A team meeting about diversity

Listen to a team meeting about diversity to practise and improve your listening skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

Transcript

Nina: As you know, our team has grown a lot in the past year and we feel we need to address the diversity in the team.

Brenda: How do you mean, 'address the diversity'?

Nina: Well, we all know that diversity in teams is a good thing, but it can also be a challenge for some people to respect and value people's differences. We've got a really diverse team here – people of different nationalities, backgrounds, religions, ages … and sometimes I don't feel we make the most of this.

Stefano: Yes, and even if it isn't specifically challenging, many people are simply unaware of the isolation that some team members may feel because they are different.

Brenda: So, what does this mean? What are we going to do?

Nina: Well, we need to create a workplace charter. You know, one that promotes equality, diversity and inclusion.

Brenda: That sounds like a good idea. But will people just see it as something the management team has created? Maybe they won't even pay attention to it.

Nina: I know. That's why we're going to involve everyone in creating it.

Stefano: That's a good idea. We could run some workshops and get ideas from the employees about how we can create a more inclusive workplace.

Nina: Exactly. I was thinking that before that we could run some team-building sessions so they can experience the value of diversity for themselves.

Brenda: Yes, I like that. Many people see diversity as something negative, often because there are different opinions or ways of doing things.

Nina: Yes, I know, but if there's no diversity, then the risk is that we all work in the same way, think the same and see the world the same. This makes it hard to be creative and to innovate.

Stefano: I completely agree, Nina. OK. So, what do you want us to do?

Nina: Stefano, can you look for a successful trainer who specialises in running workshops and team-building sessions on diversity and inclusion?

Stefano: Sure. I'll be happy to.

Nina: And Brenda, can you find a fun venue? Somewhere that is quite diverse itself. Something that's not the usual seminar-style environment?

Brenda: Sure. That'll be fun.

Nina: And I'm going to do some further research into how other organisations are benefiting from their diversity. I can share this with the whole team.

Task 1

Exercise

Task 2

Exercise

Discussion

How diverse is your workplace? How can diversity benefit your team?

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Language level

B1 Intermediate

Topics

equality and diversity

In our group at the college, we have a lot of diverse in our thoughts and we have got created great ideas together.

I'm a teenager and I live in Italy, but I have to say -after speaking also with an expert of HR (Human Resources)- that diversity it has to be a distinct trait of a company, but also of the society and in my case of the school. In my class we are from many countries, but more important we have different opinions: and this is a good thing. Because having distinct opinions is the bread of democracy. Many people want only to be with the ones that think like them, but for improving we have to see different points of view and to hear different ideas. Only in this way we can create a better place where everyone can express theirself at best.

Team diversity is very important for a work place. It brings the innovation and creativity for group in all sorts of life like education, sports, life style and values. Diversity is a natural phenomenon which is not only required in human beings but also in plants, forests and all other natural habitat of the world.

The diversity allows expand perspective of a situation, and my workplace have that, but when we need to take desicions and each must give an idea, only a few of people contribute to the conversation. For that reason, i believe that its benefit, but if the people don't have motivation to share their opinions, this diversity don't will be usefull.

Hello, in my workplace, an accounting firm, the are no problems about diversity but I live in a little village in Italy and sometimes persons don't accept different ideas. I think we all have to do an effort to consider the others a great resource for the society.

My last organization wasn't that diverse, equality was missing out there, the hierarchy was in every department. Nobody respected people on the ground level. I quit my job because of the toxic envirnment and I am happy about my decision

I´m working as a working student at a German company. In my department, I´m the only foreigner. But I always feel inclusive in the team. In other departments, We also have other employees who come from different countries with different educational backgrounds. Nobody is isolated. We paid a lot of attention to equality and diversity. Everyone respects and values everyone else.

in my idea, diversity is a good idea. because it makes us to be challenge in many ways. i'm working in a car manufacturing company and There is diversity here in many ways such as age, skill , sex. but there is not different nationality here and i don't know if that's a good idea or not?!

Everyone is different where I'm. I'm from Azerbaijan and we have so many different nationalities, peoples who are the part of each other and Azerbaijan in our country. And that feels so good. Think there're so many langugages that are used by different peoples, so many cultural traditions, dishes and so on. That feel cool.

I'm working in a place where diversity is a little bit not acceptable and it seen like a insubordination because I'm soldier and i must perform an odrers without discusion but in my opinion this is good in this specific "company" becouse where is too many chief there is a little indians (to perform an orders)