You should accept managing diversity issues as just one more management responsibility. The issues involve your staff and you as a manager. These issues may or may not arise but be prepared to deal with them with the help of the human resources department and/or the legal department. Problems often begin with an offhand remark by one of your staff to another member that may have been misinterpreted. That same remark could have been intentional. There may be some act against a staff member from any of the basic diversity group constituents. As a manager you need to resolve these issues immediately. They cannot be allowed to fester and grow in intensity. The extent to which diversity issues require involvement of the human resource and legal departments depend on your ability to identify potential problems in their early stages, determine the causes, resolve them immediately if possible, and provide any additional diversity training that may be required. You also set the tone for your organizational unit through your own actions.

Dealing with the basic diversity group issues can be managed moreeasily by developing a culture of collegiality, establishing working policies and practices that maximize the use of available talent, and providing opportunities for individual growth by developing people to be the best that they can be independent of any alignment with the basic diversity group constituents. A culture of colleagues excludes no one who meets the basic skills and competencies to do the work regardless of position or level. The manager's responsibility is to select the best-qualified person, keeping in mind that job requirements vary over a very broad spectrum in every discipline. Alignment with any of the constituents of the basic diversity group should not enter the decision except if a particular orientation is required.

The organization's policies and practices must support collegiality. Actions that ignore those policies only work against developing an inclusive culture that fosters diversity. How managers choose people for developing new competencies that provide them with opportunities for growth and advancement demonstrates the importance of using diversity as a means for maximizing an organization's use of resources. Diversity is more than just tolerating those individual differences that may make us uncomfortable.

We need to be cautious in evaluating people according to our personal prejudices and stereotypes. Prejudice for or against a certain employee will be met with concern. Prejudice for may not allow the employee to fulfill expectations because of lack of ability. Prejudice against may not only destroy trust but eventually cause the loss of a competent employee.

The model for developing a department that fosters diversity and maximizes not only the competencies of the group but also provides for developing new competencies is relatively simple.

• Accept the differences in people and build upon them

• Promote free expression and dialogue

• Set high standards

• Value your workers

• Focus on the unit's mission

• Show respect for people and their idiosyncrasies

• Create a community that shares its values

• Promote differences but seek agreement

• Diffuse any animosities through education

• Encourage communication

• Don't talk down to anybody

• Encourage and critique intelligently