Wait—a diversity trainer saying that diversity training may be a waste of money?

That's right, and that's what you might be thinking when you read my first article for this edition, "Are you wasting your money on diversity training?"

But it's true—unless diversity training is part of a larger organizational plan for diversity and inclusion, a few days of training can have little impact in an organization. And yet, ironically, it is often the first things organizations seek out when they want to promote diversity within their organization.

In this issue, we consider the role and value of training as part of a larger effort to promote inclusion in an organization. We then outline a series of comprehensive steps organizations can take to lay a foundation that will allow them to truly benefit from diversity training and other efforts at promoting inclusion in an organization.

I hope your Fall is filled with foundation-building steps to promote inclusion!

Simma Lieberman helps create environments where people in organizations can do their best work and enjoy what they do. She is known for her work in Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity Dialogues that Make Difficult Conversations Simple, and How to Break the Barriers of Fear and Self-Doubt. Simma works with corporations, colleges and community and professional organizations.

Simma is the author of Putting Diversity to Work (Crisp Publications, 2003), a guide for managers on leveraging diversity in the workplace. She is quoted in various national magazines and news sources, including The Economist, Redbook, Human Resources Executive, Black MBA, MSNBC and Fox News. Her clients include McDonalds, Pillsbury, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, AT&T, Monster.com, Diageo, Stanford Court Hotel and the Women's Food Service Forum.

Learn what Simma can do for your business today...