Improving Race Relations In Workplaces

By Thomas Davis


Racial conflicts are highly emotive the world over. The public and private sector has to deal with flare-ups from time to time. This could affect your work relationships and productivity. It is the management of race relations that determines who well different communities coexist. Through proper management, interactions can be productive and the environment more conducive for all races. Here are excellent management tips to consider.

Be conscious of the fact that issues of race must arise. Once you acknowledge that such challenges are part of your life, you can find amicable ways to address them. Failure to acknowledge their existence amounts to hiding behind a screen that will lead to troubles in future. Such steps help you to create awareness among your workers and partners in order to avert negative racial altercations.

Make people aware or sensitive to the fact that racial differences exist in the society. This involves brief understanding of the history of racial confrontations. The materials used during education must be approved and ascertained to provide a balanced coverage. If the materials fail to cover the issue fairly, the prejudices will be entrenched. With a clear understanding of underlying issues, finding a solution to some of the conflicts that arise is easier.

Domesticate the issue to make it easier to understand. There are a lot of theories shared on different racial conflict points. Other people share events that happened centuries ago or in other regions. Share what has happened to people in your circles or organization. People can easily identify with such persons and develop the awareness required to generate a solution. You also use the opportunity to be a role model of productive racial relationships.

Address issues as they arise and do so in fairness. Small issues will be magnified by the assumption that they will fade aware. Even when one party is not offended, there is possibility that another would be offended by a seemingly minor act. In case conflict arises, it must be addressed fast and with fairness. This is supposed to show workers and people in the environment that all issues, how ever small they appear, are important.

Composition of your organization at all levels must show racial inclusivity and balance. The aim is to make everyone sensitive of the need to treat all races equally. A singular race in management causes people to have biases that are difficult to detect. These hidden biases sometime manifest in scandals that are likely to bring your organization down. Unless all people in the organization are treated equally through balanced recruitment and promotions, racial conflicts will always appear.

Be firm when dealing with racial conflicts. Workers and associates at all levels must be reprimanded for being biased. Firm action includes indiscriminate punishment and setting standards that are communicated to everyone. No one will claim that he or she was not aware of these standards. Firm action should also be taken promptly so that it is not assumed that the issue was ignored.

Racial relationships must be dealt with firmly and deliberately. A good relationship will not come automatically but requires deliberate efforts by participants. Be proactive when addressing racial conflicts and concerns. You must also put in place preventive measures to forestall any conflict of a racial dimension that might arise.




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