Health Resources

Many of the long-established theories of human motivation point towards creating an environment where people feel valued and are recognised. In reality, many organisations (and in sharp contrast to their equality policies) operate a practice of organisational assimilation where everyone is encouraged to do what everyone else does.

This is often typified within induction programmes where new starters (a minority group) are shown how to become members of the majority group. Fit in or get out is the unspoken yet underlying message.

While of course, all organisations must have procedures, rules and regulations, otherwise organisational anarchy would prevail, this organisational assimilation is often completely at odds with the aspirations of many managers. How often does a manager ” particularly in times of crises, express a desire for more initiative, different thinking or creativity within their teams? In our experience the answer is often, yet those very same qualities, rather paradoxically, often get either suppressed or lost somewhere along the way.

Feeling included is an important measure

If you had a personal characteristic that was different to that of the majority group within your workplace, would it be important to you that this difference was recognised, understood and embraced? And if your difference was not embraced and you felt excluded what would you do? (Your options would actually be surprisingly limited in these circumstances.)  Read more...

Britain has never been more diverse and the need for organisations to recognise and manage equality and diversity issues has never been more prevalent. Yet many organisations are still standing firmly behind the starting line even though they realise they are being left behind.

Back in the 1980s equality was, for many organisations, a matter of race and gender issues. In the early part of this decade there was a rush to train managers to comply with the (by then established) gender and race discrimination laws.

Never ask a woman if she intends to have children during a job interview, said many training officers of the time. Why not? replied many 1980s male managers.

While it can be argued that things have moved on considerably in the last 20 years, more often than not this is not the case. In reality, many organisations (large, small, public, private etc) still remain confused as to what is required of them within this area and why they need to do anything in the first place.  Read more...