Diversify or Die - A Book Review

There are many pieces of diversity literature out there that, while well intended, do more to intellectualize the constructs of diversity administration - which confuses many 1-5 years diversity officers - than they do towards framing the realities of the work. I read DoD and I was relieved by the notion, "about time somebody is telling the truth." I was pleasantly surprised when the author, Eric Guthrie, Esq. asked me to write a review of his work. Here is it for those who want a preamble to fair but hard-hitting advice about being a diversity officer BEFORE you go thinking "anyone can do that." It's not for the faint at heart.

Summative Abstract:

DoD offers short, easy to grasp, snippets of diversity thought, application and examples that are good for the novice and advanced diversity practitioner or advocate. There is hard-hitting and expandable advice and wisdom scattered throughout each chapter. The reader is taken on a journey from ideology to enlightenment that is rare in diversity literature. I often say that the most tragic and destructive display of human judgement is to conceal the absolute truth of a people. In that spirit, DoD does not conceal, but reveals the absolute truth about the diversity landscape, exposing its base and more complicated areas of thought as well as its daunting and exhilarating results of application.

Review

Beginning with a title distinction and example of business as a competitive “tribe”, DoD transitions from an introductory piece of literature to an outright interface of theory and application.  Much of the theory behind the foundations laid by the author are drawn from the works of Charles Darwin. Throughout the book, Darwin’s quotes, wit and wisdom precede the author’s transition to modern thought and then to applications of theory.

The author does a fabulous job of “trimming the fat” about diversity early into the book and gets to “one thing in common” among reasons for extinction: power; more specifically, “keeping power in the same place with the same people.” This commonality stages the entire book as is expressed directly or indirectly as the base of diversity consensus building or infrastructures. The author goes directly to the challenges and reasons companies should care about diversity and outlines easy references for the reader to grasp and take along into the later chapters.

Towards the middle, DoD addresses the inner workings of diversity by defining and identifying details of today’s diversity departments. There are addresses of policy, training, patience, finance, etc. which provide needed attention to the pitfalls and challenges ahead for a would-be success diversity manager.

The latter chapters of DoD focus on support components. These include use of strategic groups such as ERGs and diversity councils, and the invaluable skills of metric development, assessment and evaluation. A rare look at the stock market is even thrown in for the more advance practitioner to consider. The book concludes with advice for managers tasked with motivating contentious personnel toward new levels along the diversity continuum. Overall, the reader gets a comprehensive lesson about diversity which include its human elements as well as the political, organizational, theoretical and social components that make the field even more interesting. 

Recommendation

My recommendation for Diversify or Die comes after 25 years of service in higher education and as a nationally recognized chief diversity officer. I find this book both courageous and matter-of-fact in virtually all areas of the diversity profession. It clearly marks the success of the professional as a win for all players and I highly recommend it for all who dare to care beyond polite quagmire and political acquiescence.