Building An Inclusive Organization

Building An Inclusive Organization, Leveraging the Power of A Diverse Workforce, by Stephen Frost and Raafi-Karim Alidina, Kogan Page 2019

It's clear the rules have changed - but not so clear exactly what the new rules are!  But authors Frost and Alidina show why diversity and inclusion are crucial to corporate survival.  Statistics about the benefits of a more diverse and inclusive workforce are persuasive - a McKinsey study found that companies in the top quartile of gender diversity are 15 percent ore likely to have financial returns that were above their national industry median, while for ethnic diversity that number is 30 percent.  Women make up 52 percent of the US workforce, but....

The authors warn, however, that only when inclusion really matters personally will leaders integrate it into their daily work, and they offer four steps to make it work better:

1.  Define a personal 'why'

2.  Understand the differences between self and role

3.  Determine self-awareness and how much development to engage in

4.  Think about cognitive diversity in addition to traditional diversity.

Taking the challenge our of the Affirmative Action HR zone takes courage and a special kind of leader.  Further, the book offers other resource locations to enable better worker experiences.  For LGBT+ for instance, there are two sources of US information and tools:  Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAAD), and Out and Equal.  For more possibilities consult Appendix 2.  

Mill Girl Verdict:  A very difficult and lingering challenge with some proven exemplary solutions.