Diversity Beyond Lip Service

The ugly truth about diversity is that some people worry they must give up their power for others to have a chance. La'Wana Harris's Inclusion Coaching method helps people realize that sharing power isn't the same as losing it. The elephant in the room with diversity work is that people with privilege must use it to allow others equal access to power. This is often why diversity efforts falter—people believe in diversity until they feel that they have to give something up. How do we talk them through this shift? La'Wana Harris introduces Inclusion Coaching, a new tool based on cutting-edge research that identifies the stages of preparation, implementation, and “self-work” necessary to help individuals, teams, and organizations build a sustainable culture of inclusion. Harris's six-stage COMMIT model—Commit to courageous action, Open your eyes and ears, Move beyond lip service, Make room for controversy and conflict, Invite new perspectives, and Tell the truth even when it hurts—provides a proven process for making people aware of their own conscious and unconscious biases and concrete steps to make inclusion an embedded reality. Harris offers managers and diversity coaches new models to empower everyone from employees to CEOs to “do” inclusion and address deep-rooted biases that are often invisible. She addresses the growing need to challenge bias and build authentic cultures where everyone can feel a sense of belonging.

Discover how to build a sustainable culture of inclusion with a coaching method that shows people that sharing power isn’t the same as losing it. The elephant in the room with diversity work is that people with privilege must use it to allow others equal access to power. This is often why diversity efforts falter—people believe in diversity until they feel that they must give something up. How do we talk them through this shift? La’Wana Harris introduces Inclusion Coaching, a new tool based on cutting-edge research that identifies the stages of preparation, implementation, and “self-work” necessary to help individuals, teams, and organizations build a sustainable culture of inclusion. Harris’s six-stage COMMIT model—Commit to courageous action, Open your eyes and ears, Move beyond lip service, Make room for controversy and conflict, Invite new perspectives, and Tell the truth even when it hurts—provides a proven process for making people aware of their own conscious and unconscious biases and concrete steps to make inclusion an embedded reality. Harris offers managers and diversity coaches new models to empower everyone from employees to CEOs to “do” inclusion and address deep-rooted biases that are often invisible. She addresses the growing need to challenge bias and build authentic cultures where everyone can feel a sense of belonging. “A good read for all concerned with the question of human training, leadership development, and organizational change. It challenges us to think about diversity in more concrete ways to ensure transformative change in organizational leadership and within institutional structures.... The book’s major strength is the focus on concrete and actionable practices to realize the hopes and dreams of genuine inclusion and diversity.” —George J. Sefa Dei, Professor of Social Justice Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, and Fellow, Royal Society of Canada “A clear, powerful guide through what a growing number of us in the coaching profession believe is imperative to our survival and relevance as a profession.... Through many powerful examples, and with a very calm, incontrovertible voice, La’Wana Harris has made the intersection between coaching and inclusion work crystal clear. Bravo!” —Halli MacNab, PCC, President, Association of Coach Training Organizations, and C.O.O., Accomplishment Coaching

An accessible guide showing all people how to create and sustain diversity and inclusivity in the workplace—no matter your identity, industry, or level of experience Offering real-life accounts that illustrate common workplace occurrences around inclusivity and answers to questions like “How do I identify and handle diversity landmines at work?” and “What can I do when I’ve made a mistake?” this handbook breaks down ways that organizations (and all people) can improve their cultural awareness and become more equitable in their work and personal relationships. We know that diverse teams are stronger, smarter, and more profitable, and many companies are attempting to hire more diverse teams, but most struggle to create a real culture of inclusivity in which people from all backgrounds feel comfortable. As clinical psychologists, as well as individuals with marginalized identities, Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker and Dr. Lauren Wadsworth show the emotional and physical impact of marginalization and how that leads to a decrease in employee engagement and, often, increased job turnover. “Did That Just Happen?!” will be invaluable for employees who come from underrepresented communities and identities (identities discussed include race, age, disability, sexual orientation, citizenship status, and gender expression). But the book is essential for leaders of companies, supervisors, HR departments, and for anyone who wants to understand and support diversity/equity/inclusion practices. The book will also make readers feel more confident in their navigating of friendships/interactions with people who hold different identities.

The book presents arguments to advocate that diversity should be a conscious business choice and not just a politically correct mandate to follow

*Note: This companion Action Guide is the workbook that accompanies the "Diversity Beyond Lip Service: A Coaching Guide for Challenging Bias" book. These pragmatic tools, stories and activities are designed to help business leaders, trainers, coaches and diversity & inclusion practitioners embed fundamental inclusive behaviors in their organizations. Contact [email protected] for customized curriculum and materials to support your implementation strategy beyond the foundational diversity, equity and inclusion principles. Tu as des groupes de ressources d'employés, des comités d'inclusion et des formations sur les préjugés inconscients, et maintenant ? Le sujet que tout le monde veut éviter en matière de diversité est que les personnes qui ont des privilèges doivent s'en servir pour permettre aux autres d'avoir un accès égal au pouvoir. Comment pouvons-nous les aider à gérer ce changement ? Afin de fournir à nos clients le service que nous revendiquons, nous devons faire notre propre travail pour prendre conscience de nos faiblesses et de nos préjugés personnels et organisationnels dans le domaine complexe de la diversité et de l'inclusion. À travers de nombreux exemples percutants, et d'une voix très calme et incontestable, Mme Harris a clairement exposé le recoupement entre le coaching et le travail d'inclusion. Bravo ! Halli MacNab, PCC, Présidente de l'Association des organisations de formation des coachs et Directrice des opérations de Accomplishment Coaching La'Wana Harris m'a ouvert les yeux sur le pouvoir des pratiques de coaching pour créer de nouvelles voies en matière de diversité et d'inclusion, que tu aies ou non une formation de coach officielle. Lis ce livre et contribue à créer des lieux de travail où chacun peut s'engager honnêtement et accéder librement. Marshall Goldsmith, vainqueur du titre coach exécutif de Thinkers50 et deux fois vainqueur du titre Leadership Thinker in the World Le coaching consiste à élargir la vision qu'ont les gens d'eux-mêmes et du monde qui les entoure. La'Wana Harris nous montre comment utiliser une approche de coaching dans nos discussions pour aider les gens à reconnaître courageusement lorsqu'ils ont agi par jugement, pouvoir et privilège. Marcia Reynolds, membre du Conseil d'administration et ancienne présidente monde de la Fédération internationale des coachs, et auteure de la The Discomfort Zone La'Wana Harris veut nous faire comprendre que l'inclusion est la responsabilité de tous. Pas de honte ni de reproches. Nous pouvons tous nous améliorer. Ken Blanchard, co-auteur de The New One Minute Manager(R) et Servant Leadership in Action

A sweeping leadership framework to institute clear and intentional actions throughout your organization so that people of all racial backgrounds are empowered to lead, collaborate, and excel at work. The Diversity Gap is a fearless, groundbreaking guide to help leaders at every level shatter the barriers that are causing diversity efforts to fail. Combining real-world research with honest first-person experiences, racial justice facilitator Bethaney Wilkinson provides leaders a replicable structure to foster a diverse culture of belonging within your organization. With illuminating and challenging insights on every page, you will: Better understand today’s racial climate and its negative impact on your organization and team; Be equipped to shift your organizational culture from one that has good intentions for “diversity” to one that addresses systemic barriers to all employees thriving at work; and Be emboldened to participate in creating an organizational culture where people from various racial backgrounds are growing in their purpose, making their highest contributions, and collaborating effectively towards greater impact at work and in the world. Ultimately, The Diversity Gap is the quantum shift between well-intentioned organizational diversity programs that do little to move the needle and a lasting culture of equity and belonging that can transform your organization and outpace your industry.

*Note: This companion Action Guide is the workbook that accompanies the "Diversity Beyond Lip Service: A Coaching Guide for Challenging Bias" book. These pragmatic tools, stories and activities are designed to help business leaders, trainers, coaches and diversity & inclusion practitioners embed fundamental inclusive behaviors in their organizations. Contact [email protected] for customized curriculum and materials to support your implementation strategy beyond the foundational diversity, equity and inclusion principles. You have employee resource groups, inclusion councils, and unconscious-bias training-what's next? The elephant in the room with diversity work is that people with privilege must use it to allow others equal access to power. How do we talk them through this shift? "In order to provide the service to our clients that we claim, we must do our own work to become aware of our personal and organizational blind spots and biases in the complex realm of diversity and inclusion. Through many powerful examples, and with a very calm, incontrovertible voice, Ms. Harris has made the intersection between coaching and inclusion work crystal clear. Bravo!" Halli MacNab, PCC, President, Association of Coach Training Organizations, COO, Accomplishment Coaching "La'Wana Harris has opened this coach's eyes to the power of coaching practices to create new paths for diversity and inclusion work-whether or not you are formally trained as a coach. Please read this book and help create workplaces with honest engagement and access for all." Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach and two-time #1 Leadership Thinker in the World "Coaching is about expanding people's view of themselves and the world around them. La'Wana Harris demonstrates how we can use a coaching approach in conversations to help people courageously recognize when they have acted out of judgment, power, and privilege." Marcia Reynolds, board member and past Global President, International Coach Federation, and author of The Discomfort Zone "La'Wana Harris wants us to understand that inclusivity is everyone's responsibility. There's no shaming or finger-pointing here. We all have room to improve." Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The New One Minute Manager(R) and Servant Leadership in Action

We’ve heard plenty from politicians and experts on affirmative action and higher education, about how universities should intervene—if at all—to ensure a diverse but deserving student population. But what about those for whom these issues matter the most? In this book, Natasha K. Warikoo deeply explores how students themselves think about merit and race at a uniquely pivotal moment: after they have just won the most competitive game of their lives and gained admittance to one of the world’s top universities. What Warikoo uncovers—talking with both white students and students of color at Harvard, Brown, and Oxford—is absolutely illuminating; and some of it is positively shocking. As she shows, many elite white students understand the value of diversity abstractly, but they ignore the real problems that racial inequality causes and that diversity programs are meant to solve. They stand in fear of being labeled a racist, but they are quick to call foul should a diversity program appear at all to hamper their own chances for advancement. The most troubling result of this ambivalence is what she calls the “diversity bargain,” in which white students reluctantly agree with affirmative action as long as it benefits them by providing a diverse learning environment—racial diversity, in this way, is a commodity, a selling point on a brochure. And as Warikoo shows, universities play a big part in creating these situations. The way they talk about race on campus and the kinds of diversity programs they offer have a huge impact on student attitudes, shaping them either toward ambivalence or, in better cases, toward more productive and considerate understandings of racial difference. Ultimately, this book demonstrates just how slippery the notions of race, merit, and privilege can be. In doing so, it asks important questions not just about college admissions but what the elite students who have succeeded at it—who will be the world’s future leaders—will do with the social inequalities of the wider world.

Powerful strategies that will transform the way you teach and the way your students learn. Advancing Differentiation will lead you through the process of creating a thriving, student-centered, 21st-century classroom. Since its initial publica­tion, the book’s materials have undergone rigorous testing and refinement in classrooms all over the world to deliver the best and most effective differen­tiation strategies. The strategies in this book will help you: Deeply engage every learner while challenging students to think critically, self-regulate, and direct their own learning Set new roles for student and teacher that encourage learner autonomy Employ cutting-edge techniques for designing rigorous E4 curriculum (effective, engaging, enriching, and exciting) This revised and updated edition features: A primer on differentiation, which answers the crucial question, Why differentiate at all? Self-assessment surveys, observation forms, and new ideas for increasing proficiency in classroom differentiation Ways to address the changing needs of the future workforce More articulated curriculum design defining the differences between strategies and skills—refining the levels of conceptual knowledge

With deep compassion of someone who has faced sudden tragedy, La'Wana Harris shares her journey through one of the toughest times of her life. She gives you the 360 degree view of her testimony when her faith was tested. She has taken the lessons she learned and provided tangible tools for others who find themselves in similar situations.