The power of difference: Where the complexities of diversity and inclusion meet practical solutions by SimonFanshawe (Ed.), New York, NY: Kogan Page. 2022. p. 250. $25.95 soft cover
本书以故事和个人经历探讨工作场所及社会中的多样性与包容性，强调通过建设性冲突和倾听实现真正包容，适合人力资源、管理者及关注社会公平的读者。
There has been an increase in positions dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), in fact, the rate at which US companies are hiring chief diversity officers tripled in 2021 as compared to the prior 16 months.1 Fanshawe presents The Power of Difference as a field guide for anyone navigating diversity in the workplace and beyond. From the beginning Fanshawe emphasizes the challenge of the work of a diversity professional. He explicitly states this book is not “Ten Easy Steps to Diversity in Business” (p. 1). This transparency, which continues throughout the book, is what makes this book so compelling. Regardless of the diversity or inclusion topic (e.g., Abraham Lincoln as a teacher of diversity, inclusion must embrace disagreement, complexity needing diversity, etc.), Fanshawe delivers the content utilizing a storytelling approach, a personal experience, or reflection with which to emphasize his points. Fanshawe's long history working for social and organizational change, with the emphasis of the power of difference, has resulted in a collection of stories that delivers Fanshawe's points and provokes the reader to think differently. The book begins with an introduction, Who am I and why this book, where Fanshawe gives a surprisingly intimate view of his own experiences of coming out as a gay man. This sets the tone for the book, and illustrates Fanshawe's passion for the pursuit of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of life, not just the workplace. The book is organized in six sections, and proves to be an educational, emotional, and rich discussion of diversity and the Power of Difference. In the first section What is diversity for?, Fanshawe breaks down the reasons for diversity into bite-sized chunks. He starts with a brief history lesson on diversity by examining Abraham Lincoln's actions. He discusses what can go wrong when the focus of diversity is for the wrong reason, or does not receive full investment. He ties this historical perspective to the present with eye-opening statistics on the current diversity deficit in all sectors of work. While focusing on these diversity gaps, Fanshawe provides an illustrative example of a board working to increase diversity in their company; through this example, Fanshawe makes the point that many people still see increasing diversity as a trade-off with excellence. In the second section, Inclusion is Not Just About Being Nice to People, Fanshawe utilizes a story about the Northern Ireland conflict in the 1970s to emphasize the need for productive disagreement and intentional listening. A few points stood out in particular from reading section two. First, he uses the metaphor that inclusion is akin to being invited to dance, not just invited to the party. Fanshawe eloquently phrases this idea of inclusion as being misinterpreted to “check off the box” instead of making those who are included actually feel included. Second, identity is crucial in recognizing if diversity is truly being embraced and appreciated in an organization. When organizations create spaces where individuals conceal part of their own identity, referred to as covering in the book, he emphasizes the importance of organizations to making an effort to understand who is concealing their identity and why. Fanshawe argues that to truly be inclusive, organizations should create an environment where people feel included enough to bring their whole selves to work, not just the part that fits the accepted mold. The third section, Diversity is Not a Minority Sport, touches on accessibility and minority identities. Fanshawe is effective at writing and delivering messages that stick with the reader. For example, in this section he notes, “diversity is not spicing up the stew, its changing the recipe” (p. 95). He elaborates to explain that in order to be fully diverse, companies (and the world in general) need to be fully accessible to everyone, even if that requires fundamental changes. Section four, Unconscious Bias is an Excuse, confronts the idea of unconscious bias, and challenges the reader to critically think about their own unconscious biases. Fanshawe's arguments against unconscious bias questions if these biases are really unconscious when they are so deeply ingrained in our everyday lives through stereotyping, media, and the history of our culture as a whole. Rather than trying to address the hidden bias that an employee (or individual) may or may not have, workplaces should foster environments where employees feel free to have open conversations about wanted and unwanted behavior. Fanshawe ends this section by promoting bystander intervention training and contact theory as ways to put conscious effort into addressing workplace bias. The longest section of the book, Ditch the Superhero, focuses on the context of working in teams and complex problem solving. Fanshawe's main points in this section emphasize: (1) groups are not effective because of one-person (the “superhero”), and (2) groups must be diverse not just to meet a quota, but to gain distinct perspectives, and avoid groupthink and blind spots. Fanshawe shares his perspective and critique of current selection practices that may be minimizing diversity, and are not focusing on recruiting for difference. Diversity isn't harder to manage: You only think it is, is the final section of the book which Fanshawe ends with a discussion of leadership and its part in ensuring an appreciation of difference. Fanshawe introduces the 3 C's of facing challenges: context, curiosity, and change. He emphasizes that in order for anyone to confront someone else's challenges, there must be the right context, active curiosity, and willingness to change. Fanshawe writes a compelling book about diversity, and the value of consciously recognizing differences between people. A constant and primary theme of the book is that productive change is not able to occur unless spaces are created that allow for safe and productive conflict. A space where everyone's voice is able to be heard, and learning how to promote diversity best for your own team and organization is at the center. The title suggests there are solutions to be found in this book, and the book leaves the reader with some solutions. However, Fanshawe leaves the reader with many more questions to grapple with and consider when creating a context in which the Power of Difference is possible for them. We believe this is the true intention of this book.