The Diversity Code

The Diversity Code

by Michelle T. JOHNSON
Released September 2010
Publisher(s): AMACOM
ISBN: 9780814416334

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Book description

The most diligent compliance with laws and regulations can’t foster true work place diversity. The best organizations have become genuine cross-cultural communities that believe equally in reconciling differences and valuing them. To that end, The Diversity Code promotes understanding by answering many of the toughest questions that professionals and their employers are often afraid to ask, including: • How do you define diversity—what it is and isn’t? • Am I “safe” simply following the law? • Can’t we just acknowledge that we are the same and different—then get on with our work? • How do I handle diversity problems on my staff—or worse, with people who outrank me? • What do I do if I’m accused of something? • How do I institute change without ticking people off? Each chapter begins with a challenging question, which the author answers based on years of experience as a diversity expert and attorney, and concludes with a real-world scenario and a chance for readers to test themselves on their knowledge.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Content
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Introduction: So What Is the Diversity Code, Anyway?
  8. 1 How Do You Define Diversity?
  9. 2 Can You Tell Me What Diversity Isn’t?
  10. 3 What Is the Basic Law on Discrimination?
  11. 4 How Do Diversity Issues Differ from Discrimination?
  12. 5 Shouldn’t I Just Have to Worry About What the Law Requires Me to Worry About?
  13. 6 Why Isn’t It Enough to Just Acknowledge the Ways in Which People Are the Same?
  14. 7 Doesn’t Figuring Out Everybody’s Differences at Work Take Too Much Time Away from Work?
  15. 8 Do White Guys Even Have to Worry About Diversity Since They Don’t Have Any?
  16. 9 If I’m a Member of a Minority Group or Have a Best Friend or Spouse Who Is, Then I’m Covered on Diversity, Aren’t I?
  17. 10 How Do I Figure Out How to Hear the Differences Around Me?
  18. 11 How Do I Avoid Overstepping, Being Too Personal, or Creeping into Sexual Harassment Territory?
  19. 12 Doesn’t Understanding a Difference Mean That I’m Accepting Something That I Don’t Necessarily Support?
  20. 13 How Can I Tell Whether My Company Is Really Diverse or If It’s Just Saying It Is?
  21. 14 Is There Some Point Where My Company’s Problem with Diversity Starts Being My Problem?
  22. 15 When I See a Problem with Diversity, How Do I Go About Addressing It?
  23. 16 Isn’t Instituting Real Change Bound to Tick Someone Off?
  24. 17 If I’m the One Being Accused of Cultural Insensitivity or Worse, Aren’t I Already Screwed?
  25. 18 How Do I Really Call Someone Out on Their Mess When They Have More Rank Than I Do?
  26. 19 As a Department Head or Supervisor, How Do I Really Get People Past Conflicts in the Workplace Once They Have Escalated Badly?
  27. 20 What Is the Purpose of a Company’s Annual Diversity Report?
  28. 21 As a Company, When Do We Know When We Have Actually Achieved Diversity?
  29. Conclusion
  30. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Diversity Code
  • Author(s): Michelle T. JOHNSON
  • Release date: September 2010
  • Publisher(s): AMACOM
  • ISBN: 9780814416334