Getting the Most Out of Employees

Leveraging Human Potential

Creating Organizational Initiatives to Appreciate Diversity and Leverage Human Potential

Diversity in the workplace is the reality not the exception in today's business world, so it is vitally important that organizations launch initiatives that relate to understanding diversity. Also, by relating realistically and fairly to diversity, organizations should to what they can to leverage the human potential available to them, including getting the most out of employees from every ethnicity, every culture, and every nationality. In this paper the references are used in order to address the initiatives that I feel are important.

True to Myself

In the Chapter 13 "True To Myself" feature the scenario follows the plight of a woman hired as the token female just to satisfy diversity requirements. Only because major shareholders were females -- the daughters of the deceased founder -- was there an apparent need to comply with diversity standards. Ethney, the new hire, was told that if she was willing to become "one of the guys" and accept that the men run things, she would survive.

Answer to question number ONE: If I were Ethney, I wouldn't play the game of being one of the boys, but I wouldn't go out of my way to push my policies and opinions right away. I would be cooperative and helpful and try to get to know the men on a one-to-one basis, if possible. But I wouldn't try to be someone I am not because faking my own values and beliefs would cause me great stress and eventually I would break down. Question Two: One important strategy would be to become a very alert listener; listening to the men discuss the history of the company, the way oil is found and extracted from the ground, and showing tolerance for their opinions. The pro: you show you're willing to listen and learn; the con: you might be viewed as an insignificant neophyte. Question Three: Being "true to yourself" is not as important as getting a firm grip on your new job. Learning, listening, cooperating -- those are vital behaviors because you're not likely to carve out a career in an oil-company-related work environment, where diversity isn't likely to be accepted. Moreover, it is quite doubtful that Ethney will be able to leverage her true human potential in this work environment.

Analysis -- HR Professionalism

If we're talking about diversity within an organization, the origins of putting together a diverse workforce (and the process of sustaining a diverse workforce) is the duty and responsibility of the Human Resource department. A 2013 peer-reviewed article in the International Management Review doesn't relate specifically to diversity but certainly addresses the way in which HR managers can leverage the potential of employees. While this article specifically brings attention to the need to bring IT (information technology) advances into the HR component of organizations, it also points to six behavioral competency domains that impact a company's ability to get the most out of employees (i.e., how to leverage the human potential of employees).

"The Credible Activist" is a person that takes a stand or a position that may not be universally embraced, but this person is "respected, admired…and listened to" (Suen, 2013). This is what Ethney should attempt to become but the odds are stacked against her. "The Operational Executor" assures that policies are put in place that advances HR technology (and if technology can enhance the chances of getting the most out of everyone, then it should be a priority) (Suen, 20). "The Business Ally" is the person on board that "serves the value chain" and interprets the "social context"; the "Talent Manager & Organizational Designer" is responsible for finding and keeping top quality talent in an organization, and presumably diversity and leveraging potential is part of that person's assignment (Suen, 20). "The Culture & Change Steward" in an HR department "appreciates and embraces the company's culture" and is a communicator that helps the good flow of information within a diverse environment; and "The Strategy Architect" understands how to "make the right change happen" in the workforce; this presumes that fairness, equality opportunities and an open, welcoming dynamic is present in the diverse workforce (Suen, 20).

Analysis -- Workforce Diversity

Roosevelt Thomas Jr. writes that there are "mixed signals" within the process of assuring diversity and diversity management in American businesses. On the one hand it would appear that American society (including businesses) has embraced diversity, given that there is an African-American president and women are now seen more frequently in executive positions in corporations. Human potential cannot be leveraged without the cooperation of top management.

When Thomas talks about "diversity management," he means "…the capability to make quality decisions both about and in the midst of differences, similarities," along with the complexities and the tensions that are part of that dynamic (Thomas, 2011). The decision that a manager must make should be "congruent" with the vision, the mission, and the strategy of the company, Thomas explains on page 1.

The idea that workforce diversity is a good thing and brings with it the opportunity to leverage the abilities of people from all ethnicities and backgrounds did not suddenly arrive in the consciousness of management and HR professions. Thomas said this approach to business diversity has evolved over the last sixty or so years, and the author identifies three strategies that led to workforce diversity as a need and an important component of business success: a) "managing workforce representation" (1960s); b) "managing workforce relationships" (1960s); and c) "managing diverse talent" (1980s).

Integration

Thomas claims the civil rights laws (including an end to Jim Crowe policies that was accomplished thanks to the new laws) that were established in the 1960s had a great impact on workplace diversity (justice, fairness, equality under the law played into the need for companies to be more inclusive). Originally bringing in employees from diverse backgrounds (i.e., integrating the workforce from all-white to many colors and cultures) wasn't just about leveling the playing field for all workers; it was about the need to "mainstream individuals" who had unfortunately been left out of the workforce (specifically, African-Americans, other minorities and women) (Thomas, 3).