In a diverse workplace, the workforce is made up of individuals with different nationalities, races, ages, genders, and even abilities. While this may seem like a very complicated setup or situation to work in, companies that go for diversity are often the ones who are more productive and have employees that are inspired and satisfied.

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2. In a diverse
workplace, the
workforce is
made up of
individuals with
different
nationalities,
races, ages,
genders, and even abilities. While this may seem like a
very complicated setup or situation to work in,
companies that go for diversity are often the ones who
are more productive and have employees that are
inspired and satisfied. So how do companies manage to
keep workplace diversity to their advantage? Well, this
isn’t an easy task either. In fact, companies in Canada,
for instance, have developed diversity management
programs to make sure that they continuously benefit
from the diversity in their workplace. Without such
diversity plans and programs, these issues will arise:
For companies, workplaceConflict among employees:
diversity allows them to be more creative and get
better ideas on various aspects of the business. For the
employees, however, diversity can cause conflicts on
the basis of difference in gender, age, and cultural
background. Of course, you cannot expect people from
different parts of the world to be able to work in
harmony that easily. That’s why it is very important for
supervisors and managers to address whatever issues
there are among their subordinates. It is vital also for
employees to be well-oriented on working with people
who don’t share the same values and beliefs with them.
One ofPoor communication within the organization:
the biggest challenges that managers face in handling
workplace diversity is how to address language barriers
within the organization. A supervisor himself should be
fully aware of the difficulties being faced by those who
are not fluent in the language used in the company.
Thus, he must come up with a plan that will help make
everyone comfortable in communicating with one
another. In fact, many companies offer language classes
to their employees who speak a different native
language. If such problems with language barriers are
not properly addressed, there will surely be poor
communication within the company, which then can
result to loss in productivity.
Successful companies seeLack of individual progress:
to it that their workers grow as they grow. Smart
employers believe that their workers’ career
development is their development as well. This isn’t an
easy task to accomplish in diverse workplaces because
employees who feel isolated and undervalued are likely
to lose their confidence in themselves and in their skills.
As a result, they become unproductive and they lose
their motivation to even remain in the company.
In Canada where there are thousands of new Canadian
immigrants coming every year, companies even
consider getting the expert services of career planners
and coaches to help their employees figure out how
they can achieve career advancement. This is a very
important move on the part of employers because it
involves some degree of investment on their part as
well. But then again, the benefits they gain out of such
programs are significant to their overall success as well.
In a more
modern
workplace, it is
very common
for employees
to come from
different
countries. And
so, for supervisors and managers, the challenge is to

3. interact with their subordinates who may have some
language issues, especially if English is not the native
language of the workers. Considering this, there is a
high possibility for miscommunication to take place in
the workplace.
For those people with higher positions in a company,
what’s even more challenging is to lead an employee
training seminar. Here, they are supposed to provide
valuable information. Thus, they must make sure their
audience fully understands their presentations. In a
diverse workplace like Canada, this is a common issue
that employers need to address. It is the responsibility
of managers and supervisors to find ways to bridge the
language gap between them and those immigrants that
work in Canada.
Tips for Bridging Language Gaps in the Workplace
Change your level of language to be appropriate for
If you are to lead a trainingyour listeners or audience.
seminar for employees who come from different
countries and have different languages, it is important
that you first get to know how much your listeners
understand your language, which in this case must be
English. You should then make some adjustments to
your speech to that it could suit their comprehension
skills.
We all have aBe sure to pronounce words clearly.
tendency to be kind of lazy when we are speaking our
own language. It is common for people in the workplace
also to use acronyms and shortcuts or workplace codes.
But if you are interacting with individuals who are not
comfortable yet with the language used in the office, it
is crucial that you make your pronunciation clearer.
Also, always try to speak just a little slower than how
you normally do to give your listeners a bit of time to
absorb and understand what you are saying.
There are someDo not ignore cultural differences.
differences in culture that can complicate the
understanding between you and your listeners. This is
despite your efforts to speak slowly and clearly. For
instance, if you use the word “football” to refer to the
popular sport, people from other countries may be
more familiar with the term soccer for such a sport.
Thus, it is important that you understand some basic
cultural differences and how they may affect your
interaction with your coworkers.
The use of aids, such as videos,Make use of visual aids.
graphs, pictures, and other stuff can be of great help to
you as you try to bridge the communication gap
between you and your new Canadian staff or
coworkers. These materials are proven effective even in
clarifying whatever confusion may arise on the part of
your audience.
If you come to
think of it, there is
virtually nothing
that can be
accomplished in a
workplace that
lacks effective
communication.
You cannot expect there to be guidance, instruction,
discipline, mentoring, feedback, and support to allow
the organization to grow. Trust is key to outstanding
communication in the workplace. Of course, this should
come from management, who needs to set a good
example to the employees. Especially in a diverse
workplace like what is common in Canada, supervisors
need to work harder to achieve effective
communication within the workplace. Below are some
tips on how this could be done.
#1 Make everything clear. As a supervisor, make sure
you write or say what it is exactly you want your staff to
do. If your means of communicating is in writing, refrain
from using awkward and vague terms and phrases. Use
words that can easily be understood by the people you
are addressing. Take into account also the comfort of
your subordinate. For instance, talking to a staff
member in person may be intimidating, so if it is
possible to do it in writing, that would be much better.

4. #2 Improve your nonverbal communication skills. Keep
in mind that what you do and not say can still speak
much about what your message is. Be aware of how
your gestures and body language affect your
subordinates. In talking to your staff, be sure to keep
eye contact to show interest and respect to the person
speaking.
#3 Encourage your subordinates to discussions.
Encouraging your staff members to participate in the
decision making process will allow them to feel more
comfortable with your as their leader. The opportunities
you give them to speak up can also make them feel
valued by the company. Of course you need not agree
to whatever they say, but don’t be harsh in criticizing
them. Provide feedback as well, as this can greatly help
them to figure out what aspects of their work need
improvement.
#4 Have consistency in meeting with personnel. Setting
a specific schedule for staff meetings is helpful in
keeping the communication lines within the company
open. In determining the best time to hold such
meetings, don’t forget to consider the individual
schedule of the staff members as well. Pick a time that
will suit everyone else. Make sure also that such
meetings will not go on for too long that it may
interfere with the more important things your staff
members have to attend to.
#5 Beware of language barriers. In a diverse workplace,
such as in Canada, leaders of organizations and
companies need to learn how to address issues
concerning language barriers. In dealing with new
Canadian immigrants, for instance, it is important that
you know what their language culture is. The last thing
you would want to happen is be misinterpreted and be
thought of as rude or arrogant by your staff members.
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