Action: Moving Forward (Diversity Breakthrough! Strategic Action Series)
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This is the third of six short and snappy booklets in Debbe Kennedy's easy-to-use and refreshingly straightforward Diversity Breakthrough! Strategic Action series. Managers, consultants, and trainers who have longed for step-by-step guidance on how to launch a new diversity and inclusion initiative--or revitalize and renew an existing one--will find what they've been looking for here.
Like all the booklets in this goal-oriented series, this one comes with self-assessment tools, concrete action strategies to mobilize change, and fun, quick action-planning worksheets, all in a concise 64-page format that's as adaptable to an organization-wide initiative or a small group effort as it is to an individual's nighttime reading and enrichment (where organizational change, after all, often begins). In real-life, first-person accounts, leaders from such diverse organizations as Hewlett-Packard, Lotus Printing, and even San Francisco's renowned Grace Cathedral talk about how they have grappled with diversity issues in such areas as business practices, staffing, and overall culture.
Readers can use this booklet alone or in conjunction with others in the series, each of which focuses on a crucial phase in what author Kennedy, a veteran consultant and a former manager of Equal Opportunity and human resources at IBM, calls the "imperfect circle" of change: "Assessment," "Acceptance," "Action," "Accountability," "Achievement," and--you guessed it--"More Action." The Breakthrough system also includes a pack of 52 cards, each of which spells out a specific diversity roadblock (starting with "Our leadership team does not reflect our stated commitment to inclusion."). Passed around in group format, they allow participants to literally "put their cards on the table" about internal issues they'd rather not bring up aloud--making for not just a brilliant icebreaker on a touchy subject but a crucial first step in isolating strengths and weaknesses in the realm of diversity.
Whether read á la carte or along with its counterparts, Action is a no-nonsense, self-contained program that demystifies diversity management and accords it the seriousness it deserves. Every manager charged with promoting a culture of acceptance and diversity in his or her department (and isn't that everyone these days?) should have this book close at hand and refer to it often. --Timothy Murphy
Debby McIsaac, Global People Development Manager, Hewlett-Packard Consulting, Letter to Publisher, November 1999
Diversity Breakthrough! makes diversity a topic that is at last approachable for everyone-an opportunity to learn and grow. It makes you want to get involved.
Action: Moving Forward (Diversity Breakthrough! Strategic Action Series)
Action: Moving Forward (Diversity Breakthrough! Strategic Action Series),Emily Duncan - Hewlett-Packard Company,Emily Duncan,Berrett-Koehler Pub,1583760520,Business management,Change management,Diversity in the workplace,Human Resources & Personnel Management,Management & Leadership,Organizational behavior,Organizational change,Organizational effectiveness,Organizational learning
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