Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The second of six short and snappy booklets in Debbe Kennedy's easy-to-use Diversity Breakthrough! Strategic Action series, Acceptance focuses on developing internal support for diversity-promoting change within the organization, from engaging leaders at all levels to connecting with sponsors to getting buy-in from everyone involved.
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 the U.S. Army, Leap Wireless International, IBM, and the Mars Exploration Program talk about how they have grappled, and continue to grapple, 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 you read Acceptance á la carte or along with its counterparts, if you're looking for a non-technocratic, non-touchy-feely toolkit that demystifies diversity management and accords it the seriousness it deserves, this is it--and at a fraction of the price a consultant would charge. --Timothy Murphy
Beverly Kaye, President, Career Systems International, Inc.,
Debbe Kennedy provides both insight and action for any practioner at any size company with the topic of diversity on their plate! A perfect set of interventions for the beginner or the skilled professional. I took a tour of Debbe Kennedy's new work one evening, and was immediately (the next day) able to utilize her tools with a client. And, I was a hero! Her package is superb and moves (even the most sophisticated) into deep dialogue.
Acceptance: Developing Support for Change (Diversity Breakthrough! Strategic Action Series) (Diversity Breakthrough! Strategic Action Series)
Acceptance: Developing Support for Change (Diversity Breakthrough! Strategic Action Series) (Diversity Breakthrough! Strategic Action Series),Debbe Kennedy,Berrett-Koehler Pub,1583760512,Self-Help,Business management,Change management,Diversity in the workplace,Human Resources & Personnel Management,Management & Leadership,Organizational behavior,Organizational change,Organizational effectiveness,Organizational learning
English Books:
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