Diversity Means Having Multiple Identities

Two examples of ignoracacy thinking:

When some people "act" threatened almost any time someone they disagree with addresses their own identity or even mentions being "Jewish, African-American, Hispanic, gay, etc.. or talks about how their experience has influenced their perceptions. Ex. Limbaugh calling Sotomayer a racist and a bigot. It's gotten ridiculous. And calling the organization "La Raza," an Hispanic KKK, despite the fact that is has corporate support from 'Liberal and conservative" businesses. They use someone's background identity as a reason to say they aren't qualified.

When someone thinks that everyone who shares one of their identities is always right, can't do "no wrong," and is incapable of committing heinous crimes. Any attempt to investigate to determine "guilt or innocence," is labeled being against a whole group. They assume that all people from their particular identity group think like they do, or should and that no one from their group is biased towards any other groups which is a bias in itself. They also only think of themselves in only one dimension.

Neither group takes the time to look at the multiple identities we all have, and acknowledge commonalities and difference as individuals. To me they both sound like they are saying that cultural differences are genetic rather than experiential. Ex. I have a black friend who was born and raised in Guatamala, and is constantly told she should call herself African-American and just doesn't want to admit who she is.

If we are conscious of how our backgrounds impact our perceptions, it can help us break through some of our biases and understand that there can be more than one way of doing something, or that we may be wrong.

Life Work Balance Expert Knocked Off Balance

I write about life work balance. I meditate, exercise, listen to music and work on letting go of things i can't control. But sometimes there are those days when I wish I had a do over day.

I'm working on an article that's due tomorrow. I waited too long to get started because I had other deadlines. The pressure is mounting and I'm doing my breathing exercises to get some "inner peace."

I'm also planning a trip to the UK and France at the end of next month with my teenage son, and I'm looking for business opportunities while I'm there. One of my colleagues in the UK has so graciously volunteered his time (UK evening) to give me some ideas and I'm looking forward to talking.

I'm working on my article and thinking that I'm doing well time wise with no minutes to spare, when my phone rings. I hadn't answered the phone all day so i could focus but I see on the caller ID it is my son's school. I pick up the phone and a I hear "this is the school nurse. Avi had an accident. He has a bad cut on his finger" (I'm thinking, ok put a band aid on it, thanks for letting me know,) and then "he may have broken it. Would you come pick him up?"

I go pick him up thinking i'll be back for my phone call and I'll have to work a little later on my article. When I get there, his finger is in a splint, he's in pain and I know we need to go to the doctor. I forget about my call and everything else, and we're on our way to the doctor.

I have to admit that for a little while I was thinking that maybe I could get my work done and take him later to the doctor, and get my phone call. I had to get over that and bring myself back to "mother earth," and be an "earth mother."

We find out that his finger is not broken. Good news, although he's still in a lot of pain.

I've missed my phone call, my article will be late and now I have to help my son type his ten page paper that is due tomorrow.

I'm feeling very off balance. I remember the skills I teach other people. I take some deep breaths to focus on what i need to do now which is be with my son, and I tell myself that I'm not always in control of events and this was certainly one of them. I look at my son and I'm grateful I have him and that his finger's not broken.

I go downstairs and sit down in front of his computer and tell him to start dictating.

Success of Simma's Generational Cross-Mentoring Program Featured in HRO

Simma was interviewed for a recent Human Resources Online article, "Bridging the Generational Techno-Divide". The author investigated the ongoing challenge that many companies have in building trustful, constructive relationships between employees across the generational spectrum. According to the article, companies large and small are struggling to overcome the wide gap in new technology skills that exists between older employees of the Baby Boomer generation and their Generation Y counterparts.

This was a major issue at a large company that Simma consulted for, and she was able to improve knowledge transfer between the two employee groups through the development of a program that encourages back and forth mentoring between Boomer and Gen Y employees. The program is described in greater detail in the HRO article.

"The boomer managers were going to be retiring and the younger employees needed their knowledge, but the groups were really afraid of each other," she says. "The older employees were afraid they were going to be made prematurely irrelevant, while the Gen Yers were afraid the older people weren't listening to them."

With Lieberman's assistance, the company created a "cross-mentoring" program in which the boomers created a process for transferring knowledge to the Gen Yers, while the Yers taught the boomers how to use technology to get their work done faster.

"Each group taught the other about generational differences," she says.

You can read more about Cross-Generational Communication here.

Simma encourages municipalities to do a better job at fighting hate crimes

The Orlando Sentinel recently quoted Simma in an editorial arguing that Florida and many other states aren't doing enough to combat a rise in hate crimes. According to the piece, the number of hate groups in the United States (926) jumped 4 percent last year and is up over 50 percent in the last decade. In the quote, Simma made it clear that the onus is on municipalities to protect minority groups during this rise in extremism.

Local municipalities must take stock of what measures are in place within their walls to counter hate and "set an example, create an environment where people are comfortable discussing those issues and constituents are comfortable bringing those issues to them"

Learn more about the recent rise and threat of hate groups in the United States by viewing the Southern Poverty Law Center's fascinating Hate Groups Map.

Simma has also written several articles on diversity and the importance of integrating minority groups into the workplace including the following titles:

• How to Integrate Diversity into Your Business Strategy
• Diversity Benefits Organizations and Communities
• Diversity Competence Assessment
  

Diversity Question: Are Liberal Women Less Attractive Than Conservative Women?

Conservative women are more attractive than liberal women who are angry and bad dressers. I couldn't believe that this was a topic on a conservative radio show today.

A caller to the show "Ask the Rabbi," or something like that with Rabbi Lapin on KSFO made that observation. I'd never listened to the show but as I changing channels, I heard someone say "I'm your rabbi," to a caller. Hmm, I thought, this might be an interesting show.

The male caller asked the Rabbi why liberal women were so unattractive. (Probably he just couldn't get a date.) I wondered how the Rabbi would respond to this clown. What a shocker! The Rabbi not only agreed with this caller but went on to say that he speaks at colleges across the country, and noticed how beautiful women in Christian and LDS colleges were and how homely women at Harvard and Yale are. I could only imagine what these two judges of women's beauty and goodness must be like. Scary!

I like to listen to different perspectives which is part of what diversity and inclusion is all about. I 'd be a hypocrite as a diversity consultant if I didn't, but this was outrageously stupid. It is also an example why curiosity about diversity, is important. It's all too common for people to judge others based on looks. The Susan Boyle story attests to that.

The radio show brought up three diversity issues for me.
1- Who sets the standard for what is attractive? Am I wrong if I find someone attractive that someone else doesn't? There is an old episode of "Twilight Zone," called "Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder." I encourage everyone to see it if you haven't.

2- There is a danger in making assumptions about people and how they think and act, by how they look.

3- It is narrow minded, ignorant, and one dimensional thinking to judge the goodness of people based on how you perceive their political thinking.

3-As a critical thinker, and consultant in diversity I have learned that people are much more complex that a label of liberal or conservative.

I thought that any minute the Rabbi would say that he was broadcasting from the "Bizarro World,) but that never happened and
I switched to CD and put on some good music.

Preparing for a Lay-off; don't get taken by surprise

Here are two scenarios for lay-offs and two strategies for each one. You need to be prepared for both.

1- A lay-off is imminent, but not everyone will be let go. Employees in this situation need to identify what you can do to make themselves indispensable and demonstrate the unique value that you bring to the organization, so that when the decision is made, your name will not be on the lay-off list. Volunteer to do extra work on a project that will be seen by senior management, and where you can demonstrate your unique skills and experience.

Involve yourself in projects where it will be appropriate to keep in contact and develop relationships with decision makers. In some situations it may be more difficult for senior leaders to lay off people they know and with whom they have developed relationships.

2- Be prepared to lose your job. Develop a plan to take care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. See a financial counselor, and make a budget. Assess your assets, and as hard as it is stay in contact with colleagues. Let people know your situation and ask them to keep their ears and eyes open for opportunities. Talk to your family so that you don't feel totally alone. Start developing new relationships with decision makers in other companies. It is important that as bad as things get, you don't isolate.

Stop Stress From Bankrupting Your Life!

Stop Stress Related Bankruptcy

300 Billion Dollars a Year!

According to the American Psychological Association that is what stress is costing businesses in the USA
Be it loss of productivity, absenteeism, turnover or increased medical costs, stress is clearly expensive to organizations.

What's more, stress is costly to individuals. This same study by the APA shows that 80% of Americans currently cite money and the state of the economy as their top two sources of stress.

If you want to stop stress from bankrupting you, read on. This article is dedicated to helping individuals more effectively manage stress at home and in the workplace.

Stress Sucks!
It literally sucks the energy, motivation and spirit from us. The personal effect of all this stress cause physical symptoms that include: headache, backache, tight neck and shoulders, high blood pressure and ulcers, and emotional symptoms like sadness, anxiety, depression, anger and irritability. You can find yourself getting irritated and upset over the smallest incident or innocuous comment.

Are you a stress breeder?
Stress is contagious and can impact everyone around us. Stress can impede the ability to focus on the job and cause us to take longer to finish projects or meet deadlines. Stress creates tension in relationships and interferes with communication and mutual support. Just when your friends and co-workers need to support each other the most, you get too stressed to talk.

One Person's Stress is Another Person's Relaxation
People react to events, other people and situations in different ways. What may be stressful to one person may not bother another and what makes one person feel relaxed and in control may not work for someone else. Just telling someone to relax and insisting they enjoy what you do can be more stressful. If your friends go white water rafting for relaxation and you don’t know how to swim, don’t accept that invitation. At the same time be ready and willing to try new ways to enjoy yourself.

Stress on Steroids
If you are a leader or executive in your organization you not only have your own stress, but you also have to make decisions that impact your employees. That can keep you up all night and obsess all day. When you learn to manage your own stress, you help create a less stressful environment for your employees.

Don't Just Stress Out, Do Something and Sometimes Do Nothing!

Here are some ways to reduce your stress level and not be a stressor to other people.

• Realize that you are not alone in feeling extra stressed these days.
• Become aware of the times you feel stressed out and identify your emotional and physical reactions. Are there specific instances when your back starts to tense up or your head starts aching? Look for general patterns.
• In your interactions with employees and others, are you raising your voice, getting impatient and being overly critical? Observe how your employees react to you. Do they avoid you or stay silent when you ask for input? Ask people you trust for any feedback regarding your behavior. Don't get defensive. Just listen.
• You've probably heard this a million times, but learn and practice deep breathing exercises. This will help you stay calm and focused and make the right decisions. You'll also prevent or interrupt your stress reactions, like neck aches and teeth clenching. The ability to use deep breathing techniques will make you a better listener, and be seen as a leader.
• Think of the value you bring to your business and the value the business brings to your customers. In a stressful economy many business leaders tend to forget about the value of their services, start thinking of what they offer as a commodity rather than a brand and spend too much energy worrying about their competition. Concentrating on your brand and what you have to offer will make you feel better about your business and think of new ways to present your value.
• When you get anxious about the future instead of planning for the future, bring your thoughts back to the present and what you know right now. This will give you more of a sense of control and make it easier to think strategically and reduce the stress of the unknown.
• Find an activity that you love doing or that you loved doing before you felt so stressed and take time to do more of it.
• Eliminate stressful people (energy vampires) from your life. They waste a lot of your time when you're with them and thinking about how stressed out you are after they leave.
• Use caller ID and don't answer when they call. If you have to talk with them use a timer and let them know you have an appointment in three minutes. Extricate yourself when the time is up.
• Take time to exercise. Think of exercise as a stress cleanser. You'll feel less plugged in to everyone else's stress as well as your own. The more relaxed and calm you are, the better you'll feel, and sleep. Not only will you enjoy spending time with them but also they will enjoy spending time with you.


Simma Lieberman “The Inclusionist,” helps individuals and organizations create inclusive cultures where people can do their best work and increase productive and profit.

Contact Simma Lieberman Associates to find out how we can help you and your organization be more productive and profitable during these stressful times. E-mail Simma@SimmaLieberman.com or call 510-527-0700. Visit our website www.SimmaLieberman.com