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

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there are many diverse people in my university this is so beneficial because they introduce to us their country's features and they are very helpful in developing our English skills.

I was working at Nike and i here there are many people from different countries and many backgrounds in all aspects. So Nike encourages the respect each others. I like it because I like to have respect and give it in order to have a good enviroment

I think that diversity is a good chance to substitute skills between coworkers. I am a technical writer. Since I am living abroad, I have been working in a diverse team. Someone is from Colombia, another is from Europe, and I am from Uzbekistan. I would say it is really respectful to your nationality, race, and color. The conversation language is preferred speaking in English by everyone, of course. Diversity can be brought a lot of benefits for a company, as I mentioned one is skills exchange, another is profitable for selling out products from the company. There is a wide range of productivity.

My workplace is pretty diverse. I think it is beneficial for team and society.

I think diversity is necessary as Nina said, but some times it doesn't positive because everyone maintains its view

Even though the humanity have envolved, it is still possible to find team works very closed; however diversity represent the best gun for a work team because there are a set of thoughs and experiences that come from people with many nationalities, ages, gender, etc, that could be harnessed, so is easier to innovate and increase the performance.

My group teamwork is very diverse, because has equality of genero and responsabilities for members. I think is benefit to positive and negative coments respect to one idea specific.

I'm not working for a company with some diversity yet, but possibly I'll have culture exchanges through my college. Its so exciting that there are a lot of people with different backgronds working on the same objects...

How diverse is your workplace? How can diversity benefit your team? Nowadays, I´m working at house because the pandemic covid,“homeworking” is the name for it, so diversity is an usual in my company. The employees has to many idea’s and thinking with different ways. Same needs to working in the place specific and others at home, some like use formal wear and another’s more informal, some need´s silence and others noise. This is the diversity, some people need the different things and stuff for innovate and be more production. The company’s needs to prepare the charter for the employee. He need to be happy for your job, because him happiness is the value for created more development and money to the company.

I live in a country which is diverse in itself. We have so many languages, cultures and religions. My workplace is full of diversity with people all across the country. Everyone shares a good bond amongst themselves. But there are people who feel isolated and keeps very quiet.