Diversity Training: Acknowledging, Valuing and Respecting Difference
Most successful agencies are comprised of a diverse workforce serving a varied customer base. However, the role played by law enforcement officials places employees in daily conflict with those they serve in the most visible fashion. Despite technology available, law enforcement officers will continue to make split second decisions under the most extreme and unpredictable conditions. These decisions may be evaluated for years, in many cases at the cost of the affected officer.
While seemingly unique because of the inherent risk of law enforcement duties, diversity conflict can be found in all levels of government and private industry. Social and demographic shifts in the workforce generate work teams made up of individuals from very diverse backgrounds. Differences in values, experiences, gender, culture, language, education level, norms and lifestyles can cause misunderstanding. The conflict and discord that sometimes emerge can hamper the team’s effectiveness. When we focus on human relationship skills and intercultural sensitivity to build cooperation in diverse teams, we use these differences to create opportunities for innovation and change within the community.
The most successful corporations in the world prospered by celebrating diversity, valuing the input of all, and focusing as much as possible about their customers. Law enforcement will equally benefit from such training targeting the underlying issues associated with people. In doing so, law enforcement officers will improve services provided, reduce conflict and reduce inherent stress in the workplace without compromising officer safety! MTS Valuing Difference training will bring awareness to the rewards of recognizing, acknowledging, seeking and valuing differences within the department and the community.