The new rules concerning the chemical policy of the European Union had became reality; on December 13th 2006 the European Parliament approved the new Regulation of Chemicals known as REACH . Some days after the EU Council adopted REACH on 18th December and published it on December 30, 2006 on the Official Journal of the European Union as Regulation EU no. 1907/2006.The guidelines of regulation will be published within few months in 2007. The regulation has been voted in plenary session with 529 positive agreements, 98 negative and 24 abstains, that will permit to REACH to enter into force on 1st June 2007 with the first requirements and all along the 2008 for other requirements.

Companies involved would be all those that import or produce chemicals (phase-in and new substance) over 1 ton per year in the European Union. Important principles will therefore be the importation the manufacturing and/or the placing on the EU market of chemicals, For more dangerous substances (those under authorisation) a plan of substitution should be developed by the companies in order to switch to safer alternatives; this is a key point under the new regulation. The following main points represents the pillars of the new regulation Duty of care: Manufactures, importers and downstream users are responsible of a safe introduction into the market of chemical substances in order to take care of human health and environment. Therefore Competent Authorities are no longer the responsible for the safety of compounds and the application of the risk management measures but companies themselves before registration. Data sharing: The regulation promote a list of dispositions that encourage companies to share available data on substances that have to be registered, and request to inform the consumers on dangerous substances that can be found in final products.

Promotion of alternative methods to animal testing: The regulation promote the use of alternative methods to animal testing. Methods that first shall be validated by the EU Commission. Furthermore in order to avoid duplications of tests on animals, companies involved will have the possibility to declare the availability of a data (especially performed on vertebrate animals) to be shared with other possible registrant data before starting a new test. A SIEF (Substance Information Exchange Forum) of all data coming form registration or from a pre-registration procedure will be exchanged between interested companies. Registration and Chemical Safety Report: Companies must register every chemical substance imported or produced over or equal 1 ton per year, to the ECA (European Chemical Agency) which will be placed in Helsinki. Every substance over 10 tons per year, must be also followed by a Chemical Safety Report, dispositions of which will be listed in one of regulation annex. Pre-registration (phase-in substances) A substance which has a EINECS number; has been manufactured but not placed on the market 15 years before the entry into force of the regulation and/or is considered a no-longer polymer may be pre-registered in order to benefits of a transitional period to enter in the system. The transitional period is divided in three main periods, 3.5, 6 and 11 eleven years to allow the registration of all the phase-in substances

Authorisation: The more dangerous substances (CMR, PBT, vPvB, etc.) are subjected to authorisation by the EU Commission. The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) will produce a list of candidate substances considered dangerous and therefore submitted to authorisation. Authorisations are temporary, since they should be substituted. Their validities will be valuated case by case. Substitution: Producers and importers of authorized substances have to submit to the ECA a report of alternatives in order to substituted the dangerous product. If the report shows the evidence that suitable alternative exists, companies must submit to ECA a substitution plan, and a detailed calendar of actions to undertake. Restrictions: Every substance considered very dangerous will be listed in a specific annex. For those strong production and importation restrictions will be adopted.

Conclusion The new regulation is considered in Europe a sort of revolution in the approach of the safety for chemicals manufactured or introduced in the European market; the most important news is that all actors in the supply chain of a chemical will have some responsibility in the process towards the Competent Authorities, the Agency and/or the its supplier or its downstream user. Non EU companies which imports chemicals to Europe need to understand the mechanisms of the new regulation as they may have some impact on their business. Therefore It’s becoming urgent for all (manufacturers, importers, downstream users and non EU companies) to act proactively to face the new REACH requirements in order to be prepare for the 2008 application. REACH is a regulation directly applied in all member States without any reinforcement in the legislative system of each European country.

Companies needs to create a multidisciplinary team involving different internal functions such as: - Management to allocate human and financial resources; - Regulatory Office to prepare registrations and general paper work; - HSE Heads for the occupational and environmental aspects; - Legal Office in order to manage the consortia and commercial relationships with competitors; - Sales and Marketing office to check the market implications.

It is expected that large companies will not have huge problems to comply with the new regulation but small medium enterprises (SME) will need to re-organize their internal resources and surely to ask for support from external specialized bodies able for:

- Chemical Safety Report preparation; - Data bank searches; - Monitoring of committed safety studies (toxicology, ecotoxicology/environmental fate and physico-chemistry); - Support to set testing programmes on the basis of the manufacturing levels and type of substance (intelligent testing); - Economic evaluation of the testing programme in case of consortia participation; - Exposure scenario and Risk Assessment.

More information on reach -> www.chemsafe-consulting.com

In the era of globalization, there may be numerous alternate service providers. But, eventually Darwin’s theory reestablishes itself ‘survival of the fittest’ and hence only few remain in our memory. For instance, in terms of answering services MAP Communications Inc always rules on the horizon. Basically such services have become the parameter of quality service. If you are a service provider then it does not mean that your responsibility ends by receiving money from customer end. True professionals remain accountable even after selling the product because customer base matters a lot for them.

Here, the key issue is the focus. Either you can focus upon your core service or you can focus upon subsidiary services like answering. Hence, numerous answering services providers are rapidly emerging in the market. They significantly promise efficient, cost saving and enhance features in their services but rare companies adhere with their words till the last hour. What should we expect from a hardcore answering service provider? This is a major question for all service providers and service seekers as well.

Demands and intensity level of answering services depend upon the core product. For instance, medicine or lives saving drugs require high intensity level of answering services. Hence, you need ergonomically developed answering such as:-

1) Toll free number, because even a poor person may need such services.

2) Instant response with prompt back up to ensure emergency does not become a disaster.

3) Call pick up time must be fastest.

4) Customer calls never should be on hold mode.

Similarly, requirement for technical services would be different. Answering service provider must possess qualities like:-

1) Good understanding of technical terminology.

2) Every customer does not be tech friendly so handle with care is required there.

Besides above mentioned points, personality measures also play huge importance for an answering service provider. Key requirements in answering service executives are crystal clear and soft spoken voice with enormous patience. Software may assist a bit but it can not be a perfect alternate of human resource. Almost all prominent answering service providers are perfectly aware with this fact and hence they offer customized service system. Under such service system, as per the requirement company precisely segregate the roles of software and human resources. A perfect human resource can be created by absolute contentment amongst employees because a half hearted work can not be acceptable in answering services.

Thus undoubtedly, all new concept of answering service has been proved very effective but it has germinated bundles of expectations and a huge challenge is rising ahead. Challenges are not only confined with the support and satisfaction of customers, even it has incorporated the task of business development.

Thus in concluding words, answering service is comparatively a very new concept in service sector and it has been welcomed whole heartedly. If, such overwhelming response is quite encouraging then it is challenging as well. The big challenges for answering services would be consistence expansion of customer base and consistent relevancy of the services in contemporary dynamic market.

If you are looking for more information related to Answering Services then feel free to visit http://www.mapcommunications.com

If you are looking for more information related to Answering Services then feel free to visit Answering Service from MAP Communications Inc.

One of the key parts of sales that you will learn in sales training is the importance of being the expert. There are some obvious reasons why the prospective customer must view you as an expert in the products that you are selling. The methods of being viewed as an expert are a little more difficult.

Trust is the major reason why you must be viewed as the expert in the products that you are selling to your customer. They must be able to see you as someone who will guide them along the right path toward the product that they should buy. Most people realize that sales people are interested in selling, but they still ask the questions and they still seek advice from sales persons.

You must know your product well so that you can answer these questions. Before you begin trying to sell a product you should read every bit of information that you can get your hands on so that you will be able to answer your customer’s questions. This is one of the ways that you will be viewed as an expert. If you are not able to answer a customer’s simple questions, they will not be able to trust you to sell them the right products.

When customers are looking at your products, offer them some information on the product that they may not have realized before. You are in a good position to know every facet of the product and if you can give them some information that they didn’t have before, the customer will see you as knowledgeable on the product.

With online selling, becoming an expert is the same except that you will establish yourself as an expert by the content on your site. Create content that will give some useful facts to those that are looking for information on the problem that your product can solve. Include articles and other information so that the web shopper can visit your site to read more information on the product.

Make sure that the content on the site is updated frequently. This is the way that you can bring your customers back for more. It will keep you established as someone who knows more about the product than the average user.

This is something that you will learn with effective sales training. It will take a bit of hard work and homework on your part, but it will be worth it when the customers come to you for your expert opinion on the products that you are selling.

Learning how to sell effectively is not an easy task. There are a great many nuances to the art of selling to consumers. There are some books on the subject that will give you some good direction. For a more intense look at sales, you can take a look at a sales training course for you and the people in your business. If you own the business, it is in your best interest to make sure that your staff understands this kind of information.

Peter Geisheker is the CEO of The Geisheker Group marketing firm Peter develops and implements strategic marketing programs including sales management training as well as sales training for businesses of all sizes.

Broadcasting is the term most often used to describe the act of disseminating the news, but for some companies, narrowcasting the news may be a good business strategy.

People’s news gathering habits have changed drastically over the past few years. Businesses that use digital signage can benefit from adding a news feed to their signs. Not only will narrowcasting the news get more people’s attention, it fits right in with the way many coveted demographics (affluent, educated and under 40) get their news – on the fly and in small chunks.

Trends in News Gathering

It used to be that people got their news from their daily paper or their nightly national news broadcast. With the rise of the Internet, news seekers have shifted to online sources in huge numbers. According to an August, 2008 report by the Pew Center for the People & the Press, the changes have been dramatic:

• In 1998, 13% of the public went online for news three days a week. In 2008, that number had increased to 37%.

• In 1998 only 6% of respondents went online for news on a daily basis. In 2008, that number had increased to 25%.

• In 2008, 80% of people reported that they absorb news in some way every day. But traditional news sources (newspaper, TV networks and radio) saw their share of the news gathering audience shrink from 90% in 1994 to 73% in 1998.

What does all of this mean to companies with narrowcasting networks in their restaurants, bank branches, transit platforms and waiting rooms? People want to be informed. They want the latest news. And they are comfortable getting it from a wide range of sources, even those that might have been frowned upon as less than trustworthy a decade ago.

Including news in your narrowcasting network adds value. Instead of feeling they are being advertised to, people will appreciate the information being provided and gain a positive impression of your business.

And how does your business stand to gain? Again, we can extrapolate from the Pew Center study. The study divided groups into segments, including Integrators and Net-Newsers. The Integrators gather news from traditional and online sources. Net-Newsers rely much more heavily on online sources for their news.

It is what these segments have in common that is of most interest to creators of narrowcasting programming. They are both well-educated and affluent. Net-newsers are younger, but both groups combined represent a highly desired demographic in the eyes of advertisers.

How Narrowcasting the News Might Work in Your Business

News narrowcasting is not suited to every business. Busy grocery or department store shoppers will not stop to read news items on a digital sign. But for businesses where customers need to wait, narrowcasting the news makes sense: in a restaurant lounge where people wait for a table; in a medical office; in a bank branch; on a commuter train or subway platform.

The news feed can be incorporated as a small segment of the screen, leaving ample opportunity for your narrowcasting network to display video and images that promote your business. A balanced approach to informing and marketing will resonate strongly with your audience, and have a positive influence on your business.

For more information on Narrowcasting Services contact a Narrowcasting Consultant at http://www.ek3.com/narrowcasting-services/consulting.htm

Employers care about a lot of things that relate to their employees, who are, after all, their most valuable resource. But how many of them have discovered that happily married employees actually increase their profitability? Sadly, the answer is not very many. But that situation is changing, because increasingly a growing body of research points out the many benefits that companies enjoy when their employees are in stable, happy marriages.

You can get the full details by reading these studies. My purpose in this brief article is merely to whet your appetite and open your eyes to what the company you work for or run could gain by getting involved in the marriage strengthening business.

Among the benefits you can expect are:

Happier and healthier employees.

Happily married men, for example, are absent fewer days and stay in their jobs longer. People in good marriages tend to practice healthier lifestyles so they avoid being out sick, too. That means they are less likely to tap expensive health care services.

Greater commitment.

Happily married dual career couples have been found to have a stronger commitment to their employers. This is especially important given that the average employee will change jobs fifteen times in his lifetime.

Younger employees.

It’s astonishing but true. A happily married male is the equivalent of being 18 months younger than his biological age. Meanwhile, a happily married female is about six months younger than her biological age. Younger, healthier employees not only use fewer health care services, but also they bring more enthusiasm to work with them every day.

More productive workers.

Researchers have shown that employees who have good relationship skills -– like the ones needed to sustain a fulfilling marriage -– are among the most productive, even when they are exposed to significant stress at work.

Workers who get better over time.

Many things deteriorate over time, but not so employees who come from long marriages. Their performance actually improves with each year they remain married.

Workers who sing your praises.

Companies that support their employees’ relationship needs through sound corporate policies are prized by employees. They recognize that such a company is an excellent place to work. Not only are they reluctant to move on to greener pastures, but also they are likely to spread the word to others about what a great place it is to work. Of course having that reputation is priceless and will make attracting new employees a lot simpler.

One more thing.

If these “intangible” benefits still don’t convince you that the health of your employees’ marriages is your business, then perhaps this next fact will make the difference. For every dollar your company spends on physical and relational wellness programs, the return on investment will be huge-– and that’s not factoring in the increased happiness of the couples involved. One study involving nine companies ranging in size from 50 employees to 50,000 employees found that the return on investment was nearly 500 percent. Other studies place that figure even higher, at nearly 700 percent.

I hope that reading this information leads you to explore this topic further and to learn what other companies are doing to make strong marriages their priority. With over three decades’ experience as a marriage and family therapist, I work with companies who are doing exactly that. Companies who support employees’ marriages are finding themselves richly rewarded on many levels.

Dr. Beth Erickson is a marriage and family therapist, radio host, author of Marriage Isn’t For Sissies: 7 Simple Keys To Creating the Best Part Of Your Life, and developer of “The Best Part of Your Life” program for executives, entrepreneurs and their spouses. Dr. Beth has appeared on NPR and in Cosmopolitan, USA Today and other national media.

Visit http://www.Dr.BethErickson.com to receive email updates from her and to take a marriage assessment quiz that lets you know how your marriage stacks up. And visit http://www.AskDrBethErickson.com if you want to ask her a question that she will answer personally.

Using Surveillance Technology against Abuses at Work

It’s is safe to say that the affordability of today’s surveillance technology, most homes offices, and business establishments are equipped with surveillance systems - CCTV security cameras to be precise. No other surveillance arrangement can beat this system when it comes to reliability and affordability.

Most offices and business establishments are wired with surveillance cameras for different reasons. Some managers resort to CCTV security cameras for security purposes while others do so to monitor the workflow of their employees. Others still, install security cameras to prevent workplace harassment.

Workplace harassment is not synonymous to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment in the workplace has been around a long time - ever since women were allowed to join the workforce, but has only been brought to light a decade or so ago. Since then, work policies were revised to prevent this and to protect employees.

What is Workplace Harassment?

Harassment in the workplace has probably existed long before sexual harassment but was only recently been acknowledged and identified by experts. Unlike sexual harassment, which targets mostly women, workplace harassment does not exclude anyone from its victims list. And it does not matter whether you are the CEO, manager, employer or client.

This kind of harassment happens when a person is subjected to repeated, unsolicited and unwelcome behavior that is offensive, humiliating, intimidating, and or threatening by an employer, a co-worker or group of co-workers, worker, client or member of the public.

To confront this issue head on, workplace prevention policies were put in place and human resource departments trained to deal with workplace harassment. If you are a victim of workplace harassment, you should address your complaint to the human resource officer and wait out the investigation; but with recordings of the incidents by CCTV security cameras, this won’t take too long.

Protecting Workers in the Workplace

The investigation involves evaluating background documentation, policies, evidence and procedures taken up to respond to your complaint. If your office is equipped with CCTV security cameras, you can be sure things will work out for you.

In most, if not all establishments, surveillance cameras run 24/7 and cover all areas, so you assured the harassment was recorded. The surveillance records can be used as hard evidence in your case. Without CCTV security cameras, you will have to rely on witnesses - what they heard, saw or what they think they heard or saw, which is unreliable because in the end, it can turn out against you.

If you are the head of your business or office, and if by some chance, your workplace is not yet wired with surveillance cameras, make sure you have CCTV security cameras installed the soonest possible time. It will do a great deal to boost the security of your office and peace of mind of your subordinates.

On the other hand, if you are working in an establishment where there is no surveillance system, raise the issue during meetings. Suggest that the company set up CCTV security cameras to prevent workplace stalking or to stop bullying in the workplace.

In the workplace, installing CCTV security cameras, a closed circuit television, or a complete CCTV system can promote a healthy working environment. Learn more about video security from the gurus at Video-Surveillance-Guide.com today.

This article teach you how to benefit in the management of the business using your presentation skills.

Before the presentation:

Knowledge of the characteristics of the offeree the most important factors to the success of the presentation, they lead you to determine the style and language to be used, and will it be: Official or friendly. Professional, technical or slang. General information or specialized. Total or in detail

During the presentation:

• Be sure to follow listeners by your eyes fair and balanced.

• Noted the actions of the present and careful interpretation of physical expressions of the audience.

• Understanding of the situation and conditions of the audience: air, as food, stress after the working day, come from travel, and others.

Elements of the presentation:

• Introduction

• Content

• Conclusion

A-Introduction:

Designed to pave the audience and informing them about the elements of the subject.

A good Introduction made clear to the listeners the nature of the subject matter, showing them what to expect from the presentation, and the expectation of the speaker from them.

Elements of the introduction:

• Extended greetings to the audience

• Introduce yourself

• Substance of the presentation (the title)

• Time of the introduction

Content of the introduction:

• Reference to what should not be expected from the presentation

• Reference to training aids, material science, literature ,….. And other

characteristics of successful introduction:

successful Introduction must lead to:

• Attract the attention of listeners

• Break the barriers and melting the ice between the speaker and listeners

• Make listeners feel the importance of the presentation subject

• Make listeners feel of their need to information provided

• Reduction of excess expectations of listeners

• Suspense to engage listeners on presentation.

how to start an Introduction:

There are many models of good beginning, including:

• The issue of Introduction: will speak at the next hour….

• Communication with the audience: I know that the weather today is hot and you are exhausted from traveling.

• A short story related to the subject of the presentation.

• An interesting information

• an interesting question: : How much of you need a good solution for business management?

• Explain the problem and then begin to put alternatives to solutions.

B-Content:

Is the central part and most of the presentation, which aim to:

• Retain the attention of viewers.

• Help them to follow up the ideas raised.

• Directed towards findings the results.

characteristics of successful Content:

To achieve the goals:

• Is planning to build or structure of the subject the way in which to convince the audience.

• Divides the content to points (Headlines) primary and secondary clear and logical sequence.

• Be used to clarify the means of a simple and expressive.

• Use appropriate language structures to link the transition between the parts of the presentation.

Building structure of Content:

There are several methods for dividing the content of the presentation, including:

• The division of time: past, present and future.

• Factional division: finance, human resources, production.

• Comparative division: the old system, the proposed system.

• division of alternatives: the first alternative, the second alternative, the third alternative.

• Division of gradual (upward or downward:)one of the most important factor, followed by …

• Network division: individual, institution, society.

Wait for my next article Business Management and Presentation Skills part 2 about Management in Business.

Shahin is the director of the MyAboutAll business management articles and other articles as well, visit MyAboutall site for business management tips

Finding the right person to fill for your temporary management needs can be difficult. Based in London, Interim Management London is a service that can provide you with multi-discipline, experienced, senior Managers and Interim Teams to deliver external and internal projects to corporate clients throughout the UK.

Interim Management London provides experienced senior level management executives throughout the UK when and where they are needed. Their business is based on giving clients a personal service that is second to none. If you have an issue, Interim Management is there to help.

Interim Management works on an individual approach with clients. They ensure that they work side by side with their clients to determine both personal and corporate delivery of objectives. By assessing your business culture and the standards by which you work, Interim Management is then able to identify the right person or team for the job. Upon arrival to your business, managers have been fully briefed about their expectations and job at hand and are ready to add value from day one. During the assignment, progress reports are reviewed to ensure everything is going as planned and is up to the client’s standards and satisfaction.

The major disciplines at Interim Management are Project Management, Management Accountants, Strategic Procurement, IT Project Management and Human Resources. Their client sectors are Defence, Government, Construction and Aerospace.

Interim Management’s services are flexible and the terms and conditions are completely dependent on each client’s requirements. The Interim Managers are individually selected for every assignment based on your needs and business culture, the sector and discipline experience, and optimum chance of achieving the objectives with minimum risk.

In times of need Interim Management London can be there to help maintain the standards of your business. If you business is experiencing a turnover, Interim Managers can offer temporary replacement of departed senior managers so that you can maintain continuity of leadership during times of change. If you need to focus on organizational growth, Interim Management London can provide the expertise to meet the needs of current clients so you can focus on organizational growth. If your seniors are experiencing heavy workloads, additional temporary help for senior managements can be provided as well as help your company with special projects and mentoring for new executives.

TIME interim management team members are available at short notice. Equipped with a wide array of expertise, the team is able to quickly grasp your organizational objectives and take on leadership roles to help meet them. Our Interim Management professionals offer your company balance and blend into your workplace enough to succeed as leaders but also offer impartial advice and new ideas as a third party. By being in the office, but not completely immersed in the corporate culture, they maintain their unique presence, perspective and clear focus on your goals.

If your company is in need of temporary senior level management and you can’t afford to have a bump in the road, contact Time Interim Management Executives at 0207-152-6406. Your company has a high level of excellence to maintain, let us help you by providing you with excellent service.

For more information on Interim Management in London, contact http://www.sesimi.co.uk/london-uk/interim-management/

This is the age of the daily technological revolution. With the advent of web based facilities communication has become smooth and cheap and the easiest thing in the world. Laptops have helped take work to the convenience of leisure and location of choice. Automated services have helped bridge the little distance that used to separate the consumer and the producer-services.

Companies have only benefited from increased and easy interaction with customers and significant gains have been made in labor efficiency and cost reduction. A Private Branch Exchange or PBX telephone system is the new boon from technology to cheap communication. A VoIP PBX system can greatly enhance the system slashing costs all the way.

Off course with business spreading rapidly all over the world in general, companies have encountered several cases of fluctuating phone bills that are tending towards higher figures. There could be customers in every part of the world and employees equally spread out. Phone charges can in such cases be quite an expense far exceeding all estimates.

One option to handle this could be setting up a local PBSX system in every branch office. Now days though there is a better option available in Virtual Office VoIP PBX systems that can operate as a centrally fixed unit that can ease out expenses immensely. In fact, VoIP for business is here to stay.

What the firm has to do is to procure a single Internet protocol (IP) PBX system at one particular location and fix that as a corporate headquarter like service and install IP adapters everywhere else to make IP calls to any kind of phone service adopted by that particular office. This is all done through a simple software application that thus does not require the company to go through high procurement and installation costs of hardware. Switches become obsolete in the age of Internet and connections are all online. For the cheapest of rates, the employees can call any one in the same office or in any other office in any part of the world.

What else can you ask from business VOIP? Actually a lot more. Here’s what is on offer:

Great enhancements in productivity rates of off sites workers who can now work anywhere, on the streets, or at home. The office can itself provide access to the services like, music/message on hold, ring groups, and call forwarding, voice mail and caller id and many other services.

Calling inside office can become a lot cheaper and in fact nil sometimes.

PBX hardware is not necessary to buy anymore in an office and thus there are no costs associated thus.

Similarly, hardware costs can be avoided along with additional charges pertaining to the addition, dismissal, and transfers of employees.

This helps the firm raise a common framework to act as a unified corporate cover.

VoIP for business thus becomes a common avenue to facilitate communication in the case of corporate and business long distance interests. The idea is the productivity can be optimized and costs reduced massively to stabilize finances for the firm and doing all of this without compromising on any sort of business turnover or efficiency. So switch to this service now for the greatest benefits you could not have imagined.

Article written by Van Theodorou, for a free analysis, telecom audit and a free consultation go his site for business long distance or Voice T1

Opportunity for all

Is it not every individual’s right to be afforded opportunities to put forward their best efforts? To develop their potential? And to show their worth through the results they produce? Not only is this a moral and ethical imperative but, within many countries, a legal one too.

Simple statistics clearly indicate that in this way we can exponentially enhance the performance within our organizations. It would be a fool who ignores the potential of all employees and does not allow the competence levels to be increased, nor the performance to be realized. By implication, it means that those previously disadvantaged in a global or national context need concerted efforts to accelerate their development and exposure so that they can more fairly compete in an extremely competitive global job market.

The danger, of course, is that through these efforts, a mass produced “sausage” product emerges that solely reflects the existing culture in an organization. A strong message emerges then that “we will tolerate your diversity here so long as you behave just like us!” By this very action, we lose out on the true richness that diversity can offer us in the way in which we do things (our organizational culture) at work. We need to open ourselves up to new and different ways of doing things, not prematurely judging them. Then we need to embrace those aspects that will give us the competitive edge in our markets, and impact positively on our company results and profile.

Responsibility from all

Diversity is termed “The condition of being different” (Webster’s Dictionary). This definition conjures up images of a dreaded illness, whereas, in fact, the management of diversity is the process of successfully managing people who are different. It is the act and practice of leading different people in attaining organizational and personal goals.

How much better it is then to view diversity as the opportunity of being different. But with opportunities come responsibilities, in any situation.

The condition of being different does not mean that one is right and the other is wrong, or that one is superior and the other is inferior. Being different only adds another perspective or dimension to a situation. The responsibility that goes with managing diversity is to identify and use the added value of individual differences in a positive way to meet the needs and objectives of an organization. Each individual and grouping has added values that need to be identified and utilized in order to improve productivity and efficiency, and reduce the interpersonal dysfunction that inevitably seems to plague different people who must work together.

There also exists mutual responsibility with regards to diversity. It is not just within the realm of management to ensure diversity is effectively harnessed. Diverse individuals must also stand up and be counted. Only by everyone working together and bringing their “added value” to the organization can a new enhanced organizational culture emerge.

Community from all

Having a strategic shared vision in any company helps to keep all employees focused on the goal. However, having the vision is not enough. There needs to be strategic alignment throughout the organization to ensure that individual and team efforts will result in the goal being realized.

In order to integrate efforts, cohesion amongst the workforce becomes an important issue. However, what we must not confuse is “cohesion” and “sameness”. Sameness will engender a group think mentality. Without new and creative ideas, the growth and potential of any organization will be stifled. Cohesion gained with diverse people will create energetic, creative and innovative teams working towards a common goal - an unbeatable combination!

For is it not as M. Scott Peck writes in his book The Different Drum: “In and through community lies the salvation of the world…as the only way to achieve international peace…(is if) we learn the basic principles of community in our own lives and personal spheres of influence.”

Have you ensured that you don’t have a melting pot scenario at work? It is time to move away from blandness to a mixed texture in the workplace that enriches not just the organization, but each of us as human beings as well.

Take up the challenge now!

Janine is an organizational strategy and development expert who has helped myriad individuals, teams, and organizations across a wide range of industries for more than 20 years. She has hands-on experience at every managerial level. The Sergay Group, Ltd.