Let’s Be Lefties Carole N. Bingley Chamberlain College of Nursing SOCS 350: Cultural Diversity in Professions November 2014

Managers deal with social identities on a daily basis. The young, the old, sexual preference, social class, individually held practice and beliefs, and cultural backgrounds. Managers have to exhibit patience, tolerance, and commitment in order to appreciate each employee’s diversities and incorporate those diversities in a safe work environment for the employees to communicate and excel (Parker, 2012, p. 41). Administrators should be held accountable for any activity that may be contrary to promoting diversity in the workplace, such as favoring a staff member over the others or refusing to hire people who belong to certain ethnic or religious groups. Members of a diverse decision-making group have different experiences, values, and cognitive approaches. Managing diversity means acknowledging people's differences and recognizing these differences are valuable. A leader that can recognize diversity in a group can empower employees to pay attention to one another’s differences, listen to one another attentively, and incorporate those differences into completing a task (Parker, p. 45).
Cox suggested that “well-trained diverse groups perform better than homogenous ones” (as cited in Grimes & Richard, 2003, p. 8). Individual differences can be viewed as an opportunity for combining different perspectives (Parker, p. 42). Having multiple perspectives can lead to a more creative approach in problem solving and decision making, rather than the task being achieved independently (Parker, p. 42). Taylor Cox discusses in his book how diversity can add value to a company by improving problem solving, providing greater creativity and innovation, increasing organizational flexibility, acquire better quality personnel, and improves marketing strategies (as cited in Grimes & Richard, 2003, p. 9). A company can set a strong example for diversity in the workplace by having policies that make management accountable for promoting inclusion. Instead of managers expecting an integration of all the group's values, managers should find ways to create an appreciation for diversity in all employees. Administrators can teach employees: 1) to be aware and try to correct personal biases, 2) let coworkers know how you feel when they put others down, 3) get to know people from other cultures and discuss one another's heritages, 4) be flexible and willing to try different approaches to problem solving, 5) deal with conflict right away, and 6) recognize each person as an individual with something important to offer (Business and Legal Resources, 2006).
My attempt to use my non-dominant hand (left hand) for a day was futile. I decided to be a left-hander for a 12 hour shift at work, but only lasted 8 hours. Through this project I realized how one-sided the world can be in assuming that everyone is right handed. Left-handed individuals are considered the minority and endure challenges in everyday life that right-handers never experience. It was difficult for me to perform simple activities that I normally take for granted on a daily basis, such as performing my morning hygiene routine. There is a strong dislike to the use of left hand" due to its association with sanitary habits of primitive man and of the Arab world" (Masud & Ajmal, 2012, p. 49). My dominant hand is right, but I normally use my left hand for cleaning after toileting. Muslims use their right hand for eating and use their left hand to clean after toileting (Masud & Ajmal, p. 50). It was even more difficult to be left handed in a health care setting. Trying to use a computer and mouse proved to be a chore. I had to constantly reach over using my