“In Reinventing Diversity, Howard J. Ross explains that creating what he calls ‘organizational community’ requires vision, which sounds like a platitude. Then we read on to discover that vision is much more than sight, or even foresight. Vision involves an intense level of focus and planning that anticipates the role of diversity in the globalized twenty- first century. If Howard Ross didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him. Or at least reinvent him.”
“Seen in this way, it is not naïveté to name and counter the meme; it is a choice. And if we have the power to choose to name the meme and then to work to change our communities, then we have hope. And hope can move mountains. ReInventing Diversity gives me hope.” read full review
-Atiba Ellis, Associate Professor of Law, West Virginia University College of Law
“This book, like Howard Ross, is brimming with substance and soul. It is an important work that invites courageous conversations and difficult dialogues both with ourselves and with others. Page after page offers us the wisdom, inspiration, and tools we need to be effective advocates for diversity and inclusion. At last, here is the book we have been waiting for!”
- JOHNNETTA BETSCH COLE, Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
“Reinventing Diversity is a true reflection of Howard Ross’s heart and soul and his decades-long commitment to transforming human relationships. This book not only challenges us to think differently about diversity and inclusion but also points to a new direction for how we can overcome the lines and barriers that divide us. As a civil rights leader on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality, I use these lessons daily.”
- JOE SOLMONESE, President, Human Rights Campaign
“Howard Ross’s global and academic experiences are artfully reflected in this book. His insights and guidance make this a must-read for anyone wanting to create culturally inclusive community in organizations. I plan to make it required reading for leaders wherever I go.”
- ROSALYN TAYLOR O’NEALE, Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Campbell Soup Company
“I am a founding director of a potent civil rights agency in Washington, DC that confronts on a daily basis the harm generated by an incomplete and unenlightened grasp of diversity in America. This harm makes victims of us all: the subjects of the illegal discrimination, the ones responsible for it and the rest of us who too often choose to ignore it until it knocks on our door. Howard Ross’s astute analysis of worn approaches to diversity training compels our attention and action. It is way past time to recognize and reject “diversity fatigue” and to move forward with this renowned expert’s multi-step reinvention of diversity training for the 21st century. Let us examine this book closely and engage its recommendations most willingly.”
- RABBI BRUCE E. KAHN, DD
“As a European Diversity professional, this book helped me to get a broader perspective on D&I strategy in organisations that goes beyond the usual mentoring and leadership programs. Howard Ross has a writing style that is very engaging, eloquent, but not complicated. I love the way he peppers his work with his own anecdotes, making it a very personal read. I can recommend this book to anyone in the diversity field, but also to anyone interested in why our societies and organisations work the way they do. If this isn’t Diversity 3.0, I don’t know what is.”
- HÉLÈNE BORGMAN, Assistant Director Diversity & Inclusiveness, Ernst & Young Nederland LLP
“Howard’s long experience, broad knowledge and deep commitment ensure this is a timely and important work.”
“ReInventing Diversity is the best Diversity oriented book that I’ve read in the last five years. It should be a core curriculum library mainstay for any Diversity Practitioner. As my UK friends would say it was ‘spot on’ in terms of the way a practitioner needs to be thinking about this specialty in 2011 and beyond. I particularly enjoyed the segments that focused on unconscious bias and the concepts and research that underpin what makes us who we are as human beings. Unpacking that aspect and giving it voice was extremely thought provoking. I will be recommending the book to all of my colleagues.”
- JOHN SEQUEIRA, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant, Royal Dutch Shell
“Unlike many books about the oft-misunderstood concept of ‘diversity,’ Howard Ross doesn’t just talk about diversity being a good thing. Or an ideal thing. Or an easy thing to achieve. Ross fills this book with tons of real world examples about real people struggling with the idea that diversity in organizations is not only a good thing, it can be a profitable thing. The book is for human resources people, managers, executives and ordinary employees working in the nonprofit, government and private sector. This book is not just nice-speak. It’s real-speak.”
-MARY STANIK, Communications Consultant, Blogger & Former Speechwriter for U.S. Department of Education
“An appropriate subtitle for this book might be No Easy Answers. Veteran diversity consultant Ross recognizes and well articulates the reasons why inclusion simply hasn’t taken root in many corporations as well as the reasons why well-meaning efforts don’t work. Many questions are asked here, but few are answered directly; yet the author underscores the fact that the journey to real diversity means listening intently and demonstrating patience, perseverance, and a deeper understanding of all communities involved rather than pretending to know all the answers. Philosophy aside (and there’s plenty to ruminate on), Ross shares different frameworks to help drive home a true change in thinking: nine steps to manage unconscious bias, eight basic principles of organizational communities, concentric circles of stakeholder resistance, and more. Architecture alone won’t transform an organization into one that’s culturally competent. Instead, read his account of a much-needed change at an inner-city midwestern hospital. Then apply his guidelines elsewhere. ”
Praise!
“In Reinventing Diversity,
Howard J. Ross explains that creating what he calls ‘organizational community’ requires vision, which sounds like a platitude. Then we read on to discover that vision is much more than sight, or even foresight. Vision involves an intense level of focus and planning that anticipates the role of diversity in the globalized twenty- first century. If Howard Ross didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him. Or at least reinvent him.”
- KOJO NNAMDI, Host, The Kojo Nnamdi Show, WAMU FM, Washington, D.C.
“Seen in this way, it is not naïveté to name and counter the meme; it is a choice. And if we have the power to choose to name the meme and then to work to change our communities, then we have hope. And hope can move mountains. ReInventing Diversity gives me hope.” read full review
-Atiba Ellis, Associate Professor of Law, West Virginia University College of Law
“This book, like Howard Ross, is brimming with substance and soul. It is an important work that invites courageous conversations and difficult dialogues both with ourselves and with others. Page after page offers us the wisdom, inspiration, and tools we need to be effective advocates for diversity and inclusion. At last, here is the book we have been waiting for!”
- JOHNNETTA BETSCH COLE, Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
“Reinventing Diversity is a true reflection of Howard Ross’s heart and soul and his decades-long commitment to transforming human relationships. This book not only challenges us to think differently about diversity and inclusion but also points to a new direction for how we can overcome the lines and barriers that divide us. As a civil rights leader on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality, I use these lessons daily.”
- JOE SOLMONESE, President, Human Rights Campaign
“Howard Ross’s global and academic experiences are artfully reflected in this book. His insights and guidance make this a must-read for anyone wanting to create culturally inclusive community in organizations. I plan to make it required reading for leaders wherever I go.”
- ROSALYN TAYLOR O’NEALE, Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Campbell Soup Company
“I am a founding director of a potent civil rights agency in Washington, DC that confronts on a daily basis the harm generated by an incomplete and unenlightened grasp of diversity in America. This harm makes victims of us all: the subjects of the illegal discrimination, the ones responsible for it and the rest of us who too often choose to ignore it until it knocks on our door. Howard Ross’s astute analysis of worn approaches to diversity training compels our attention and action. It is way past time to recognize and reject “diversity fatigue” and to move forward with this renowned expert’s multi-step reinvention of diversity training for the 21st century. Let us examine this book closely and engage its recommendations most willingly.”
- RABBI BRUCE E. KAHN, DD
“As a European Diversity professional, this book helped me to get a broader perspective on D&I strategy in organisations that goes beyond the usual mentoring and leadership programs. Howard Ross has a writing style that is very engaging,
eloquent, but not complicated. I love the way he peppers his work with his own anecdotes, making it a very personal read. I can recommend this book to anyone in the diversity field, but also to anyone interested in why our societies and organisations work the way they do. If this isn’t Diversity 3.0, I don’t know what is.”
- HÉLÈNE BORGMAN, Assistant Director Diversity & Inclusiveness, Ernst & Young Nederland LLP
“Howard’s long experience, broad knowledge and deep commitment ensure this is a timely and important work.”
- CHERYL POINSETTE BROWN, Owner, Five Smooth Stones Strategies & Mediation
“ReInventing Diversity is the best Diversity oriented book that I’ve read in the last five years. It should be a core curriculum library mainstay for any Diversity Practitioner. As my UK friends would say it was ‘spot on’ in terms of the way a practitioner needs to be thinking about this specialty in 2011 and beyond. I particularly enjoyed the segments that focused on unconscious bias and the concepts and research that underpin what makes us who we are as human beings. Unpacking that aspect and giving it voice was extremely thought provoking. I will be recommending the book to all of my colleagues.”
- JOHN SEQUEIRA, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant, Royal Dutch Shell
“Unlike many books about the oft-misunderstood concept of ‘diversity,’ Howard Ross doesn’t just talk about diversity being a good thing. Or an ideal thing. Or an easy thing to achieve. Ross fills this book with tons of real world examples about real people struggling with the idea that diversity in organizations is not only a good thing, it can be a profitable thing. The book is for human resources people, managers, executives and ordinary employees working in the nonprofit, government and private sector. This book is not just nice-speak. It’s real-speak.”
-MARY STANIK, Communications Consultant, Blogger & Former Speechwriter for U.S. Department of Education
“An appropriate subtitle for this book might be No Easy Answers. Veteran diversity consultant Ross recognizes and well articulates the reasons why inclusion simply hasn’t taken root in many corporations as well as the reasons why well-meaning efforts don’t work. Many questions are asked here, but few are answered directly; yet the author underscores the fact that the journey to real diversity means listening intently and demonstrating patience, perseverance, and a deeper understanding of all communities involved rather than pretending to know all the answers. Philosophy aside (and there’s plenty to ruminate on), Ross shares different frameworks to help drive home a true change in thinking: nine steps to manage unconscious bias, eight basic principles of organizational communities, concentric circles of stakeholder resistance, and more. Architecture alone won’t transform an organization into one that’s culturally competent. Instead, read his account of a much-needed change at an inner-city midwestern hospital. Then apply his guidelines elsewhere. ”
- BOOKLIST