Below are selected SkillSoft resources from the WSU Online Training System that focus on key diversity issues.

Courses

Diversity on the Job: The Importance of Diversity and the Changing Workplace

Rather than address the legal underpinnings and requirements related to diversity, this course focuses on how to leverage the diversity that exists within the organization. It defines diversity and dispels some common myths that surround the topic of diversity. The importance of diversity within the ever-changing workplace is described, including the impact of globalization. This course also discusses the barriers and challenges that must be overcome in order to create a diversified working environment. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

Your Role in Workplace Diversity

To understand and appreciate diversity in the workplace, you must develop an understanding of yourself and the ways in which you and others view the world. Your ability to use a variety of strategies to effectively deal with diverse situations is very important. Equally important is the ability to share these effective strategies openly and leverage the diversity that exists within the organization. In this course, you’ll explore strategies to help you become aware of your attitudes toward diversity, increase your acceptance of diverse cultures, people, and ideas, and become an advocate for diversity within the workplace.

Overcoming Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

It’s not just individuals who face unconscious biases in the workplace; teams and organizations can also operate with shared institutionalized biases. Ensuring a diverse workplace requires seeing past these biases. In this course, you’ll learn about the process of overcoming organizational biases and how to function as an inclusive leader. You’ll also learn specific tactics for combating unconscious biases in the workplace.

Improving Communication in Cross-cultural Relationships

This course takes you through some best practices and strategies to help you take your cross-cultural communication to a new level. It presents a structured approach for dealing with cultural differences and making necessary adjustments to your communication style. It also offers some tips and strategies to build rapport across cultures. Finally, it helps you recognize behaviors that can hinder cross-cultural communication and suggests suitable actions to overcome them.

Maintaining a Cohesive Multigenerational Workforce

To manage a multigenerational team, you need to understand the diversity of your employees and apply various strategies to divert conflict between them. If you tap into the potential of this diversity, you’ll create a more productive, collaborative, and innovative work environment. In this course, you’ll learn about the generational differences in approaches to work and communication. You’ll also learn strategies to manage your team in a way ensures your team members feel included, respected, and supported. Additionally, you’ll learn how to implement a mentoring program that takes advantage of the varying experiences and perspectives of multiple generations.

Facing the Management Challenges of Difficult Behavior and Diverse Teams

As a manager, you will inevitably encounter difficulties when dealing with your employees. Two areas you may experience this in is dealing with difficult behavior and managing diverse teams. Whether they are blatant or less obvious, behavioral problems need to be addressed before they affect morale and productivity. Likewise, it’s important to consider the needs of all employees, no matter their backgrounds. This course covers best practices for confronting your employees about their difficult behavior and well as the key aspects of managing a diverse workforce effectively.

Books 24×7

Making Diversity Work: Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace
by Sondra Thiederman

This book offers practical ways for everyone to be more aware of their biases, stereotypes and negative attitudes. The author provides strategies for becoming aware of our biases, learning how to overcome them, and avoiding relapses.

Developing Competency to Manage Diversity: Readings, Cases & Activities
by Taylor H. Cox, Jr. and Ruby L. Beale

Blending theory and practice in numerous examples and industry models, the authors of this toolkit look closely at every level of life in a participative organization, and deflate the fears and misperceptions that sabotage change.

The Diversity Toolkit: How You Can Build and Benefit from a Diverse Workforce
by William Sonenschein

Tools, ideas, exercises and tasks to uncover and enjoy the benefits of diverse organizations.

Team Building For Diverse Work Groups: A Practical Guide to Gaining and Sustaining Performance in Diverse Teams
by Selma Myers

To be effective, teams need to be structured to account for the contributions made by team members from different backgrounds. This guide lays out a game plan team leaders and team members can use to achieve the benefits a diverse team offers.

The Inclusion Breakthrough: Unleashing the Real Power of Diversity
by Frederick A. Miller and Judith H. Katz

The resource offers a specific, tested, and proven methodology for achieving an “inclusion breakthrough” that will unleash the nearly boundless creativity and productivity of any firm’s greatest resource: its people.