No Quick Fix to Diversification, eBook Author Says; ‘But Here Are Some Tips’

News Release
Contact Susan Klopfer
505-728-7924
sklopfer@gmail.com
http://susanklopfer.com

Dramatic, positive change is more possible for any business when leadership is truly diverse, says the author of a newly published business eBook, Cash In On Diversity.

Susan Klopfer, who writes and consults on how to capitalize on diversity – says that businesses and organizations with ”true diversity of leaders” typically perform better financially and in other ways, too.

And she offers hope for business leaders on how to get there.

“These organizations show an increased capacity to link with new global and domestic markets, as well as an expanded access to global and domestic talent pools,” Klopfer said, citing findings from “Diverse City,” a project of the Greater Toronto, Canada Leadership Project and from her own experiences and informal data gathering.

Heightened innovation and creativity are also more possible within diverse organizations, along with strengthened social unity or cohesion -- “People who learn to respect each other’s differences, and who learn to treat each other using the Platinum Standard are simply going to work better together and there will be more rewards when this occurs – socially and economically.”

But Klopfer warns that too many organizations still haven’t grasped the “platinum standard,” a diversity management term coined by diversity management guru R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.

“This means listening and learning from others as to how they wish to be treated and understood, and not assuming you have the answers, stemming from your own personal ideas and values.”

Greater employee productivity and organizational performance can also be expected when there is a commitment to diversity. Thinking out of the box has been attributed to work done by diverse teams, for example.

“The Toronto Project found that diverse leaders are able to respond better to Canada’s increasingly multicultural markets, and that diverse leadership is more likely to attract and retain a diverse workforce.”

So how can any organization ensure diversity of leadership? And can a turn-around happen fast?

“First, make diversity a strategic priority,” Klopfer suggests.

“There should be a public commitment to diversity in leadership that sets the tone and creates the right conditions for change.”

Another tip – “Break out of your comfort zone and realize diversity requires change. You will have to take some risks. Leaders must learn to consider new options and to try new things.”

Klopfer tells about one Canadian company that was able to move quickly into diversity by capitalizing on their networks to increase board diversity.

“They approached some 450 community-based organizations to reach out to prospective board members, in essence, asking everyone they knew for recommendations. Then they created a grid system to assess, track and monitor qualifications.”

Group mentoring is still another way to help bring diversity into an organization’s culture, Klopfer said. “Find senior ambassadors within the organization and help them network with non-executives by sharing personal stories about their careers, and by leading discussions regarding challenges and opportunities for people to succeed.”

Always establish goals and measure results, Klopfer said. “Become publicly accountable by posting this information to website and other venues such as news releases and internal newsletters.

While these tips for moving to diversity may sound simple enough, Klopfer warns there is no quick fix to diversification. “It is a journey that will never be over.”

But creating a culture of diversity “will help put measures in place within the organization and to address what are called unconscious biases that too often pose obstacles to hiring and upward mobility of diverse people.”

Cash In On Diversity published by Smashwords (distributor of eBooks to the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and the Diesel eBook Store) blends practical experience with academic findings and provides do-able solutions.

The 12 chapter eBook features a diversity and psychology FAQ contributed by a social and clinical psychologist, a discussion of five common diversity mistakes companies make, specific tips for communicating with non-native speakers, an 11-point organizational diversity analysis, the script from Klopfer’s popular diversity webinar, followed by a complete glossary of critical diversity terms (“from Abrahamic religions to xenophobia”).

The Gallup, New Mexico writer holds a master’s degree in business from Indiana Wesleyan University and an undergraduate degree in communication from Hanover College. The former Missouri journalist and Prentice Hall editor wrote three civil rights books on the Mississippi Delta and also wrote a Book of-the-Month alternate selection on personal computing, published by Prentice Hall.
--END--

Sharper Focus on Diversity Could Pay Off For Business, Ebook Author States

News Release
Susan Klopfer
sklopfer@gmail.com
http://susanklopfer.com/

Diversity eBook nominated for Global Award.

(Gallup, New Mexico) -- Is the time ripe for another book on diversity? Author Susan Klopfer believes so, "...since the money part of the diversity message still hasn't hit home for most business leaders."

If American business has been talking the language of diversity for over 20 years, why do we still hear shocking complaints of ethnic mistreatment and cultural misunderstanding? Business author Klopfer asked this question after gathering diversity-related stories for her newest ebook, Cash In On Diversity; How Getting Along With Others Pays Off.

Klopfer's ebook is available through Smashwords, the Internet's largest ebook publisher and distributor to most major ebook retailers, including ibooks, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Stanza and others.

A civil rights author, journalist and professional book editor, Klopfer is a storyteller and her ebook’s characters reveal unfortunate accounts of “what still goes on in far too many business environments, even when we’re told through corporate messages via countless blogs, seminars, speeches, books and videos that major diversity issues have long been settled.”

One of Klopfer’s stories, for instance, focuses on a young man who wears tasseled shoes to work and is fired by a major pharmaceutical company because he doesn’t “fit in”; another, of an Island woman who is expected to cook a special meal every year so her cohorts can experience “true” diversity; and, still another story tells about a new employee who is asked to “set up” a “real quick diversity program” (“maybe write a blog or put up a Facebook page”) so the company will look good to its African American customers. “Try win a diversity prize!” his boss commands.

Cash In On Diversity blends practical experience with academic findings and provides do-able solutions, along with a diversity and psychology FAQ contributed by a social and clinical psychologist.

Adding value to this easy-to-read 12-chapter ebook is a discussion of five common diversity mistakes companies frequently make, like seeking “one size fits all” training and solutions.

Readers also benefit from a specific tips for communicating with non-native speakers, as well as a unique diversity questionnaire, and an 11-Point Organizational Diversity Analysis.

Also featured is the script from Klopfer’s popular diversity webinar, followed by a complete glossary of critical diversity terms (from Abrahamic religions to xenophobia).

“When we have a better grasp of diversity terms, we can really understand current problems and then have a better chance of solving them,” Klopfer, a communication specialist, asserts.

In doing her informal research, the diversity author noticed that big businesses often do no better than small organizations when it comes to really understanding diversity, and making use of its benefits.

“Too often, culturally naive business managers, even in large, sophisticated organizations, lead their companies into losing millions of dollars in lost opportunities due to problems stemming from simple cultural misunderstandings, which can lead to the mismanagement of employees. Just look at the high volume of lawsuits.”

Miscommunication and a lack of cross-cultural understanding are two main barriers organizations face when it comes to working globally, Klopfer states. “In an increasingly aggressive global business environment, there’s no time for the misinterpretation and blunders that result from failing to recognize and understand each other’s values.”

Klopfer holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and an undergraduate degree in Communication from Hanover College. A former journalist and technical writer, she is the author of an alternate book selection for the Book of-the-Month Club (Abort! Retry! Fail!) and worked as a computer book development and acquisitions editor for Prentice Hall. Klopfer recently lived in the Mississippi Delta where she wrote two civil rights history books, including the story of Emmett Till. From this experience, she became interested in diversity management and chose to blend her journalism, business and civil rights experiences and knowledge.

Klopfer currently resides in Gallup, New Mexico where she recently opened a vintage and southwestern gallery.

* * * * *
"In a world where ethnic conflict seems emerging and re-emerging, Susan Klopfer has written a luminous book defending the value of ethnic intimacy and arguing the virtue and art of story as a powerful means of achieving that intimacy. Her book could not have come at a better time."

Robert Alpert, civil rights activist and teacher

* * * * *
Cash In On Diversity; How Getting Along With Others Pays Off ($3.99. Smashwords, 2011) is a practical guide written for business people, educators, health workers, lawyers, ministers, engineers, computer experts, students and all others who want to do a better job of relating to each other in their daily lives. Easy-to-read, storytelling approach. Includes a valuable glossary plus avaluable, free gift to readers.

# # #