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Lesson 9: Listening to Out-Group Members Lesson Introduction But sometimes, despite a leader’s best efforts, there are some individuals who are not wellintegrated into the group. These individuals are referred to as being part of the “out-group.” This lesson focuses on defining what an out-group is, why out-groups form, why it is important to try to engage these individuals, and strategies for reaching out to individuals who are not engaged.

Definitions: Diversity and Inclusion; What is an "out-group" Diversity is defined as "the amount of difference among members of a group or organization" (Text, p. 185). Diversity can refer to "primary dimensions" such as age, gender, race - the more "visible" elements of difference. "Secondary dimensions" are less visible and include factors such as education, family status, work style, etc. Research suggests that when individuals work together, any "effects" on group performance of primary dimensions soon disappear - in other words people don't pay attention to the visible differences. What does, however, affect group performance are factors related to secondary dimensions - in other words the underlying values, attitudes, beliefs and assumptions of the group members. In your studies, you have already experienced many elements of "primary" diversity - very few groups assigned for group case projects are uniform with respect to gender, for instance. It is no difference in the workplace. Individuals of different backgrounds, etc. must work together to help the organization achieve its goals. An organization is not well-served by having individuals who, often on spurious grounds, do not want to work together. Organizations are not able to achieve their goals if individuals wind up in the "out-groups" - an issue we will discuss more fully in this lesson. Moving on to inclusion...what is inclusion? As the text suggests, inclusion involves "creating an environment where people who are different feel that they are part of the whole" (Text, p. 185). Inclusion will help avoid out-groups which are described next. In some ways it is easy to think about “out-groups,” if, for a minute you think about “in-groups.” In high school, we probably all experienced, witnessed, or in some cases were part of the “in group.” In groups are composed of students who seemed to be involved with school activities, had good relationships with their classmates, teammates and teachers, held school leadership roles, and seemed to support the latest school initiative, class project, or event.

As noted in Table 9.2 (Text, p. 187), since the 1960s, the perspectives on diversity have evolved and are continuing to evolve. From the 1960s' view that individuals should assimilate (in other words, adopt the practices of the place they are in and relinquish their traditions) in favour of "making people from diverse cultures come together to create one American culture" (Text, p. 188). Melting pot: metaphor for blending of many backgrounds into one Pluralism: recognition that people of different cultures don’t need to sacrifice their own traditions and values to become part of one society What do you see as the challenge in this perspective? Categorizing types of inclusion - based on how much value is placed on uniqueness as well as the level of belongingness. For this course, you should be aware of the characteristics of Exclusion, Differentiation, Assimilation, and Inclusion. The Exclusion quadrant (top left) represents individuals in a group or organization who feel left out and excluded; they do not feel a part of things, and they do not feel valued. The Differentiation quadrant (lower left) describes individuals who feel unique and respected but who also feel left out and not a part of the in-group. Differentiation occurs when organizations accept and value the unique qualities of members The Inclusion quadrant (lower right) describes individuals who feel they belong and are valued for their unique beliefs, attitudes, values, and background. This quadrant represents the optimal way to address diversity. It SIX INCLUSION EXPERIENCE COMPONENTS 1. FEELING SAFE 2. FEELING INVOLVED AND ENGAGED 3. FEELING RESPECTED AND VALUED 4. FEELING INFLUENTIAL 5. FEELING AUTHENTIC AND WHOLE 6. RECOGNIZING, ATTENDING TO, HONORING DIVERSITY BARRIERS TO EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION 1. ETHNOCENTRISM: TENDENCY FOR INDIVIDUALS TO PLACE THEIR OWN GROUP AS BETTER THAN OTHERS

2. PREJUDICE: FALSELY FIXED BELIEF ABOUT ANOTHER GROUP – CAN LEAD TO SYSTEMATIC DISCRIMINATION 3. STEREOTYPES: FIXED BELIEF CLASSIFYING GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS 4. PRIVILEGE: ADVANTAGE HELD BY PERSON BASED ON AGE, RACE, GENDER CLASS The Inner Circle Moving to the organizational contexts, there is often something referred to as the “inner circle.” The “inner circle” is usually comprised of individuals who are trusted by the leader to provide them with critical advice, keep them apprised of issues developing in the organization or in the external environment. Definition of "Out-groups" “Out-group” refers to those individuals in a group who do not feel a part of the larger group. 1. They may be in opposition or simply disinterested. 2. They may feel powerless, unaccepted, alienated, or even discriminated against. In the case of out-groups, an individual or possibly collection of individuals no longer support the vision or work of the leader and the group. If individuals are not contributing to the group, what is lost?  Their knowledge, expertise, and experience  Their time and contribution to the work of the group  Group cohesiveness  The ability to develop community where individuals share similar values, opinions, and a common goal  Synergy among group members – they can take energy away from the group, rather than helping to add energy to the group  Capacity for the group to achieve their results  The potential for others to start questioning the leader and the goals of the group  Through conversations with others (both in the group and outside the group), can create a negative impression of the leader, undermine the leader’s efforts, contaminate the culture of the team and department Types of Out-groups: Out-groups come in many forms: 1. Minorities who think their voices won’t be heard 2. People who feel their ideas are unappreciated 3. “Social loafers”—group members who are inclined to goof off or work below their capacity 4. People who do not identify with the group

Minorities The concept of a minority refers to any group whose numbers, relative to the entire group or population is limited. Minorities may include:  women or men  people from an ethnic background that visibly differs from the others in the room,  people from a racial background that differs from those in the majority. For example, in a typically female-based profession such as nursing or daycare, a male staff member could be in the minority. Given that these individuals represent a minority group, there can be the perception (real or imagined) that their voice won’t be heard or that their ideas are unappreciated. Perceptions of those in a minority position (e.g., being ignored, discounted, having comments listened to but not acted upon) have been the subject of countless studies over the past 20 years.

Social Loafers Individuals who engage in social loafing often frustrate team members because they do not engage with the group, they are seen as “lazy,” or “riding on the coat tails of team members.” The remedy, of course, will depend on the root cause of the social loafing behaviour. The trick is then to identify the root cause or causes. For example, perhaps someone is inherently lazy and they don’t take advantage of training activities. People Who Do Not Identify With the Group There can be a variety of reasons why someone does not identify with the group. These may include:  Political differences  Academic background differences (e.g., the engineers may not agree with the business people’s understanding of a problem)  Socioeconomic factors which make it difficult for one individual to relate to another  Age differences such that one employee does not feel like they fit in or can relate to the rest of the group Age differences are a fairly common sentiment among some older workers working in the high tech sector which tends to be populated significantly with younger, tech-savvy workers. Six Strategies for dealing with Out-Groups Members: 1. Listening 2. Empathy 3. Recognition

4. Inclusion 5. Build a relationship 6. Empower employers Listening  More than anything, out-group members want to be heard.  Listening requires that leaders set aside their own biases to allow out-group members to express their viewpoints freely.  When out-group members feel they have been heard, they feel confirmed and connected to the larger group. Showing Empathy Showing empathy is similar to listening, but is more demanding and takes some work on the part of the leader. Showing empathy involves:  An effort to understand the feelings of out-group members (remember, emotional intelligence and social intelligence from lesson 6?)  A leader must suspend his or her own feelings to “stand in the shoes” of out-group members (again, remember the empathy component of emotional intelligence from lesson 6?)  Techniques include restatement, paraphrasing, reflection, and giving support Inclusion: Help Out-Group Members Feel Included  

Out-group members do not feel as if they belong & need to feel included Leaders include out-group members by: o Responding to their communication cues appropriately o Asking for the out-group member’s opinion o Bottom Line: Leaders needs to be sensitive to out-group members’ needs & try to respond to them in ways that help them feel part of the group

Build a Relationship: Create a Special Relationship With Out-Group Members Leaders should create a special, high-quality relationship with each one of their followers. This results in out-group members becoming a part of the group and helps to reduce the ingroup/out-group divide. But how do you do this? Building relationships requires:  good communication  respect  trust Relationships are often initiated when leaders recognize out-group members who are willing to step out of their scripted roles and take on different responsibilities and challenge out-group members to become engaged and try new things. Empower: Give Out-Group Members a Voice & Empower Them

Empowering others requires giving up some control & allowing out-group members to have more control. It also includes allowing them to participate in the workings of the group (e.g., planning and decision-making)....