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This workshop is sponsored by Mount Carmel Corporate Health.

The Untapped Market of People with Disabilities 
Diversity is increasingly recognized as a business benefit.  As well, changes in global demographics draws attention to the need to define common values and to build business relationships that embraces increasing levels of diversity, in terms, for example, of location, culture, religion, language, gender, age and ethnicity, and disability.  Knowledge of the needs and expectations of a growing sector of the market combined with enhanced morale and people management systems are tangible benefits for the companies who are good employers of people with disabilities. Managing diversity is increasingly seen as a key factor in determining efficiency, productivity, and overall business success.

Diversity in Thinking presented by Terry Boyd, PH.D.
In today’s organizations, we understand that the value of diversity can be tremendous for those that view it out of an appreciation for what it can add to the functioning and positive results of the bottom line. These organizations typically view diversity in the form of gender, ethnicity, and culture, which most diversity programs teach. In other words, organizations should value the differences between how males and females project the image of the organization, how they relate to various client bases, etc. Of course we must be sensitive to the needs and how we express our policies and expectations so that we are not offensive to any of our colleagues and or customers. Yes, the scope of diversity sensitivity is extreme broad and complex; no wonder we have difficulty at times identifying the values to our organization from the acceptance and projecting of our diversity models. However, there are measures that all organizations use to determine their impact on the market of targeted activity.

These business areas of measurement are: 1) How we do business: what are the principles that guide our processes; (2) What are we successful at doing: What is the purpose of our business and are we doing a good job with our performance; and (3) How we interact with the world: How do we/should we engage our customers and/or other stakeholders of our organization? The influencers to these areas of question are: What we pay attention to; What and how we learn best; What turns us on (vocationally/socially); and How we communicate. Each one of these attributes can be barriers to an organization’s success if not carefully managed; and how do successful companies manage these attributes? They do it by valuing and utilizing “DIVERSITY IN THINKING!”

Diversity in Thinking turns the diversity of gender, ethnicity, culture, etc., from a challenge into an advantage by recognizing that it is an essential ingredient in creativity and innovation. It is that creative and innovative ideas that will propel an organization into success, or keep an organization on top via the management of the diversity of thought of its employees. The management comes from first understanding the primary foundations of thinking, and then having a means by which to recognize those variances of thinking styles within your people. By compiling the right thinking styles in work-groups will serve to have “whole brain” thinking reacting to the challenges of the market with brilliant results.