The Elephant and the Mouse: Moving Beyond the Illusion of Inclusion to Create a Truly Diverse and Equitable Workplace - Hardcover

by Laura A. Liswood (Author)

Explore diversity, equity, and inclusion that goes beyond unconscious bias and explores the ideas and tools needed to achieve these goals

In The Elephant and the Mouse, award-winning speaker and diversity and inclusion expert Laura Liswood delivers a thought-provoking and insightful new business guide that explores workplace diversity and offers new ideas for gaining the real benefits from your diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The Elephant and the Mouse refers to the dynamic in organizations that are roadblocks to consciously inclusive success. The Elephant, often dominant group leadership, knows little about the experiences of the Mouse, the non-dominant groups, while the Mouse knows so much more about the Elephant. In diverse workplaces, these two groups live in different worlds. Success will come only if everyone works in a true meritocracy. You learn what may be easy for some to do in their career is much harder for others to do.

In this book, which builds upon Liswood's groundbreaking book, The Loudest Duck, you'll explore the powerful case for diversity, equity, and inclusion and the often-overlooked risks posed by a homogeneous workforce. You will learn the hard truths about why many DE&I efforts fail, millions of dollars are wasted, and why organizations confuse efforts with outcomes. You'll consider new ways of leading others, with a strong emphasis on tactics and strategies employed by successful Elephant and Mouse leaders, including women leaders. The book also includes:

• Realistic explanations for the slow progress in diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice in society and organizations
• Examinations of the concept and myths of meritocracy and how to conduct a Meritocracy Stress Test on your firm
• How organizations often have an illusion of inclusion but find their efforts not creating the inclusive, equitable teams they say they want
• How safety efforts can provide a roadmap for diversity missions
• An exploration of both the human interventions and non-human roles of technology in DE&I initiatives, including the use of people analytics to de-bias organizations
• What tools are needed to go beyond awareness of unconscious bias to de-bias processes and what traits the new Elephant and Mouse leader has

An indispensable resource for managers, executives, and other business leaders who seek to recreate truly diverse, inclusive, and equitable organizations, The Elephant and the Mouse is also a must-read for human resources professionals, individuals who want successful careers in diverse teams, and anyone involved in the hiring, retaining, and promoting processes. This book offers a way to move beyond traditional diversity efforts towards more modern practices that embrace--and profit from--the differences between people.

Front Jacket

In The Elephant and the Mouse, celebrated expert on leadership and diversity, Laura Liswood, delivers a thought-provoking and valuable new blueprint for realizing success from workplace diversity. Building on her groundbreaking book, The Loudest Duck, Liswood presents a powerful argument for implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including the oft-overlooked risks posed by a homogeneous workforce. You'll learn the hard truths about why many DEI efforts fail and dollars are wasted, and be provided actions and solutions to move beyond unconscious bias awareness. Finally, you will be presented new Elephant and Mouse ways of leading.

The Elephant and the Mouse reflects on the imbalance between the Elephant, dominant group members, and the Mouse, non-dominant groups. This imbalance in a diverse organization means the Elephant knows little about the work and life experiences of the Mouse while the Mouse needs to know much more about the Elephant to survive and thrive.

The Elephant and the Mouse shares how these dynamics play out in organizations. The book explores the myths and illusions surrounding diversity efforts, including the illusion of inclusion. It highlights common organization dynamics that act as obstacles to consciously inclusive success. The author shares how to create true meritocracy while understanding the differences in lived experiences.

The Elephant and the Mouse presents evidence-based explanations for the slow progress of DEI outcomes in societies and companies, as well as examinations of the concepts and myths of meritocracy, with a guide to conducting a meritocracy stress test for your firm.

The book also lays out the important roles of the ally, the wing-person, the independent evaluator, the active bystander, and Upstander, which are essential to overcoming DEI roadblocks. It looks at how organizations take on "Safety First" efforts as a model for diversity commitment, along with the importance of technology and people analytics as tools to overcome unconscious barriers to create a truly successful, diverse organization.

The Elephant and the Mouse is a cutting-edge resource for those who lead and manage diverse teams and for those who seek a successful career in a workplace that is diverse, or strives to be. It is an essential read for any organization that proclaims diversity as a critical part of its mission.

Back Jacket

PRAISE FOR the Elephant and the Mouse

"Laura Liswood's expertise in the fields and diversity of leadership is exceptional. We are fortunate to have her voice and her knowledge, as so eloquently shared in The Elephant and the Mouse. The Elephant and the Mouse outlines how we can understand both our conscious and unconscious biases and the ways they affect our perspectives and our decisions-both personally and professionally-across all facets of our lives. The Elephant and the Mouse illuminates the path forward to real and lasting change, and I recommend it for everyone."
-MARTINE FERLAND, President and CEO, Mercer

"If Laura Liswood ran the world, it would be a fairer, more inclusive place. In this wise book, she highlights that many of our problems with diversity stem not from differences in demography but from differences in power. Her analysis of dominant and non-dominant groups offers valuable tools to have more productive conversations and drive more meaningful progress."
-Adam Grant, ^#1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

"The Elephant and the Mouse is a must-read for anyone committed to making their workplace or their community truly inclusive. Laura gives us a powerful new framework to break through traditional approaches to social inclusion so that we can take our diversity efforts to the next level. Laura has that one-of-a-kind mind that shows us where we are--why we might be stuck--and gives us a practical framework to turn our good intentions into meaningful change and real impact."
-BETH BROOKE, former Vice-Chair, EY

"Laura has done it again! I never imagined that Laura could author a follow-on book that could rival the simple truths and penetrating insight of The Loudest Duck, but she has! The Elephant and the Mouse is so good that I'm mad I didn't think of it. This book is simply one of the most important books on DEI I have read in recent years."
-BRUCE J. STEWART, CEO, The Small World Group

"The Elephant and the Mouse tells us how ignorant we can be of each other, how group thinking can limit our horizon, and how we can so much improve by exploring, understanding, and sharing with the other tribe, if only because as Jean de La Fontaine reminds us in The Lion and the Rat We need each other. There is a long way to go, and this book is a great start on the journey."
-CHRISTINE LAGARDE, President, European Central Bank

Author Biography

LAURA LISWOOD is a speaker, author, and diversity and inclusion expert with an interest in the myths of leadership and the lessons to be learned from real-world women and men leaders. Former Managing Director and Senior Advisor for Goldman Sachs and retired reserve police Sergeant, she is the Secretary of the Council of Women World Leaders in Washington, D.C. Her previous books include The Loudest Duck, Women World Leaders, and Serving Them Right.