Author: Debbe Kennedy
(Hardcover - 208 pages)

Putting our differences to work means creating an environment where people, naturally unique and different, can work more effectively in ways that drive new levels of creativity, innovation, problem solving, leadership, and performance in the marketplaces, workplaces, and communities of the world.

Debbe Kennedy shows how to make all the dimensions of difference--such as thinking styles, perspectives, experiences, work habits, and management styles, as well as more traditional diversity considerations like gender, race, ethnicity, physical abilities, sexual orientation, and age--tremendous sources of strength. Kennedy draws on the latest research and a wealth of real-world examples to offer compelling evidence showing exactly how putting our differences to work accelerates innovation and contribution. She identifies five distinctive qualities of leadership that leaders must add to their portfolio of skills to make differences an engine of success. And she provides a detailed six-stage process for making the most of differences in the workforce, combining first-person best-practice stories and strategic with tactical ideas to help you put each step into action.

CHAPTERS INCLUDE:

1. The New Business Essentials

2. Five Distinctive Qualities of Leadership

3. The Basics for Putting Our Differences to Work

4. Assessment: Defining the Current Realities

5. Acceptance: Developing Support for Change

6. Action: Moving Forward

7. Accountability: Establishing Shared Ownership

8. Achievement: Measuring Progress; Celebrating Success

9. More Action: Keeping Momentum Alive

10. Innovation at the Verge of Differences

11. The Power of the Virtual Gathering Place

READERS' COMMENTS

“This book is a celebration. It’s also a handbook for a revolution in leadership, relationship and creativity. It celebrates and gives guidance for a future that is happening now and is accelerating and touching, thank God, every part of life around the world. Debbe Kennedy guides you with fascinating stories, poems, art, visuals, solid approaches and heuristics,”

"Leaders must find new sources of growth more than ever today. After questioning what leadership means while reading Putting Our Differences to Work, I found myself focused on one thing: I, the leader, must first harness our people's rich and diverse experiences, cultures and perspectives to attract growth." Debbe Kennedy compels us to see the source of unimagined growth that is locked within the people in our organization. Unlock, innovate and win... together."

“Debbe Kennedy is one of those rare business book writers who "gets it." She understands that the true value of a business book is the degree to which the book can actually be applied. "Putting Our Differences to Work" is valuable precisely because it can be applied by organizations of any size, starting TODAY. Debbe uses a clear, welcoming writing style to communicate real-life stories of change agents across the for-profit and non-profit spectrum who have employed the principles outlined in this book not only to transform their organizations but literally to change the world for the better.”