PR&LA Winter 2018

MANAGING Diversity Change in any environment is challenging, but it doesn’t have to be scary or damage your brand—unless you let it. Be proactive. Be inclusive. And above all, be welcoming. • This article was originally published on June 29, 2017, on the RewardsNetwork.com blog. Do’s DO acknowledge people’s feelings. Repeating back concerns as you hear them not only reinforces to an angry customer that you hear them, but also can help reinforce the real problem in your own mind. DO stay focused on facts. Letting emotions get intertwined with understanding what happened and how to make a situation better is only going to slow down and possibly prevent a satisfying resolution to a dispute. State what you know, not what you feel. DO say “and” instead of “but.” This is a simple tactic, but one that pays off really quickly when speaking. It instantly takes the negativity out of many statements by not allowing yourself to negate the first half of a sentence with the contents of the second half. DO offer culturally authentic solutions. Know enough about the backgrounds and environments of customers and staff you employ to be able to offer solutions that really mean something to them, without coming off as patronizing. Your attempts at sensitivity will be appreciated. And if you’re self-aware enough know you don’t have the answer, invite your customers or employees to share their personal stories with you. Don’ts DON’T make assumptions. Take people at their word and don’t assume ulterior motives, particularly if you’ve had uncomfortable experiences with other members of their community in the past. Generalizations can lead to confrontations that spiral out of control quickly. DON’T use terms that will insult or offend. This should go without saying, but using slurs, derogatory names, or in-community slang from communities you are not a part of is not acceptable. DON’T let micro-aggressions undermine your words. Body language, facial expressions, or tone of voice can take even the sincerest words on paper and turn them into the most offensive of statements. DON’T let insincerity kill your reputation. Managing diversity at the customer and staff level means really caring about the people you encounter and work with every day. If you speak to people with respect (and genuinely mean it), your reputation as a friendly, positive business will reflect that.