Assignment
For the last half-century, the workforce in the United States has been undergoing tremendous demographic changes. For example, in 2009 women accounted for almost 48% of American workforce, compared to 37% in 1970 (Barsh& Yee, 2011). Additionally, workers under the age of 44, and those most likely to be in school, college, or professional training, are more ethnically and racially diverse than ever before (Policy Alert, 2005). This is only diversity of gender, race, and ethnicity; consider how managers today must also lead increasingly diverse teams in terms of age, experience, nationality, geographic location, and even diversity of thinking styles. Contemporary businesses draw employees from a more diverse pool of talent than ever before. To be successful, top managers must understand how to develop and lead diverse teams.
Managing a group composed of individuals with unique cultures, backgrounds, personalities, and abilities can be a daunting task. As a manager, it is your responsibility to ensure that team and group interactions are successful. As you review the Learning Resources this week to prepare for your Discussion posting, think about how you define diversity and diversity affects teams. Pay particular attention to the media resource, "Will Differences Doom the Team," which presents some of the challenges managers face when leading a diverse team, and consider the key competencies managers must possess to effectively manage a diverse team. As you prepare for your post, consider what diversity means for you and how the diversity you have encountered in your professional experience have impacted how the team functions.
With these thoughts in mind:
Part 1 (At Least 350 words or more answer questions below)
Post your response that includes the following:
• Explain the types of diversity you have encountered in your professional experience and the challenges that each type of diversity posed to a team's performance. Include in your explanation how a manager can leverage a team's diversity to improve its performance.
• Explain the challenges posed by managing, and working within, a diverse team. In your explanation, include how managers should motivate individuals within a diverse team environment who are likely to have differing, and at times, clashing priorities.
Part 2
Read a selection of your colleagues' posts.
Respond to two or more of your colleagues' postings in one or more of the following ways:(WITH AT LEAST 250 WORDS FOR EACH COLLEAGUE RESPONSE)
• Expand on your colleague's post by providing your experiences and observations, thereby providing additional context for how diversity can impact team performance.
• Provide additional or alternative insights to a colleague's post as to how managers are able to lead teams with diverse composition.
• Expand on a colleague's post by discussing he types of measures that managers can employ to promote diversity and develop individuals within a diverse work environment.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.