Understanding the effects diversity can have in the workplace has been tricky, although sometimes rewarding, experience for managers.

In his book “The End of Diversity as We Know It,” Martin N. Davidson emphasizes not so much the idea of diversity as that of difference. Davidson, a faculty member and former chief diversity officer at the University of Virginia, encourages leaders to embrace difference and learn to recognize it and benefit from it.

He understands, however, that the human condition also involves human relationships, and that managing those relationships can be difficult. Davidson writes that engaging another individual across differences requires four core relational skills. They are:

• Inquiry. This skill goes beyond asking the basic questions and acquiring information verbally. It extends to asking about the rationales that lead to other people’s conclusions, and exploring assumptions about others’ goals and interests.
• Listening. By conveying a genuine interest, the listener not only gains real knowledge but also lays a foundation for trust and respect that carries over to future interactions.
• Self-disclosure. The most powerful way to do this is through personal narratives about difference. Self-disclosure is a dynamic process that involves sharing of information.
• Managing feedback. This means both giving and receiving feedback. Access to accurate feedback about professional and personal behavior is essential for fostering high performance at work and maintaining vibrancy and authenticity in a relationship. It is important to understand, however, that lack of comfort involving differences can make it difficult to exchange feedback.

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