The End of Diversity As We Know It: Why Diversity Efforts Fail and How Leveraging Difference Can Succeed (AGENCY/DISTRIBUTED) - Hardcover

Martin Davidson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1605093432 ISBN 13: 9781605093437

Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011

Synopsis

The idea for this book came to Martin Davidson during a disarmingly honest conversation with a CFO he worked with. Look, the executive said, clearly troubled. I know we can get a diverse group of people around the table. But so what? What difference does it really make to getting bottom-line results?

Answering the so what? led Davidson to explore the flaws in how companies typically manage diversity. They don't integrate diversity into their overall business strategy. They focus on differences that have little impact on their business. And often their diversity efforts end up hindering the professional development of the very people they were designed to help.

Davidson explains how what he calls Leveraging Difference; turns persistent diversity problems into solutions that drive business results. Difference becomes a powerful source of sustainable competitive advantage instead of a distracting mandate handed down from HR.

To begin with, leaders must identify the differences most important to achieving organizational goals, even if the differences aren't the obvious ones. The second challenge is to help employees work together to understand the ways these differences matter to the business. Finally, leaders need to experiment with how to use these relevant differences to get things done. Davidson provides compelling examples of how organizations have tackled each of these challenges.

Ultimately this is a book about leadership. As with any other strategic imperative, leaders need to take an active role drive rather than just delegate. Successfully leveraging difference can be what distinguishes an ordinary organization from an extraordinary one.

The End of Diversity As We Know It was named by Choice Magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title in 2012.

About this title

Review:

"This is a results book. It provides a practical guide for committed leaders interested in achieving optimal results through the efforts of people. It is also a handbook for leaders who aspire to do the 'right things right and at the right time.'"
--Charlie W. Hill, Executive Vice President of Human Resources (retired), Landmark Communications, Inc.

"In plain English, Martin Davidson explains how diversity can make a company more efficient and innovative, which leads to greater profits. This book artfully blends psychology, social issues, and good business sense to provide baggage-free, 21st-century solutions to problems. Read it before your competitors do."
--Reginald Hudlin, producer/director and former President, Black Entertainment Television, Inc.

"Martin Davidson reminds us that diversity is not about others; rather, it is about us and our willingness to push ourselves to the edge of personal discomfort in order to run productive, sustainable institutions; create communities of harmony; and live fuller, happier lives."
--Subha V. Barry, Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President, Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, Freddie Mac

"Martin Davidson hit the nail on the head! This extensively researched book moves the diversity paradigm from the human resource cubicle to the whole organization, the tactical to the strategic, the short term to the sustainable, and the domestic to the global. A must-read for every business leader."
--Dr. Austin Ifedirah, President and CEO, Aegis Healthcare Holdings, Inc.

"This is a tactical book for business leaders who know they have to shift their thinking but have never quite understood how (and truthfully, why) to do it. Every CEO who looks at his or her company's diversity initiative and wonders why it hasn't made as much progress should read this book."
--Todd G. Sears, Principal, Coda Leadership Consulting LLC, and former Americas Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Credit Suisse

"Professor Davidson takes us on an enlightening journey that raises the bar for any business executive seeking to improve productivity. Leveraging difference is a critical tool for those that are result and not process oriented when deploying talent."
--Mark Settles, Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

"Martin Davidson has developed a transformative insight: that a key to building innovative companies is to replace well-intentioned but generally ineffective 'managing diversity' programs with Leveraging Difference initiatives. I would highly recommend this book to any CEO, manager, or HR professional who wants to build a sustainable, high-performance organization."
--Decker Anstrom, US Ambassador, World Radiocommunication Conference, US Department of State; former President, Landmark Communications; and former Chair, The Weather Channel Companies

"This book presents a realistic look at the diversity challenge and proposes pragmatic ways to achieve meaningful change along with useful tools for the journey. I wish that I had read this before I became CEO."
--Steve Reinemund, Dean of Business, Wake Forest University School of Business, and retired Chair and CEO, PepsiCo

"Martin Davidson brings a fresh and compelling look at why our three-decades-long investment in 'managing diversity' has come up short. He then offers a new paradigm for guiding our efforts to make diversity a resource for organizational and individual development and performance. Based on extensive research, The End of Diversity as We Know It offers new insights and tools that will help leaders ensure their companies and organizations get the benefits of the diversity within them."
--James Lowry, Senior Advisor, The Boston Consulting Group

About the Author:

Martin N. Davidson is associate professor of leadership and organizational behavior at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, and served as associate dean and chief diversity officer. He has consulted with dozens of Fortune 500 firms, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, including Merrill Lynch Global Wealth & Investment Management, AT&T, Pitney Bowes, Harvard University, and the Nature Conservancy. He was elected chair of the Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division of the Academy of Management and has been featured in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Businessweek, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and National Public Radio.

About this edition

• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1605093432
• ISBN 13: 9781605093437
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 264