A recent diversity workshop was an excellent opportunity for me to take on the “beginner’s mind” when it comes to diversity issues in our society. And an usual phrase — at least for a diversity beginner — came up: “cultural competence.”
If you’re human, you sometimes make mistakes. Apologize and move on. Your self-esteem may be temporarily lifted by refusing to do so. But so what? You’re not the one with the bruised toe; you’re the one who caused it.
With autism on the rise — the rate of diagnosis going from 1 in 88 to 1 in 50 — it’s an issue America’s workplaces need to pay more attention to. Although some experts say that many symptoms of autism can improve with age, an increasing number of adults with autism are entering the job market.
Communication is essential, but when people communicate at the wrong time, and in the wrong way, workplace relationships can get messy. When we work together, we often assume that people have the same values, the same points of reference.
