Sunday, 4 November 2018

Improving Race Relations In The Workplace

By Thomas Davis


The problem of racism has refused to die the world over. It still elicits raw emotions in public and private sector to the point of making the work environment unbearable. It is the responsibility of managers and their workforce to find the best approach to managing race relations so that they do not affect productivity. The following expert tips will make it easier to manage racial relationships and interactions in order to keep work environments productive.

Build consciousness on the issue of race within your organization. The beginning of finding a solution always lies in acknowledging the existence of a problem. Once you fail to acknowledge that a problem exists, you will be sitting on a time bomb. When people in an environment are aware that a problem exists, they will take proactive steps to prevent spillovers that can be dangerous.

Make people aware or sensitive to the fact that racial differences exist in the society. This involves brief understanding of the history of racial confrontations. The materials used during education must be approved and ascertained to provide a balanced coverage. If the materials fail to cover the issue fairly, the prejudices will be entrenched. With a clear understanding of underlying issues, finding a solution to some of the conflicts that arise is easier.

Domesticate the issue to make it easier to understand. There are a lot of theories shared on different racial conflict points. Other people share events that happened centuries ago or in other regions. Share what has happened to people in your circles or organization. People can easily identify with such persons and develop the awareness required to generate a solution. You also use the opportunity to be a role model of productive racial relationships.

Be quick and fair when addressing issues that arise in your organization. Speed is important because it prevents small issues from escalating. Some people have higher tolerance levels. You must therefore set standards and address the issues whether a person got offended or not. Fairness also sends a signal that even the small issues are important.

Ensure that organizational composition at all levels is diverse. This will create sensitivity to racial issues. If all managers are of a singular race, the likelihood of bias increases. In fact, it will be difficult to address complains objectively. Most of the biases are hidden and will manifest in scandalous situations. If the organization has a policy on equal recruitment and employment, it will be easier to deal with the issues whenever they emerge.

All racial discrimination issues must be dealt with firmly. Workers should be reprimanded for saying mean things about other races. The action taken should be firm and commensurate to the level of damage done. Do not allow conflicts to remain unresolved for too long. Ignoring them will cause small issues to be blown out of proportion.

An organization will manage race issues by being firm, deliberate and prompt. Action taken must be deliberate and affect all cadres of your organization. Create awareness of the need to avoid racial confrontations and put in place other preventive measures to make the work environment conducive for all races.




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