1 Motivating Diverse Teams By Temidayo Ogundiran. It is clear after globalization that diversity and inclusion are very vital for any organization that desires to be high-functioning and successful. Diversity is commonly known as differences in gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. There is also acquired diversity, which is diversity in experience as individuals work in various sectors or worked and lived in varying countries. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) further breaks down diversity into two; these are: • Visible diversity traits like physical abilities, gender, and race. • Invisible diversity traits, like sexual orientation, religion, education, and socio-economic status. Working with diverse teams can be very challenging for any organization. Communication can be difficult with multiple languages, cultural expectations, values, and different perceptions. Diversity concerning project management is vital in team practices and can enhance good relationships and respect among team members. The diverse setting encourages team empowerment and motivation in the creation of a new product or service. Organizations succeed because of incorporating different employees with different knowledge or skills, (Rock & Grant, 2016). For instance, good leadership, communication, and conflict resolution are all soft skills that are essential for a project to be successful. 2 Usually, the company will choose various people from the team who portray excellence in these skills. Motivation is what ignites performance in an organization (Henkel, Marion & Bourdeau, 2019). For a manager to be able to motivate diverse teams, he should understand what drives and stimulates employees to be effective (Furnham & MacRae, 2017). It is unwise for a leader to think that a “one-size-fits-all” method is a way to go when managing staff who have different skills, ages, career stages, and backgrounds. The leader should use an approachable to consider the entire team despite their diversity. The first step in motivating teams is by assessing and understanding your team. You cannot motivate and encourage diverse groups that you do not have a professional relationship with. When a team understands the project manager is working in their best interest, they get so motivated to excel and go beyond. As a project manager, you have the responsibility of understanding your diverse team members, discovering how to relate with them according to their age, background, ethnicity, experience, and skills. It is imperative to remember that when diversity is appropriately included in the project, the chances for failure are minimal. Another concept that works wonders is reward and recognition. Regardless of your team's makeup, reward and recognition is a tool that can inspire loyalty, and reduce human resource turnover. Team members that feel appreciated are more likely to remain in the organization. Something as simple as a gift card or a certificate of recognition can make team members feel valued and fulfilled. Bonuses, profit sharing, and pay raises are examples of motivational tools that team leaders can utilize. Project managers should 3 ensure that they recognize and value their team members despite their background, personal qualities, abilities, and life experience. Business reputation flourishes when firms show their commitment to diversity by motivating their diverse teams. The longest time of an employee is the one that he spends at the workplace. As a leader, it is essential to make work and workplace fun. Not only will it increase motivation, but it is also an effective way of reducing stress and increasing productivity. Simple things like sending a funny message or cartoon to your team members can go a long way in motivating and easing your employees' day. Utilizing simple activities, but fun, can be a source of into your institution. Managers should encourage activities like "office happy hour" to promote networking and have a chance to know each other and have fun; this will promote the inclusion of diverse team members. Do not also forget to have and follow the diversity calendar and have diversity benefits, to encourage team engagement. Image 1: (Rawpixel, 2016) Having workplace fun. 4 In conclusion, team members are like a family where trust and mutual support are essential values. There are a plethora of benefits of having diverse teams and also motivating them to be the best. Diversity increases the company's profit and even improvement to individual skills. Organize team activities to make it easy for team members and create an excellent team spirit in the workplace. Remember, diverse team motivation is a necessary factor to consider in project management. Reference Furnham, A., & MacRae, I. (2017). Motivation and performance: A guide to motivating a diverse workforce. Kogan Page Publishers. Henkel, T., Marion, J., & Bourdeau, D. (2019). Project Manager Motivation: Job Motivators And Maintenance Factors. Journal of Diversity Management (JDM), 14(1), 1-8. Rock, D., & Grant, H. (2016). Why diverse teams are smarter. Harvard Business Review, 4(4), 25. Rawpixel (2016). Group of diversity friends sits near a wall with project management. Retrieved from https://depositphotos.com/106397110/stock-photo-diversity-friends-near-wall-with.html
Purchase answer to see full attachment