Synopses & Reviews
As you know all too well, common differences among people—age, gender, race, ethnicity—can prevent even the most talented and dedicated employees from working together. Today, the success of nearly every business depends on overcoming generation gaps, gender biases, and multicultural misunderstandings. How can you effectively deal with these sensitive issues without reinforcing stereotypes and further alienating your diverse employees?
You’ll find the answer—in fact, an array of answers—in The Diversity Training Activity Book. This user-friendly guide presents a collection of 50 exercises, developed by two respected diversity trainers and tested on hundreds of workshop participants throughout the United States and Canada. From icebreakers, like “Name That Feeling,” to mini-case studies, role plays, and group games, these short and simple activities confront diversity challenges in a highly engaging, non-confrontational way. Participants will not only examine their assumptions and expectations about other cultures, but also become more aware of their own cultural values, beliefs, styles, habits, and attitudes. While learning with coworkers from wide-ranging backgrounds and perspectives, they’ll grow in empathy and master the critical skills to:
• Minimize miscommunication and misinterpretation.
• Understand differences in dress, demeanor, and social customs.
• Respect different senses of space and time-consciousness.
• Maximize the unique resources of female and older workers.
• Manage a culturally diverse and changing workforce.
• Identify intercultural incidents and resolve intercultural conflicts.
Every exercise comes with complete trainer instructions. You’ll also get materials you can easily modify for use as handouts or PowerPoint presentations. With The Diversity Training Activity Book, you can design a lunch-hour seminar or a weekend retreat that will make a positive difference in your diverse workplace. Before long, you’ll break down barriers and open minds to working together productively and harmoniously.
Jonamay Lambert is Founder and President of Lambert & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in diversity, leadership, and change management training. She has designed and implemented training programs for Fortune 100 companies and a wide variety of private and public organizations. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.
Selma Myers has brought intercultural training to universities, hospitals, government agencies, and the Olympics. A professional mediator, she is also the co-author of Conflict Resolution Across Cultures. She lives in LaJolla, California. Together, Ms. Lambert and Ms. Myers have written 13 trainer’s guides in the Diversity at Work series.
Synopsis
The Diversity Training Activity Book addresses such fundamental issues as change, communication, gender at work, and conflict resolution. Filled with activities, role playing exercises, sample icebreakers, and case studies, this book will help all employees create a more harmonious, open workplace no matter what their cultural background.
Synopsis
With our workforce becoming increasingly diverse, encouraging cultural and gender sensitivity and understanding in the workplace is a top priority for businesses and leaders everywhere. Tested with hundreds of participants to ensure the appropriateness and effectiveness for a variety of diversity training needs, the simple activities in this must-read guide will show employees at all levels how to cope with differences and master new skills for communicating more effectively. The Diversity Training Activity Book teaches readers how to: address work-related frustrations with coworkers of different backgrounds; manage a culturally diverse team; deal with issues of gender in the workplace; and understand differences in dress, appearance, and social customs--and how to be respectful of them. Conflict resolution in the workplace is just as important as ever--but cultural barriers present new challenges to overcoming workplace disagreements. Filled with activities, role-playing exercises, sample icebreakers, and case studies, this invaluable diversity training book will help all employees build a more collaborative, harmonious, open workplace culture.
Synopsis
Amidst communication challenges presented by an increasingly diverse workforce, this timely guide shows all employs how to resolve conflicts--and avoid missteps in the first place--to work better together.
Synopsis
With our workforce becoming increasingly diverse, encouraging sensitivity and understanding in the workplace is a top priority for businesses everywhere. The Diversity Training Activity Book addresses such fundamental issues as change, communication, gender at work, and conflict resolution. Tested with hundreds of participants to ensure the appropriateness and effectiveness for a variety of diversity training needs, the simple activities in this book will help employees at all levels cope with cultural and gender differences and master new skills for communicating more effectively. Here readers will learn how to:
• share their beliefs about coworkers of different backgrounds
• manage a culturally diverse workforce
• deal with issues of gender in the workplace
• understand differences in dress, appearance, and social customs
Filled with activities, role playing exercises, sample icebreakers, and case studies, this book will help all employees create a more harmonious, open workplace no matter what their cultural background.
About the Author
Jonamay Lambert (Chicago, IL) is Founder and President of Lambert & Associates, Inc., and has designed and implemented training programs in diversity, leadership, and change management for both Fortune 100 companies and smaller organizations alike.
Selma Myers (LaJolla, CA) is a trained mediator and co-author of Conflict Resolution Across Cultures. Together they have written 13 trainer’s guides in the Diversity at Work training series.
Table of Contents
Contents
Preface v
Symbols 1
Introduction 3
Part 1—DIVERSITY ICEBREAKERS
1. Name That Feeling 13
2. Diversity Letter Game 15
3. Who Do You Know? 17
4. Time Marches On 19
5. Back to the Future 21
6. Into the Future 23
7. Cultural Hat Dance 25
8. Take Your Pick—Learning Styles 27
9. Political Savvy 29
10. Head in the Clouds, Nose to the Grindstone 31
Part 2—CULTURE AND DIVERSITY
11. Introductions 35
12. Understanding the Impact of Culture on Work 37
13. Ups and Downs 43
14. Personal Influences 45
15. The Way It Is: The Real Issues 51
16. What Is Culture? The Iceberg Theory 53
17. Cultural Baggage 57
18. First Thoughts 59
19. Points of View 65
20. Seeing Is Believing, or Is It? 69
21. Communicating Our Way 75
22. DESO Model of Intercultural Communication 79
23. Qualities That Make a Difference 89
24. Addressing Language Barriers 93
25. Action Plan 103
26. The Impact of Change 107
Part 3—CHANGE, COMMUNICATION, AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
27. Dealing with Change: Barriers and Strategies 115
28. Self-Assessment Regarding Change 121
29. Introduction to Listening: A Self-Inventory 125
30. Name Your Partner 131
31. Non-Verbal Communication 133
32. Self-Talk 143
33. Coaching Across Cultures 157
34. Multicultural Team Building 171
35. Addressing Conflict Resolution 183
36. Resolving Disputes: Skills for Third-Party Intervention 203
Part 4—GENDER AT WORK
37. Historical Overview 221
38. Gender Issues at Work 229
39. Written and Unwritten Rules 237
40. Inclusion—Exclusion 245
41. Gender Tapes: Decades on Parade 247
42. Myths and Stereotypes: Old Wives’ Tales 255
43. First and Lasting Thoughts 259
44. Strategies for Success 263
45. Communicating Across Gender 269
46. Worlds Apart—or Is It Words Apart? 277
47. Communication Style 285
Part 5—CULTURE AND CAREER TRANSITIONS
48. Identifying Your Values: An Exploration 299
49. Reviewing Your Itinerary 305
50. Finding the Right Boss: Getting Back on the Right Track 313
Index 317
About the Authors 323
Files for the Exercises, Overhead Transparencies, Handouts are online at:
www.amacombooks.org/go/Diversity