The case for diversity in our workplace is a current global reality. A team made of people with varied perspectives, skills and experiences is essential for market success. Therefore, encouraging diversity in organizations is actually a best practice. Like all best practices, there are hitches, disagreements and differences between people.

Managers need to know themselves in order to know others. If you do not agree with someone, quickly scan through our List of Essential Differences and ask your self which difference on the list is the reason.

1. What we call ‘proper’ behavior.
2. How we greet each other.
3. What is common courtesy and what is polite and impolite.
4. How close we stand to each other.
5. If, how and when we touch each other.
6. What holidays we celebrate and how we celebrate them.
7. How we show respect and disrespect.
8. How and when we use money, credit, or bartering.
9. What is modest or risqué.
10. What is embarrassing or shameful and what makes us proud.
11. What makes us feel good and what depresses us and what we find funny or sad.
12. What, when and how we eat or drink.
13. What we wear, when and where we wear it.
14. How we see and behave towards sickness and health.
15. What we believe and what we value.
16. What common sense means.
17. The nature of God and other religious beliefs.
18. When privacy is desirable.
19. If a person feels in control of life or believes in fate.
20. What should be communicated directly and indirectly.
21. What or who is clean or dirty.
22. What language, dialect and tone we use while speaking.
23. To whom we speak and to whom we do not.
24. The role of the individual.
25. How men and women should behave.
26. How important it is to maintain harmony in a group.
27. How important competition is.
28. Social, educational and seniority levels.
29. How the meaning of time is understood and used.
30. Importance of tradition and rituals.
31. How we interact with authority and how we interact with a person serving us (such as in a restaurant).
32. Obligations in relationships.
33. Importance of family.
34. Facial expressions and gestures.
35. Behavior in front of a crowd or an audience.
36. How important is preparing for the future.
37. How we perceive age or value elders.
38. The distinction between formal and informal conversation.
39. What’s said and what’s left unsaid.
40. Our perception of what is friendly and what is unfriendly.
41. How open we are with information.
42. What is ethical and what is not.
43. How and whether we take turns or stand in line.
44. How often we move and why.
45. How important preparing for the future is.