STRESS MANAGEMENT Signs of Stress and Imbalance How To Break Through Fear in Turbulent Times What is Stress? Solving Problems in a High-Stress Environment Break Through Self-Doubt & Fear Let's Get Physical Holiday Stress Hotspots Make 2004 your Year of Organization Holiday Stress Hotspots Manage Stress by Stopping Obsessive or Unwanted Thoughts Meditate Stress Away Taking Stress for a Ride 3 Strategies to Reduce Stress Cleaning Up Stress; Control It, Change It or Let It Go! Substance Abuse The Courage to Feel Bad The Challenge of Change Tips for Managing Holiday Madness Modern Day Stressors: What Stress Looks Like in the 21st Century The Life Juggle: How to Find Lifework Balance New Year's Resolutions   CHANGE The Questions Leaders Should Ask Themselves about Change The Top Ten Ways to Manage People through Change Understanding Change The Challenge of Change   RUNNING A BUSINESS Be Heard. Be Strong. Be Effective. How to Deliver Impressive Presentations Getting Started in the Speaking Business: Answers to Burning Questions What Entrepreneurs Need to Know to be Successful How to Create and Maintain Culture as You Grow Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Candidates   DIVERSITY A Passion for Diversity Traits of a Diverse Organization Simma's Holiday Diversity Q and A How to Go from Eggshell Walking to Multicultural Festivity Making Are You Wasting Your Money on Diversity Training? Interview Bias: Overcoming the Silent Forces Working Against You How to Help LGBT Employees Help Your Organization Grow How to Integrate Diversity Into Your Business Strategy Diversity Benefits Organizations and Communities Diversity Fast Facts How to Integrate Diversity 10 PC Tips for Communicating with a Diverse Audience Are You Truly Successful? Interviewing Employees Who Stay Wage and Position Disparity Across Gender What Every Consultant Needs to Know About Diversity Consulting and Training Diversity Competency Assessment Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Candidates Understanding Diversity Dialogues Dialogue as a Communication Tool Amongst Diverse Groups of People Communicating across Generations in the Workplace Simma & Kate's Strategies for Cross-Generational Relationship Building Valuing Diversity during the Holidays   COMMUNICATION Understanding Dialogue: A Q&A on the benefits of dialogue Dialogue as a Communication Tool Communication with Concern Helping Others Deal with Loss 10 PC Tips for Communicating with a Diverse Audience Tips for Better Communication Between Men and Women in the Workplace Understanding Diversity Dialogues Dialogue as a Communication Tool Amongst Diverse Groups of People Simma & Kate's Strategies for Cross-Generational Relationship Building Web Site Tips   GENDER COMMUNICATION Differences in Male and Female Communication Styles Gender Communications Differences and Strategies Wage and Position Disparity across Gender Tips for Better Communication between Men and Women in the Workplace   WORK/LIFE BALANCE Life/Work Balance in the Real World New Year's Resolutions: A New Approach? Working with Loved Ones: Leverage Potential and Avoid Pitfalls Modern Day Stressors: What Stress Looks Like in the 21st Century The Life Juggle: How to Find Lifework Balance   RESTAURANT & HOSPITALITY All in the Family Are You Truly Successful? How to Create and Maintain the Culture of Your Restaurants Let's Get Physical Meditate Stress Away Taking Stress for a Ride The Challenge of Change 3 Strategies to Reduce Stress Cleaning Up Substance Abuse   FEAR & SELF-DOUBT Break Through Self-Doubt & Fear Substance Abuse The Courage to Feel Bad

Appreciating Diversity During the Holidays:   It's about more than just a simple "Happy Holidays" greeting card.   By Kate Berardo and Simma Lieberman Guess who's not celebrating Christmas this year? Millions of people in the US. That's right. Tens of millions of Americans don't celebrate Christmas religiously, either as followers of non-Christian religions (Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews) or as individuals with no religious affiliation. Because many stores tap into the cash value of Christmas with their plethora of Santas, ornaments, and Christmas fanfare at your nearby mall, we can easily overlook the depth of the diversity present in America during this season. In reality, many different events, both spiritual, religious, and tradition based, are being celebrated in many different ways during these times. It used to be that being inclusive meant sending out PC "Happy Holidays" greeting cards and changing Christmas office parties to "Holiday parties." Today, it's about more than just changing labels and titles. It's about using a time to be with friends and family to build understanding and awareness about others. Three Ways to Build Your Awareness and Create an Inclusive Holiday Environment Learn about other celebrations. Carve out some time from online shopping or a Holiday TV show to learn about another culture's celebrations during this time.  Watch a TV special on other celebrations, do a Google search on a holiday, or check out books at your local bookstore while gift shopping. Share your learning with others, and use it as a chance to expand the conversation at parties and at the dinner table. Make no expectations. Realize that people celebrate a variety of holidays during this time of year, and some people choose to celebrate none. Be respectful of these differences by taking interest in other people's traditions and making them feel welcome. Don't be afraid to ask people what holidays they celebrate. Find out what they do during this time of the year that is special. Let it be an opportunity to learn about different cultures and religions and the traditions that accompany them.   Simma Lieberman's diversity training seminars can help your organization or company. If you are interested in hiring Simma for a diversity seminar, click here for more information. Mark your calendar and your address book. If the calendar or PDA you use does not list holidays like Kwanzaa, Hanukah, Ramadan, and Diwali, find out the dates and record them as reminders. Many programs like Outlook allow users to add calendar dates for celebrations from different parts of the world automatically, making this task quick and effortless. Take a few minutes to mark your address book with the holidays that people celebrate. When writing holiday cards, recognize their holiday, and include a little hand-written note acknowledging their celebration.   A Note for Employers: Here are a few extra things employers can do to make their workplaces more inclusive during the holidays: Make sure your Holiday party isn't a Christmas party in disguise. Decorations and food should be general, and non-specific to any religion. Consider having a New Year's Party instead of a Holiday party. This type of party can get everyone on board with the company's mission and vision for the New Year. Post holiday greetings on your webpage and intranet for many religious holidays. Be respectful of these special dates, and plan events and meetings around various holidays. Display a multi-cultural calendar to help all employees stay aware of important cultural events for the rest of the year. Be flexible with the needs of different employees. Encourage employees to share their celebrations through stories, decorations, and foods that they can bring to their workplace. Simma Lieberman works with people and organizations to create environments where people can do their best work. She specializes in diversity, gender communications, life-work balance and stress, and acquiring and retaining new customers. Kate Berardo is an intercultural trainer and consultant who specializes in programs on cross-cultural awareness, international relocation, and multicultural teambuilding. She is the founder of the global resource site Culturosity.com and co-author of Putting Diversity to Work. www.culturosity.com. You may reprint these articles free of charge, on a non-exclusive basis, provided that Simma Lieberman's name and contact information are included. She would love to know that you plan to use her article(s); please contact her to let her know. Call Simma at 510.527.0700 or Email simma@simmalieberman.com Visit her website at www.simmalieberman.com FREE subscription to the Lieberman Learning Letter Receive a monthly e-newsletter with tips from Simma's workshops and programs. Topics include diversity, stress management, gender communications, and work life balance. Email:   Back to top

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