Amazon Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review to be helpful:
Finally somebody got it right, June 10, 2008
By Charles Decker
This is just a wonderful book. The topic of diversity is one fraught with land mines, but Debbe Kennedy has figured out a way to discuss the issue without stepping on any of them. She makes it clear, for the first time I think, that it's not just about skin color but about how people see things in different ways and how others can profit by looking from various angles. The stories in this book are particularly rich and should resonate with both managers and employees in every size company. But don't think it's just for the workplace; I think it can also be valuable for everyday interactions at home and in the community as well.
1 of 1 people found the following review to be helpful:
Why diversity matters and how to manage it strategically, August 12, 2008
By Leslie K. Evelalnd
Too often diversity programs are seen as extraneous to the core business of the organization. In this powerful book, Debbe Kennedy offers convincing evidence that managing diversity is key to an organization's ability to innovate and adapt to a rapidly changing world. Using diversity as a strategic advantage requires that we know how to "put our differences to work" --how to align our different ways of thinking and seeing the world to create breakthrough products and solutions. The "Putting our Difference to Work Model" that Debbe describes and illustrates in this book can be applied by any leader in any organization. The examples and case studies she sites ground the model in the real world. She offers tools and techniques that help people with different ways of thinking come together to get things done. The "how to" information in this book is useful and easy to apply, but it is the explanation of why diversity matters that makes this book so compelling. Debbe makes it clear that putting differences to work is the key task of today's leader.
1 of 1 people found the following review to be helpful:
A Book You Can Really Apply Starting Today...., July 7, 2008
By Christopher G. Kenny
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.
The good news, as Debbe shows us, is that whether you are an owner, C-level executive, manager or "rank and file" employee, we ALL have the resources necessary to transform our own organizations. That's because "diversity" goes beyond the traditional notions of gender, ethnicity and cultural diversity to include the myriad of as-yet untapped skills and talents of our co-workers, suppliers and customers. And these diverse talents, skills and resources are available to every one of us, every day. Debbe shows you how to identify and harness the power of these resources to transform your organization (or at least your piece of it).
Read this book for the wealth of information it contains. More important, learn from this book and APPLY IT. Debbe shows you how. Follow her lead and you'll enjoy watching your organization - and the world - change for the better.
1 of 1 people found the following review to be helpful:
Connecting the right dots--right..., June 26, 2008
By Oguchi H. Nkwocha
"Siemens chief says its managers are too German, white and male" by Richard Milne in London, Financial Times, USA, Wednesday June 25 2008, p.1, col.3.
The article above is a report ready-made for "Putting Our Differences to Work," underscoring the pertinence of the subject matter of Debbe Kennedy's book: Siemens is not alone.
However, this book goes beyond the trite "'Diversity' solution" parroted by many industrial leaders; in fact, in so many ways, it is not quite about diversity. Nor does the book apply to Industries and Businesses alone: from self-help / personal growth to family to management of Nations and States, there is use for, and value in, this book.
And, do not expect the kind of pedantic presentation of material typically seen in Industrial and Business white papers, executive summaries, consulting reports and the sort. The story-telling style used for this type of material is entirely refreshing (especially coming from an author steeped, as it were, in the tradition of Business and Industry): it makes for easy reading and mass appeal.
Often, one reads a book quite mindful of the title and generally oblivious of the subtitle: not this book. The title is married to the subtitle: keep this tight couple in mind in order to reap the most benefit from "Putting Our Differences to Work...the fastest way to innovation, leadership, and high performance."
If there's only one book to read this year, make it "Putting Our Differences to Work..." You will be richer for that. Of course, considering what its chief is quoted as saying as above, Siemens could sure use the book, and there is Siemens everywhere!
Oguchi Nkwocha, MD.
California USA.
June 25 2008
0 of 0 people found the following review to be helpful:
Useful ifferences, June 8, 2009
By Russ Volckmann
Debbe Kennedy has produced a remarkable book, Putting Our Differences to Work, in which she provides a convincing case for the importance of differences at work for fostering innovation. She also offers a framework for engaging differences and putting them to work to foster changes in organizations (in all domains) that are essential in engaging effectively and developmentally with the turbulence of our time. While this review will share some highlights of her work with you with a strong recommendation that this book is an important read for those stepping into leader roles in organizations today, it is also a presentation of some questions and concerns about how we understand works such as this in the diversity of worldviews exposed by adult development theories and models such as Spiral Dynamics, as well as treatments of developmental stages related to variables of being human.
In a nutshell, Kennedy's argument is for an intentional approach to working with diversity and leveraging differences among individuals in organizational populations to foster generative and creative approaches for engaging the development of everything from strategy to implementation of change. She provides a wealth of material from experiences in and by managers and others in organizations and businesses, as well as her own experience at IBM, HP, the United States Army and elsewhere. These stories are used to identify key points that guide us in engaging differences and making them work in support of win-win-win approaches. All of this is organized around a robust and not necessarily linear series of activities. For the full review of this book with a comment by the author, go to
http://www.integralleadershipreview.com/archives/2009-06/2009-06-review-kennedy-volckmann.php
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