Diversity Woman Magazine

WIN 2018

Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds

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d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m W i n t e r 2 0 1 8 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N 9 ISTOCKPHOTO Dear Not a Prude, Coarse language in the workplace can be challenging to address. Someone may find use of the "D" word or even the "F" word fine, but you may find either ob- jectionable. Many people don't find the same words offensive, because they hear these terms used on TV and can think they are OK to use in the workplace. Therefore it is important not to make a value judgment. Cursing Coworkers The Office Shortcuts Delegating Made Easy Upfront > I t's a natural tendency to want to do everything ourselves. However, in the workplace (and in other as- pects of life as well), we need to trust and rely on others to ensure the best possible outcomes. is means letting go and learning how to delegate. Here are five steps to effective delegation. Recognize that delegating will help you grow. Delegation is freeing. Ask- ing someone to do a task frees you up to use your talents wisely and to focus on more challenging and strate- gic roles. Trust your coworkers. By meaning- fully involving other people in a project, you develop their skills and Dear DW, My boss and some coworkers often use language in the workplace I find offen- sive. How do I best manage the situation without bringing about a backlash? Signed, I'm Really Not a Prude If a coworker or supervisor crosses what you consider a line, says Oneida D. Blagg, PHR, a member of the SHRM expert panel on diversity and inclusion, take the person aside for a one-on-one conversation. Say to her or him, "When you use these words"—you can write them down if you don't feel comfortable saying them out loud—"I feel uncomfortable. I know you want good outcomes, but I am not able to be as effective as I could be, because I find the environment uncomfortable, as the use of certain language hinders our relationship." Deliver this message as calmly and confidently as you can. Then brainstorm a better way to communicate that makes both of you comfortable. If your coworker or supervisor contin- ues to use such language, you may have to go to the human resource department to get advice. In addition, know your rights—check your company policy. It might address respectful language. Letting go is hard. But once you learn how, your career will reap the benefits. abilities. e next time you need their help, you can be confident they can do it well, with less supervision—and you can build better relation- ships in the process. The up-front effort is worth it. In order to delegate, you will have to gather information and thoroughly explain the task at hand. Ask for regular progress reports and give people the space to establish their own process, so you can focus in- stead on the results. Clearly articu- late the desired outcome. Make sure to identify any potential barriers and advise how to overcome them. Give people infor- mation about whom they need to talk to or work with to reach the end goal. Give positive feedback. When the task is completed well, make sure to reward the people who assisted you. People want recognition, and it will increase their respect for you and their desire to accom- plish more challenging tasks in the future.

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