We are in the beginning stages of what many authorities believe is a revolution in the way business is conducted. The trend toward capitalizing on teamwork, increasing the capacity to compete globally, increased multinational mergers, demographics shifts, and general harnessing of diversity stretch the abilities of management to manage productively.

 An insensitive comment, a poor promotion/retention decision, poor understanding of customers from other cultures, and insensitive use of power can cost an organization a lot of money and talent these days.

 One way to increase intercultural competency is to provide management with good feedback in evaluating their relationships with direct reports. It is surprising that most organizations fall short in giving managers and other employees feedback about their diversity competency.

 One reason is that few know what competencies are relevant to diversity. It is also the case that many of those in the position to make such policies fear that bringing up the “issue” or confronting the problems related to employee biases will cause more problems. Avoiding the problems makes matters worse by potentially jeopardizing the organization.

 The use of a diversity competency assessment program based on the 360 Feedback approach can provide the resource needed to assist employees and increase organizational inclusion. A 360 feedback process involves collecting perceptions about a manager’s behaviors and the impact of those behaviors on peers, direct reports, supervisors, team members, supervisors, internal and external customers, and suppliers.[1]

 The following are examples of items relevant to such feedback.

1. Awareness of diversity competency

2. Ability to work through conflict with others.

3. The ability to make people of different cultural groups feel comfortable.

4. Ability to work with members of all groups effectively.

5. Valuing the contributions of all employees, regardless of their background.

6. The ability to be appropriately assertive and productive when working with members of other groups. 

7. Openness to being supervised by members of other groups.

8. Willingness to stand up against injustice toward employees of other groups.

9. The ability to acknowledge personal shortcomings when they surface.

10. Give all employees the benefit of the doubt, regardless of background.