by Sarah Ganly

Created on: June 24, 2010

The importance of diversity skills and personal and interpersonal enrichment is valuable in today's world. Diversity was once a means of separation, but it is now a common ground. Learning diversity skills can lead to personal and interpersonal enrichment.

Diversity skills are like empathy but on more levels than just emotion. When you have empathy you can understand or relate to someone's feelings or situation. Diversity skills allow you to understand where someone else is coming from even if you are not from or in the same situation. Diversity skills also allow you to see where multiple different perspectives come from. They allow you to listen with an open mind and background knowledge of other people's circumstances.

Diversity skills also incorporate the ability to help others of diversity to come together and understand each other. Diversity skills also help people make decisions that impact people of different diversity. Through proper use of diversity skills much can be accomplished.

These skills are very important because people are diverse, and the world is a diverse place. Although we are all human we are all diverse in many ways, and diversity skills can unite us and help us learn and work together.

Many companies are very diverse, and diversity has recently become looked at in a positive light. I feel that in the past conformity was popular, but the innovation that diversity can lead to has recently made diversity popular. It also probably is due to the more diverse cultures that are apparent everywhere.

In the past diversity and differences might have been frowned upon, and I can see that sticking with the norm might allow a business to establish a foundation, but there is a definite need for innovation to increase productivity. I also think that welcoming diversity allows workers to be happier and more optimistic which is always positive for the work environment.

Diversity skills contribute to individual enrichment because they allow you to see from the perspectives of others. This makes it possible for you to understand why people do what they do. For example I understand that my friend does not eat pork because of his religious beliefs.

Interpersonal diversity skills are important because they allow you to work with people in a way that is productive and respectful. For example if I wanted to go out to eat with my friend I wouldn't be insulting or inconsiderate by taking him to a place that only sells pork.

These things seem simple, but diversity skills help promote respect for others and this is important.

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