04-U10D1 - Managing Diversity

Workplace Diversity: Audio Interviews

Workplace Diversity in Public Administration Interviewer: In your opinion, what is the value of workplace diversity and how can (or should) public administrators position their organizations to move toward being diverse workplaces?

Representative Keith Ellison United States Congressman, 5th District of Minnesota Washington, D.C. Well, diversity I believe is a scientific principle that simply helps ensure the success and prosperity of the organization and its purpose. So for example, any farmer will tell you that when you plant seeds, you might want to have diverse types of seeds, because some seed will thrive in wet conditions, some will thrive in dry conditions, some will thrive in shady conditions, and others will thrive in other conditions, and so the fact is, is that, our organizations are similar.

So for example, if we are having an organization—I keep going back to the school example—we need a diverse staff because we have a diverse student body dealing with ever changing conditions in the school arena.

We need people who have experience with what it means to live in inner-city public housing. We need people who have experience of what it means to grow up in a rural, sparsely populated area. We need people who are seniors and who might be getting close to retirement, because they have been around the block and they know how—they have a sense of history. But we need those brand new fired up teachers who are energetic and will reinvigorate our organization. We need men, we need women, we need people of all races, all colors, all backgrounds.

What if the school were doing a curriculum on religion and we do a piece on say the Sikhs. Would it not be nice to have somebody who was Sikh there, to be able to say, well, here is what we believe, here is what we do. So the fact is, we need everybody, we need all kinds, we need everybody's voice and everybody's voice is important. Diversity enriches and strengthens our mission and our ability to advance that mission. So I think it is critically important.

I think that any public administrator needs to always ask the question: Do we have a diverse set of voices at the table? Are we hearing from our perspectives? Are we aware of the things we have not thought of yet? Very important.

State Senator Katie Sieben Minnesota State Senator, District 57 St. Paul, MN I think there needs to be some more effort put towards ensuring that people of various backgrounds can run for public office and are not inhibited by low pay. I also think that obviously it is important for, as a leader or administrator to encourage or to be supportive of a diverse workplace in allowing for people of various backgrounds to work in your office.

Ms. Deborah Chase City Council Member 1998 - 2003, Mayor 2002 - 2003 City of Kennmore Workplace diversity should be a reflection of the community, in my mind, of any rate, and that means be open minded, try to reach out to your community or understand what the mix of cultural aspects, and racial aspects, and socio economic aspects you have in you community. And so when you are out searching for new positions, make sure that your advertisement is written in a way that can attract many people from those different groups to come and apply so that you can then pick the best, and make sure that it fits your community.