Optimizing Diversity on Teams

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/diverse-teams

Introduction

### Course Review: "Optimizing Diversity on Teams" on Coursera #### Overview In today’s increasingly diverse work environments, understanding and optimizing diversity within teams is crucial for fostering innovation, creativity, and performance. Coursera's course "Optimizing Diversity on Teams" provides a rich, immersive learning experience that draws from social science perspectives to help you understand what diversity truly encompasses, and how to leverage it effectively. This review will delve into the course's components, teaching methods, and overall value to provide you with a comprehensive perspective on whether it's the right fit for your professional development. #### Course Structure and Content The course is thoughtfully structured into four main modules, each addressing critical elements of diversity in team dynamics: 1. **Promoting Diversity in the Workplace** This module lays the groundwork by unpacking the hidden barriers that often hinder diversity initiatives. Participants will learn specific strategies to garner buy-in for these initiatives, navigate biases that could obstruct progress, and hear insights from experts like Arjun Shankar and Stanford Thompson. By featuring their real-world experiences, this module enhances your understanding of practical complications and solutions, fostering a proactive mindset towards inclusivity. 2. **Team Diversity Basics** Here, learners gain essential foundational knowledge about the importance of diversity within teams. The module addresses fundamental concepts such as difference, bias, and conflict. This groundwork is vital for setting context before delving deeper into the complexities of managing diverse teams in later modules. 3. **Managing Conflict** Diversity often enriches team experiences but can also lead to conflicts. This module provides strategies for recognizing and addressing these conflicts, empowering participants to facilitate better conversations surrounding diversity issues. Ultimately, it equips learners with the tools necessary to create a more harmonious and productive workplace environment. 4. **Diversity Case Study** Practical application is key in this module, where you will analyze real-life case studies from notable companies like Google, Nike, and UnitedHealthcare. This analysis helps bridge the gap between theory and practice, enabling you to see how successful organizations implement strategies aimed at enhancing inclusivity. #### Learning Experience The learning formats include engaging video lectures, peer-to-peer discussions, and real-world scenarios, ensuring that the course caters to various learning styles. Coursera's platform allows for flexibility, enabling you to learn at your own pace, which is particularly beneficial for busy professionals. The mix of theoretical knowledge and practical insights ensures that you not only understand the conceptual underpinnings of diversity but also how to apply this knowledge effectively in your workplace. #### Recommendations "Optimizing Diversity on Teams" comes highly recommended for professionals across various fields, especially those in leadership or management roles. If you're eager to improve your team's dynamics, this course offers essential insights and tools. Whether you're aiming to enhance your organization’s approach to diversity or looking to foster a more inclusive work culture, the strategies taught in this course will provide a comprehensive framework for you to leverage diversity as a strength rather than a challenge. #### Conclusion In summary, Coursera's "Optimizing Diversity on Teams" is a well-crafted course that equips you with the knowledge and strategies needed to harness the power of diversity effectively. With expert insights and practical applications, this course is a vital resource for anyone looking to thrive in inclusive and diverse professional environments. Embrace the opportunity to maximize team performance, innovation, and creativity through the power of diversity—enroll today!

Syllabus

Promoting Diversity in the Workplace

This module is all about the hidden barriers that can prevent you from promoting and leveraging the benefits of diversity on your team. We will learn specific strategies to get buy-in for diversity initiatives. We will learn about the biases that can harm these efforts, and discuss effective means of identifying and reducing these biases. Towards the end of the module, you will hear from two diversity experts. The first is Arjun Shankar, Co-Director of the Center for Curiosity at the University of Pennsylvania. In this role, he has studied cultural barriers to inclusion in organizations and offers insights based on his research. The second expert is Stanford Thompson, Executive Director of the music education non-profit, Play On, Philly! Stanford advises symphony orchestras nationally on how to improve their diversity, and will offer practical advice on making any team more inclusive. By the end of the module, you will be better positioned to develop diversity initiatives that go beyond compliance and make inclusion a core strength of your team.

In the first module, you will learn the essentials of why diversity matters for teams, and why it can be difficult to build diverse teams. We will overview basic concepts of difference, bias, and conflict that will serve as a foundation for later modules.

In this module, we will move from promoting diversity to looking at the conflicts that can arise in diverse work environments. You will learn about why conflicts occur and how you can develop norms to address them. By the end of the module, you will be able to have better conversations related to diversity issues in the workplace.

In this module, you will get a practical perspective on managing diversity in teams by looking at real life cases of companies creating a more inclusive workplace. Looking at the experience of Google, Nike and UnitedHealthcare, you will see how major businesses are applying specific strategies and techniques for overcoming barriers to inclusion.