Presents…
PRESENTED AT
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
SEPTEMBER 2015
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
1. Introduction
2. Diversity Defined and Demystified
3. Diversity and Leadership
5. Selected Lessons in Diversity
5. Managing Diversity at Our Schools
6. Recommended Areas of Special Attention
UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY
DIVERSITY
Defined
&
Demystified
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
OF DIVERSITY
Feature of a mixed workforce that provides a wide range of ideas,
abilities, experience, knowledge and strengths as a direct and
indirect result of people’s age, culture, gender, race, nationality,
ethnicity, disability status, religion, sexual orientation, personality
and other attributes.
ORGANISATIONAL
CONTEXT FOR DIVERSITY
Team Work,
Collaboration
& Productivity
Transformation
Transformation
Management
Management
People
People
Management
Management
Organisational
Attractiveness,
Staff Retention,
ROI, Company
Values
Customer
Service
Customer
Service
Social
Cohesion,
Development,
Peace &
Stability
Professional
Effectiveness
DEFINING HUMAN
DIVERSITY
Diversity refers to differences associated with:
Education
Geographic
Location
Department
Race
Gender
Religion
Work Style
Mental/Physical
abilities &
Characteristics
Ethnic Heritage
(Language)
Communication
Style
Personality
Nationality
Sexual
Orientation
Age
Organisational role and level
Work Experience
DIVERSITY AND LEADERSHIP
Are you
free from
strong
bias?
Diversity is a
Leadership Attribute
in Global Business
Management
Are you
open to
different
ideas?
Are you
curious
about
diversity?
IMPLICATIONS FOR ORGANISATIONS
 Block talent at the gate
 Drive existing talent out of the organisation
 Drive motivation and productivity down
 Drag the organisation’s reputation through the
mud
 Real danger of group thinking in decision making
THE VALUE OF DIVERSITY
Two heads are better than one. TRUE or FALSE?
But…
Two heads that think alike
are not better than one.
It is two heads that think differently that could be
better than one.
45
Perhaps
they
have a
point
STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK
■ Easy to understand language
■ Short chapters, averaging 1.5 pages
on A5
■ Essence of each chapter captured
in highlighted lesson statement
■ Reader-friendly layout
■ Practical, real-life examples
04
Different
Like
You
UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY
DIVERSITY
SELECTED
LESSONS
VALUING DIVERSITY
PROCESS
Diversity and Interpersonal Skills
Behaviour
Step 4
Step 3
Step 2
Step 1
AWARENESS
UNDERSTANDING
VALUING
RESPECTING
YOU’VE GOT TO BE TAUGHT
You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear
You’ve got to be taught from year to year
You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late
Before you’re six or seven or eight
to hate all the people your relatives hate
You’ve got to be carefully taught
Oscar Hammerstein: “South Pacific”
01
You’ve got to
be taught
02
Balance
brought
forward
03
He who
generalises
generally
lies
With Yourself?
Are You
OK
With Others?
SELF-IMAGE AND SELF-ACCEPTANCE
LESSONS FROM THE BOOK
 Lesson 23: The myth of collective superiority and inferiority
 Lesson 29: The burden of an inferiority complex
 Lesson 16: Thinking what we think they are thinking about us
 Lesson 72: Cultural pride or cultural chauvinism
ARE YOU OK WITH YOURSELF?
 Gender
Do you accept and respect  Race
authority that comes in the
form of somebody who is  Nationality
visibly different to you?
 Ethnicity
 Sexuality
ARE YOU OK WITH YOURSELF?
 Gender
Do you accept and respect
authority that comes in the
form of somebody like you?
 Race
 Nationality
 Ethnicity
 Sexuality
EXERCISE: A CASE STUDY
A man and his son were driving on the N3 in a
brand new Land Rover.
Just past the Mooi River tollgate a dog suddenly
ran across the road.
The man swerved to avoid the animal, but was hit
from behind by other vehicles, causing a horrific pile up.
The man died on the scene, but the son was
rushed to Grey’s Hospital
by emergency vehicles. On arrival he was wheeled into
theatre where they began to operate.
The operating surgeon froze and said, “Oh no. I cannot operate on
this patient, he is my son.”
08
Competence
is race and
gender
neutral
CASE STUDY DEBRIEF
The A-B-C Model
A
B
C
Activating
Event
Belief System
Consequences
Experience
Thoughts
Feelings
1. Negative
2. Positive
3. Neutral
4. Mixed
Oscar Hammerstein: “South Pacific”
MANAGING DIVERSITY
STATEMENT
In a diverse workforce I
must always strive to
“treat others as I would
like to be treated.”
TRUE
FALSE
09
Treat others
as they
would like
to be
treated
62
Organisational
tribes at war
MAN IN THE MIRROR
I’m gonna make a change for once in my life
It’s gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right…
I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change
44
Man in
the
mirror
12
Postponing
the
inevitable
MANAGING DIVERSITY
 Leaders
MANAGING DIVERSITY
AT OUR SCHOOLS
AND RECOMMENDED
AREAS OF ACTION
 Teachers
 Students
 Staff
 Parents, etc.
MANAGING DIVERSITY
TEACHER
TEACHER
TEACHER
LEARNER
LEARNER
LEARNER
TEACHER
LEADER
SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT
RECOMMENDED AREAS OF
ACTION
Teachers and Heads
of School
Non-academic staff
Student leaders
In-service training on valuing & leading diversity
Training on diversity winning work behaviours
Training on diversity and leadership
Students
Strengthen diversity focus on Life Orientation
Curriculum
Parents
Sensitise parents on the importance of diversity
to their children’s success in future
TRANSFORMING THE BOOK
INTO
AN ORGANISATIONAL
TRANSFORMATION TOOL
TESTIMONIAL
I really enjoyed reading the book and found it very practical and
easy to read. It helped me to introspect and realize where my
own shortcomings lie. I will from now on apply and use the
lessons in the book in my class and school to ensure that each
child I encounter is treated fairly and taught to see themselves as
special because of who they are. I found Chapter 83 as a striking
reminder of how I have innocent children in my class and I can
too easily “corrupt” them if I myself bring my stereotypes or
prejudices into the classroom, thus I need to look at them.
The book has also helped me see the challenges we face in South
Africa and I encourage others to read it, so we can all become
aware of our prejudices and analyse them so we can learn to
respect and try to understand everyone we encounter.
Thank you,
Mrs Strickler - School Teacher - Solid Foundations Primary School
07
The stench
of unfairness
is the same
all around