| Not only do we
live in an increasingly multicultural society, many
employees take up overseas assignments and postings,
finding themselves in different cultures and work environments.
How can you be sure that your internal communications
match the needs of a diverse and inclusive culture?
Perhaps the first question should be – 'what
is a diverse and inclusive culture and do we have one?'
Diversity means all the ways in which we differ, obvious
differences being gender, age and race and nationality.
Less obvious differences are religion, sexual orientation,
education, beliefs, ideas and experiences. Inclusion
means that, having accepted those differences, we put
them to good use.
One way (and perhaps the most important way) to embrace
diversity is through your internal communications. Take
a look at some examples:
- Religion. We’re not saying
that everyone must celebrate every religious holiday.
But does everyone know when they take place? Posting
them on your intranet is a good place to start. Also,
when you have gatherings (individuals, departments
or company-wide), do you cater for different religious
dietary requirements?
- Race and Nationality. Can non-English
speaking employees read internal communiqués
in their own language? It costs nothing to ask one
of them to translate and they could even write articles
themselves.
- Gender. Some industries may be
regarded as a ‘man’s world’, but
invariably the woman’s touch brings out additional
qualities not yet tapped into. Do you ever invite
women to present their views? When it comes to internal
meetings with men and women, the level of egos in
the room can significantly drop!
- Education and Experiences. When
did you last find that, in leadership or motivation
exercises, some people had more effective communication
skills than others? Have you thought why? If it’s
down to their education or previous experiences, do
you draw on these for future events?
- Ideas. Employees who are ‘quiet’
may still have ideas to put forward. How open are
you to receiving ideas? Do you provide opportunities
at gatherings? Do you have a link in your intranet
for posting ideas? Or are you trying to avoid conflict?
- Disability. Do you have Braille
capabilities for employees with impaired vision and
sign language facilities for people with impaired
hearing? How far do you go to ensure that everyone
receives your messages?
So, where's the value in this? Well, it all boils down
to that well-known phrase - sharing best practice. If
you make a point of drawing on experiences, promoting
ideas, making people aware of situations, dates and
events - be it through meetings, bulletin boards or
intranets - you are motivating people and maximising
their potential. That’s good news for your employees,
your company and of course your customers.
Could our specialist internal communications consultancy
help your organisation to be more effective? Click
for an initial discussion.
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