Learning to value differences. A Catholic healthcare system implements a cultural diversity education program

Each year the U.S. labor force is becoming increasingly diverse. Many healthcare organizations are adopting plans to meet the needs of leaders who manage culturally diverse groups of employees and to ensure that the organization can continue to attract and retain employees of all cultures. In December 1988 Mercy Health Services, Farmington Hills, MI, began a cultural diversity program to increase the number of minority and women employees, especially in management and leadership positions. Its education program was designed to enhance manager and employee awareness of their own biases and those of others and to build skills in dealing with persons from a variety of cultures. Mercy Health Services first held 90-minute educational sessions for managers. The sessions covered expected demographic changes and the importance of working together. Employees then attended sessions where they practiced interactive exercises to help each person recognize his or her own biases. In the subsequent weeks the corporate human resources staff experienced an increase in the number of employee relations problems managers and nonmanagers attributed to diversity conflict. In response, Mercy developed a pilot series of awareness- and skill-building workshops for those who managed Mercy's most culturally diverse staffs. They heard lectures on racial and gender issues and watched and discussed conflict resolution videos. Most workshop participants increased their awareness of cultural bias and their commitment to learning and practicing skills to deal with conflict.