Are you wondering how to celebrate diversity in the workplace?
Recognizing the diverse employees who work in your office can serve as a great way to promote inclusivity. When workers feel appreciated for who they are, they're more likely to thrive at work. Moreover, recognizing diversity can improve cultural competency.
Below, we'll get into 6 different diversity-related activities you can practice with your team. When you conduct these activities, you help your workers feel more seen and celebrated at the office. Keep reading to learn more about managing a diverse workplace!
1. How to celebrate diversity in the workplace: recognize It
If you want to know how to celebrate diversity in the workplace, start by recognizing it.
Many people are afraid to call attention to differences between people out of fear that it could sow division. Yet, identifying diversity can show your team members that difference can be a positive thing.
One way to highlight diversity among your team consists of creating a diversity flower. If necessary, divide team members up into groups of 8-10 people. Have each group make a flower.
To craft this flower, start with the center. Have employees write down a trait everyone in their group shares. Then, give each employee a petal and ask them to write down any personal traits that are important to them. Stick each petal to the center of the flower.
Have each group appoint a person to give an overview of their flower. The team can then discuss the common and unique traits among the members.
2. Play "I am, but I am not"
Internalized prejudices remain one of the biggest challenges to creating a healthy work environment for a diverse workforce. When people allow their unintentional prejudices to color how they view their coworkers, work relationships can sour, and employees may not feel as comfortable in the office.
One of the best ways to combat this is to play the "I am, but I am not" game with your team. Give each person a piece of paper and have them divide it into two sections. Across the top of one section, write, "I am." At the top of the other, write, "But I am not."
Then, have each person fill the paper out. For instance, a worker might write, "I am Jewish, but I'm not religious" or "I'm a Christian, but I'm not conservative."
After everyone has finished filling out their paper, ask people to talk about what they've written. This should help break down common stereotypes and help other team members see how diverse their workspace is.
3. Potluck office lunch
Having a potluck office lunch helps you foster relationships among team members while celebrating diversity.
At your potluck lunches, ask everyone to bring a dish that represents their culture. These dishes can include what they had growing up or what they like to make for their families now. On the day of the potluck, encourage employees to try a little bit of everything.
If they want, some people could even talk about the history of the dish and how common it is in their culture!
Before you do this, collect information about allergies employees may have. Then, see to it that any workers with allergies are alerted to dishes that may contain that allergen.
4. Start an office book club
If you're looking for a great way to foster employee relationships outside of work, a book club is a great place to start.
It's also a good way to promote diversity at work. When you have a book club, you can choose reading material from a diverse community of authors. You also can choose books that represent different people groups.
Studies show that people who read have the ability to empathize with a wider variety of people. So, if you want to increase cultural competency and foster more cross-cultural empathy, starting a book club is a great step.
To make sure everyone has time to read the book, either carve out time during work or make the club optional. You can also send summaries to employees who don't have time to read the books.
5. Celebrate diverse holidays
To celebrate diversity in the office, consider holding parties for more than just Christmas or other holidays.
For instance, you can have celebrations for Eid or Passover. Before doing this, do your research on the culture behind the holiday and make sure you do it respectfully. Honor any dietary requirements for the holiday, such as eating halal food for Muslim holidays.
In addition, offer your employees paid time off for any holidays they observe.
6. Host diversity training sessions
One of the best diversity activities includes diversity training sessions.
These sessions focus on helping people dismantle unintentional prejudices and learn about different people groups. Doing this helps people from a variety of groups feel like valued members of your workforce. It also helps you fight discrimination in the workplace.
At your diversity training sessions, it's best for your employees to hear from people from a wide range of backgrounds. Ask speakers who specialize in diversity training to come in.
Ready to celebrate your diverse workplace?
Now that you've read this article, you know how to celebrate diversity in the workplace.
If you want to better manage your diverse workforce, you should check out Mesh's software. Mesh allows you to oversee employee performance and productivity. You can also manage the projects your employees are working on.
Want to know more about what Mesh can do for you? Contact us today!
