Year did not begin January first , and that Chinese New Year ,which is tied to the lunar cycle ,is one of the most celebrated holidays on the Chinese calendar . Needless to say , I felt very embarrassed in assuming he had his dates mixed up . But I learned a great deal about assumptions , and that the timing of holidays varies considerably from culture to culture .

“Attending the diversity workshop helped me realize how much I could learn by simply asking questions and creating dialogues with my employees , rather than making assumptions and trying to be a know-it-all ,” Doug admits . “The biggest thing I took away from the workshop is learning how to be more ‘inclusive’ to differences.”

A better Bottom Line

   An open mind about diversity not only improves organizations internally , it is profitable as well . These comments from a customer service representative show how an inclusive attitude can improve sales .”Most of my customers speak English as a second language . One of the best things my company has done is to contract with a language service that offers translations over the phone . It wasn’t until my boss received Mindsets’ training that she was able to understand how important inclusiveness was to customer service . As result , our customer base has increased .”

   Once we start to see people as individuals . and discard the stereotypes , we can move positively toward inclusiveness for everyone . Diversity is about coming together and taking advantage of our differences and similarities . It is about building better communities and organizations that enhance us as individuals and reinforce our shared humanity .

When we begin to question our assumptions and challenge what we think we have learned from our past , from the media, peers , family , friends , etc , we begin to realize that some of our conclusions are flawed(有缺陷的) or contrary to our fundamental values . We need to train our-selves to think differently , shift our mindsets and realize that diversity opens doors for all of us ,creating opportunities in organizations and communities that benefit everyone .

1.      What bothered Tiffany during an interview with her candidate?

A)    He just wouldn’t look her in the eye.

B)    He was slow in answering her questions.

C)    His answers to some of her questions were irrelevant.

D)    His answers to some of her questions were irrelevant .

2. Tiffany’s misjudgment about the candidate stemmed from          .

        A) Racial stereotypes.          C) Racial stereotypes.

        B) Invalid personal bias   .     D) Emphasis on physical appearance

    3. What is becoming essential in the course of economic globalization according to the author?

        A) Hiring qualified technical and management personnel.

        B) Increasing understanding of people of other cultures.

C) Constantly updating knowledge and equipment.

        D) Expanding domestic and international markets.

     4. What kind of organization is Mindsets LLC?

        A) A real estate agency.          C) A cultural exchange organization.

        B) A personnel training company.  D) A hi-tech company

     5. After one of the workshops ,account executive Dale realized that        .

        A) He had hired the wrong person.

        B) He could have done more for his company.

        C) He had not managed his workforce well.

        D) He must get rid of his gender bias.

     6. What did Dale think of Mindsets LLC’s workshop?

        A) It was well-intentioned but poorly conducted.

        B) It tapped into the executives’ full potential.

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