It is the first step in understanding diversity. There is several ways to grasp this concept. The best may be to try to imagine ourselves and the people we work with as components in a machine. No two parts are alike or have the same function. However, when they are all put together with strong hands and perseverance, it turns into a "well oiled machine." Diversity should be viewed as a thing of beauty bound by people working together to achieve one common goal. The differences we all have are our strengths that help us work together to be successful in the workplace and in our personal lives.
Diversity in the workplace refers to the differences we see in one another and ourselves. Gender, race, culture, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, mental challenges and physical abilities are some of the differences most of us encounter in the workplace. It can also be defined as the differences relating to relationships in the workplace such as management verses non-management. Diversity initiatives and affirmative plan are two different approaches to dealing with differences in the workplace. Diversity is more focused on building equity within the workforce while affirmative action refers to equality in the workplace (Grossman, 2000).
Diversity in the workplace is not about employees becoming like one another. It is about conjoining into one multi-cultural workforce. It is also not about persons being required to like each other but people learning to work with one another to achieve the common goal. When we take the time to value diversity, we are in essence seeking to incorporate, not necessarily understand, our differences. Diversity is about allowing and respecting differences. This should be done until the differences we once saw no longer have an impact on how we perform in the workplace. Pollard states "diversity without unity makes about as much sense as dishing up flour, sugar, water, eggs, shortening, and baking powder on a plate and calling it a cake (1996).