Q7 What is required to bring about diversity?
A A change in people's attitudes
B No change at the individual level
C A change in people's behaviour
D A change in people's awareness
E A change in people's self-awareness and how they impact on other people
F You can't change people anyway, so why bother?
A7 B) and F) are not true in our experience, but all the other possible answers are useful drivers for equality.
Equality/diversity is enacted at the individual level, in how people treat each other. It is not only a question of systems (e.g. for recruitment and appraisal) but also of day-to-day relationships. Personal change is therefore essential.
We said above that the most effective organisational initiatives are those that integrate equality/diversity with organisational needs and take a systematic approach to the whole organisation. In the same way we have found that the most successful interventions with people are those that address equality at the same time as addressing their current concerns and needs, and that work with the whole person. This includes self-awareness and attitudes as well as giving people information about equality and raising their awareness.
If you have feedback on our suggested answers (or disagree with them!) please let us know.
