Managing a Diverse Team-Gender expression

Welcome to my blog! this post is about the challenges of gender expression in the workplace and some positive strategies we can implement as managers.

My role
I am a team leader working in a relatively traditional financial industry that requires a certain dress code.

My Team
The team is diverse. There are different requirements for dress and gender expression for different employees. This video shows a Global Bank employee, Erika Miguel, having to wear her Catholic school uniform as a child and a dress code at work. She chooses to wear men's clothing to feel more comfortable at work.

In the workplace, Erika Miguel has experienced many different kinds of treatment because of her gender expression and fashion. Erika came out of the women's restroom because she was dressed in a more neutral manner than her male coworkers, and then Erika was asked disrespectfully why she was in the women's restroom with her female coworkers.

Erika felt disrespected and valued as a result. This eventually led her to resign so she could find a new job that allowed "free dress". For this global bank, however, this was a loss of talent.

My goal
As a manager, I need to take some steps to make this employee feel respected, appreciated, and supported. In order to increase the team's sense of inclusion and protect the employee's right to express their gender freely.

List of strategies

1. Make sure to use the correct name and pronouns for every employee. The goal is to reduce employee stress about their identity and gender expression in the workplace and make employees feel valued and respected. As a manager, it also shows them that I value their identity and expression and care deeply about them.
   
   
2. Discuss challenges with employees and involve them in decision-making. In the workplace, gender-diverse workers may face obstacles or challenges, such as discrimination, harassment, a lack of resources, or limited opportunities. When companies involve employees in the decision-making process and consult with them on how to resolve these challenges, it shows that managers respect their opinions and expertise.
   
   
3. Organize diversity and inclusion workshops or training programs to train our employees on gender expression, identity, and related topics. Help promote everyone to understanding and compassion by sharing resources, articles, or books. Or collaborate with multiple departments to establish a SAFE environment where everyone can learn from each other's experiences and perspectives.
   
   
4. Don't underestimate the power of role models, starting with ourselves. It is our responsibility as managers to set the tone for our team members about how they should treat each other and how they should respond to diversity. We can support and appreciate gender-diverse expressive employees by recognizing their contributions, providing positive feedback, and providing them with opportunities to grow and develop. When we observe or hear about bias or discrimination, as managers, we have to take appropriate action to resolve the issue.
   
   
5. Promote positive publicity. Post posters about this topic in public areas of the company, such as restrooms and break rooms, and in employee forums to provide positive guidance. Make every employee aware of what the company is promoting and defending, such as the freedom of expression of gender. As well as what our company opposes, such as discrimination and disrespect.
   
   
6. Provide a clear and specific explanation of the company's anti-discrimination policies. The policies are serious commitments to fostering a respectful and safe workplace environment. Set clear boundaries for all employees and emphasize the importance of respect and communication with each other. By doing so, every employee will know that our (as the company) takes such issues seriously and is committed to creating a safe and supportive work environment.

Reference:
ImFromDriftwood. (2016, August 9). The Challenges of Gender Expression in the
     Workplace [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?     
     v=Yl940G1nWJY

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and I would appreciate it if you would leave any comments.