HispanicBusiness.com
"Leveraging Diversity at Work" Available Thursday

September 12, 2006

By Mike Traphagen

Understanding the power of diversity and using key methods to maintain a harmonious workforce are the subjects of a new book that will be available Thursday on Amazon.com.

"Leveraging Diversity at Work," written by Kim Olver and Sylvester Baugh, will be released via the online book retailer at a cost reduced from its $19.95 cover price.

The latest effort from the "Inside Out Empowerment Series" boasts that it can show companies, "How to hire, retain and inspire a diverse workforce for peak performance and profit." The book details the kind of value a diverse workforce brings to a company, and offers instruction for creating a comfortable environment through methods that go beyond the common one-day diversity-training session.

The first portion of the book is designed to help members of the workforce empathize with those from minority cultures. It covers topics such as culture, beliefs, myths, stereotypes and discrimination.

As claimed in the book's introduction, Ms. Olver and Mr. Baugh believe that the solution to the diversity divide lies with members of the majority and minority alike. Later chapters encourage people to step outside their comfort zone, become less resistant to change, connect through similarities and celebrate differences.

The authors pull from their experiences in multicultural situations to provide background on each topic in the book. The final chapters offer companies tips on hiring, retaining and inspiring a diversified workforce.

Ms. Olver is the founder and director of Coaching for Excellence, LLC, a Chicago-based professional training, coaching and consulting company. Mr. Baugh is director of Baugh Training & Consulting. He served as the diversity management trainer for United Airlines and has been a professional trainer for employability issues and career development since 1982.