Customer Reviews

The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity

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Andres Tapia's The Inclusion Paradox is an important addition to literature and research devoted to diversity inclusion in today's workplace. Tapia delves deep into the myths and misconceptions many have when it comes to better integrating minorities -- whether it be based on skin color, gender, sexual orientation, the disabled, etc --into the corporate environment. His argument is that it simply isn't enough to hire minorities. In order to fully integrate these minority employees into our corporate culture, we must find ways to make them feel more included in that culture and take special effort to identify and recognize these individual world views and biases.

Tapia presents his material in a compelling and always insightful way and the list of questions that round out each chapter gets the reader thinking about how he or she can improve the inclusion of these minorities into their own office environment.

This is a must-read.

How do you deal with diversity? Does your workplace require a different approach than everyday living? Should it? Andres Tapia spotlights the complexity of diverse cultural perspectives to reveal a new roadmap that will enlighten organizations and individuals from business to backyards.

While the implications for diversity are increasingly global in scope, "The Inclusion Paradox" addresses this reality, but also guides the reader on a practical, personal level. Diversity, which Tapia states is the mix, and inclusion, which is making the mix work, both have implications that impact daily relationships. How to constructively call out differences, and how to understand these differences to productively create new strengths, speaks to the heart of the new cross cultural competencies needed now by individuals, organizations, and nations.

Moving beyond best practices to rethink unspoken rules, rethink race, gender, generational, and sexual orientation differences, rethink religious and disability barriers ... all have extraordinary implications for those willing to move beyond judging to valuing variation from familiar norms.

Resistance to change is reality, and yet as Tapia states by simply moving from, "I tolerate your differences" to "I need your differences", we are beginning an inspiring new era of unity of purpose and promise.

Very good reading on Inclusion in the workplace and why from a business perspective makes sense. I shared with my teams and they gave very positive feedback.

The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity

Andres Tapia's, The Inclusion Paradox; The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity, unveils a revolutionary new global perspective on identifying, understanding and appreciating diverse values in the American workplace. Tapia's insight, research, and personal stories compel the reader to think inclusively in global commerce. Having been involved in academia for over twenty five years, I would strongly encourage business schools and organizational behavior classes to consider adding Tapia's text to their syllabi.

As Tapia notes, we are at a transformational time technologically, economically, socially, globally and politically. Andres captures the essence and importance of culture and values, and how they shape our attitudes, perceptions, and the way we view situations, particularly in the work place. His three step approach to mastering the inclusion paradox is about 1. Identifying our own values and beliefs. 2. Determining how they impact the way we view ourselves and others. 3. Knowing how others are different and learning to bridge the gap. Once this gap is filled, it allows for engagement and inclusion in ways that can help organizations grow and prosper. This approach builds cross-cultural competency in individuals, organizations and communities.

Overall, Tapia's premise, through an American lens, promulgates an important question: if we have difficulty calling out our differences, thoughtfully and respectfully as a Nation, how will we compete effectively in the global economy? Tapia challenges us to create more opportunities to appreciate diversity, foster inclusion, and to truly understand that the mix is what makes the world more interesting.

What color is the sky in your universe? The answer depends on matters of culture and context. And that's exactly what Andrés Tapia points out to readers of the Inclusion Paradox. Through compelling stories and illustrations, he connects the personal to the corporate and the global. With his clear and vivid writing, Tapia guides readers through the complex and complicated issues confronted by diversity professionals to the familiar interactions of everyday people. He uses multiple facets of diversity and inclusion to encourage readers to better understand their own cultural landscapes while working to understand others. This happens when we call out our differences.

In this global, interconnected, diverse world, I took away three critical lessons from the Inclusion Paradox: 1) Cultural competency is a skill that can be ... must be learned by all. 2) Assume only positive intent when feeling a mismatch between yourself and others. 3) Learn practical ways to approach and discuss miscommunications and cultural missteps. This awesome book invited me to rethink and re-imagine how I view the color of the sky in my world. I highly recommended the Inclusion Paradox.

Attended a seminar at which Andres made a presentation about "Diversity". His low key demeanor was a perfect foil for his impassioned and factual discussion of diversity and the impact it has on various facets and functions of the business cycle.

Will give a more detailed review once I am finished with the book.

Finally, finished the book. It is a must read for everyone in any sphere of activity that requires people to interact in some way shape or form.

Too often people and organizations start believing that diversity is being practiced because they have included certain groups, but are oblivious to the fact that those same groups are excluded in the making of key decisions which impact those groups and ultimately the organization as a whole, thus the title of the book.

Andres Tapias's Inclusion Paradox is a valuable contribution to how we, as individuals and as a collective whole, need to reexamine how we view and approach diversity. His book is written with up-to-date, current trends, relevant case studies, inspiring quotes and statistics. He shares his own personal stories and anecdotes which enable readers to gain a deeper sense of how his Peruvian-American roots have helped to shape his own personal journey and his deep insights into this evolving field.

The Inclusion Paradox challenges individuals, companies and organizations to truly rethink what it means to be "inclusive" and how to build an inclusive environment. He weaves in the great optimism of Obama's election in a poetic and powerful way that will leave readers understanding why they cannot ignore his message about the urgency of inclusion.

Cultural Competency, Work-Life Flexibility, Identity, Generational Differences, Music and Arts, Talent Pipeline Challenge, Women in Leadership, Disability and LGBT in the workforce are just some of the many areas he reexamines in a thought provoking manner.

His book has helped to reinvigorate my purpose, my vision and my passion to builder a more inclusive world. I highly recommend his book. Thank you Andres!

Andrés Tapia has a compelling vision. Tapia believes demographic changes and the complex set of problems facing humankind will force the integration of knowledge from the silos that much knowledge resides in today. As an example, Tapia points to the field of behavioral economics that integrates knowledge from the fields of psychology and economics. As part of this trend, Tapia argues that the physical and social separation of people based on their differences will also move toward integration. He describes this vision as Diversity 2.0.

Tapia is Hewitt Associates' chief diversity officer and the author of The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity. Tapia sees diversity as a broader term that includes such differences as ethnicity, male/female, religious background, temperament, thinking styles, etc. Tapia asserts that Diversity 1.0 has been about the mix of people. It's defensive and programmatic in nature (e.g., affinity groups, diversity recruiting, diversity fairs, mentoring and diversity learning). Tapia believes as organizations evolve, they will develop an offensive mindset that embraces diversity and inclusion. Diversity 2.0 is about making the mix of people effectively work in a way that benefits the organization. By doing so, organizations will also better understand their diverse clients.

Diversity officers, whom Tapia views as cultural anthropologists, will guide the move to Diversity 2.0. Through training, co-learning, consulting and storytelling (e.g. how cross-cultural competency helped close deal X or improved organizational task Y), a chief diversity officer builds individual and organizational cross-cultural competency. At Hewitt, Tapia developed a course on diversity and inclusion that has been completed by 14,000 participants and another 100,000 of Hewitt's clients will complete it over the next two years.

In support of his Diversity 2.0 vision, Tapia points to the election of President Obama and what he describes as the Obama Era. In his book, he explores eight cultural implications from Obama's election: inclusion is a transformative force; whatever we do has global impact; diversity and inclusion requires intentionality; we'll experience a renaissance of values-driven decision making; we must have a heightened focus on results; the bottom up is as important as the top down; both/and trumps either/or; and true diversity and inclusion requires calling out our differences, not minimizing them.

I believe Andrés Tapia is right. Obama is an excellent example of a leader whose election was possible because of greater inclusion in society. Obama is a leader who embraces diversity and inclusion. Obama is a bridge builder rather than a bridge burner. He values dialogue and is respectful, even with his political opponents and the leaders of all nations. He integrates knowledge from diverse domains and the ideas and opinions of diverse people. He is a "both/and" rather than an "either/or" thinker.

Learning about Andrés Tapia's views reminded me of the "integrative thinker" that Roger Martin wrote about in Opposable Mind: Winning Through Integrative Thinking. In the years ahead, there will be greater demand for organizational leaders who are integrative thinkers -- open-minded, curious individuals who intentionally and continuously seek the ideas and opinions of diverse people then connect the dots to develop new and better approaches, processes and products. These integrative thinkers will no doubt embrace Diversity 2.0 and organizations will be better for it.

Highly Recommended.

Andres Tapia's book, The Inclusion Paradox, is an informative and thoughtful read. He has done an excellent job of researching the subject of global diversity and its challenges. The book proves that learning doesn't have to be tedious. The author combines facts, perspectives, and conclusions which gets the reader thinking about a complex subject in a new way. Once you read it you will probably start thinking differently about the world around you and the people in it. I highly recommend it.

The Inclusion Paradox has serious implications not only for diversity advances around the world, but it gives us significant insights into the new economics, the descent of finance, leading in a state of permanent crisis, changing role of government regulation, risk management, global competitiveness and customer "number one" focus. Further, it must be understood that the world order is inexorably changing. That is, that corporation, governmental and educational institutions are going to be serving the bottom of their societies not just catering to the top.
Surveying worldwide export-import imbalance suggests nations will be selling to the bottom of the pyramid where the masses of people reside. This population includes those countries that have the substandard population density such as India, China and Africa. This is typically where people have the lowest per capita income. Our typical financial measures such as return on shareholder equity or investment and earnings from operation (ROSE, ROI, and EFO) will not be as meaningful when working with the small margin derived from poor people at lower income levels, unless you look at total profit in the aggregate.
The crisis will be ongoing because today's leaders have emergency plans, but not crisis management expertise. Likewise, government regulations are not in place to allow product quality with disposable life and reliability and still meet environmental requirements of the masses. Public information requirements, lawmaking and enforcement expenditures cannot be read nor comprehended at the bottom of the economic pyramid where work is outsourced to the lowest labor cost location.
In the Inclusion world, it will not make much sense to waste time and other resources on regulations that will be employed. Tapia wisely makes the point that skin color, gender, ethnic and national awareness are just starting points, but they are also just way points.
The answer may reside in focusing on changing institutional mind sets as well as enormous cross-cultural training and development efforts to cross national borders. Certainly, the information and electronic communication era lends itself to this paradigm while our broken commercial transportation systems are too expensive, slow, and inefficient. Good job Mr. Andrés. Keep us thinking.