Diversity – A Workplace Strength

Today, I am pleased to present a guest blog by Monique Anderson, Assistant Secretary for Administration and Fair Practices Officer

A recent (June 27, 2016) front page article in The Daily Record talked about how Maryland’s demographics have changed. The story was in the context of the Maryland Municipal League’s annual convention and the fact that “embracing diversity and the emergence of younger municipal officials” would be “major topics of discussion.”

Diversity is a realistic and reachable goal. Indeed, the private and public sectors, as Maryland’s municipal leaders demonstrate, reflect an increasingly diverse workforce. The Hogan Administration is committed to diversity in the workplace. At DGS it is a priority, and it is also a philosophy.

It is a philosophy rooted in the firm belief that diverse work teams are a strength. It is more than simply acknowledging differences in people. It recognizes the value of those differences and promotes inclusiveness. This philosophy acknowledges, respects and embraces diversity.

People who are different from one another in race, gender, age, culture and other dimensions bring unique experiences, perspectives and information to bear on the task at hand. Collaboration within diverse teams encourages ‘thinking outside the box’ and produces the better outcomes.

Change is a fact of life. This is also true for the workplace, where the social and cultural makeup of the workforce continues to change. We already know that this is a positive development, as a diverse workforce communicating varying points of view provides a larger pool of innovative ideas.