Inclusion Insights
September 6, 2005 - Volume 1, Issue 2
A Free Resource on
Diversity, Inclusion and Cultural Competency
Provided by: Steve L. Robbins, Ph.D.
S.L. Robbins & Associates |
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In This Issue
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1) Useful Quote
2) Teachable Moment: "A New Search Routine"
3) Cross-Cultural Faux Pas: Cross-Cultural Marketing Mistakes
4) Events Calendar
5) Stats You Can Use: "Minority Buying Power"
6) Web Sites of Interest
7) Books of Interest
8) Did You Know?: Communicating with People with Disabilities
9) Unintentional Intolerance Workshops and Presentations
10) Recipe of the Week: Pho - Beef Noodle Soup Recipe
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1. Useful Quote
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"Don't confuse cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity for cultural competence."
-- Steve L. Robbins
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2. Teachable Moment
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"A New Search Routine"
There is a chorus frequently ringing through our house. Once benign background noise, it now
evokes thoughts generally entertained by those in anger management therapy. Those with children, or those who spend some time with children probably know the haunting words of the chorus, "Where's my Gameboy game?"
So, what's this musical tale all about? To answer that question we journey back several years to a fateful point in time when I innocently purchased my oldest son a Gameboy.
What I thought was a cool, electronic toy that hip dads buy their kids has in fact turned out to be the source of frequent mental and emotional frustration. In many ways it's like the anguish that accompanies a losing battle when, for example, you have a little piece of food stuck between your teeth... and you try and try to dislodge it with your tongue, but you just can't get it out. I'm sure you know the feeling, which is intensified when you fight that battle in a restaurant, a public place where you just can't reach in there with a finger and remove it like they used to do in the old days, when etiquette was the sole responsibility of the French, and we hadn't yet been bombarded by billions and billions of public health messages warning us about the billions and billions of nasty germs that live right on the ends of our fingers, that could kill us at any moment. You get the picture. Oh yes, back to the Gameboy.
Much to my wife's displeasure I had decided to give my oldest son Nicholas a taste of high-tech game-playing portability. After all this is the 21 century. I now know that my ignorance and naivete coupled with a possible genetic predisposition to all high-tech gadgets clouded my ordinarily strong decision-making skills (images of my wife laughing uncontrollably play in my head). It's really not my fault. I just can't resist palm-sized gizmos as they blink their sexy red and green LED's at me. "Free me, free me," they say. What I hear is an unrelenting cry torelease them from their paper and plastic prisons to do what they were predestined to do. How can anyone with any type of high-tech heart not interevene when a Gameboy's inalienable right to be a Gameboy is being thwarted? Yeah, I know it sounds overly dramatic but sometimes one to has to rationalize bad decisions.
Anyway, the Gameboy entered our home. There were few if any problems at first, primarily because Nicholas only had one Gameboy game cartridge. Just so you are not confused, when you buy a Gameboy unit, you also have to get game cartridges to plug into your Gameboy unit, at additional cost. When there is only one game cartridge, it is always in the unit, and presumably can't get lost. Herein lies the real problem with Gameboys. When you have more than one game cartridge, the ones that aren't plugged into the Gameboy unit grow legs and waddle away to covert destinations. And this is when Gameboy hell opens its gates.
"Where's my Gameboy game?" Nicholas quickly learned these words after getting his second Gameboy game cartridge. The chorus was bearable at first, as a solo voice. But in another lapse of judgment, I purchased our second oldest son, Zachary, a Gameboy. So, because of my inability to keep my hi-tech hormones in-check, my wife and I not only get to hear the solo edition of "Where's my Gameboy game," but are at times privileged with it in two-part harmony.
The initial annoyance was offset by the surreal peace and quiet that visited us on long road trips. From a parent's perspective, there are few things more heavenly than looking in your rear-view mirror to see two of your kids quietly enjoying each other's company, albeit with the help of Gameboys. No fighting. No screaming. No noise. Just two precious little ones wasting their little brains away in the mesmerizing light of a Pokemon Gameboy game. Gives me high-tech goose bumps to just thinking about it. So, it's not in these wonderful, in-transit moments that Gameboys are problematic. Home is where all the problems arise. To be fair, it's not really the Gameboys that are the problem, it's the ones who play them. Because we all know that Gameboys don't kill parents, kids do.
Here is a recent scene that illustrates the pain of Gameboys. It had been a quiet, relaxing evening. My wife and I were spending time with one another, trying to get in the daily ten-minute communication interaction that the average U.S. couple engages in. And then it starts.
Running up the stairs, Zachary asks, "Where's my Gameboy game?"
"I don't know. Where did you put it?" I fire back.
"Which one are you looking for?"
"I can't find Pokemon Silver Version. I looked everywhere," his frustration leaks through his words.
"And I can't find Pokemon Ruby Version." Nicholas chimes in.
"I suppose you looked everywhere too?"
"Yep, Zachary and I looked in all the places we'veplayed our Gameboys. We looked in our room, the toy room and the car. We looked everywhere," Nicholas says without truly grasping the meaning of the word "everywhere."
"How about Jacob's room, or Natalie's room, or the back room?" I ask with decreasing patience.
Confidently Zachary says, "Our games aren't in those places. We never play them there."
I commend Zachary on his use of logic, but then tell him that I saw his little sister Natalie playing in her room with something that looked very much like Gameboy game cartridges.Still confident that the game cartridges can't be in places where he never plays them Zachary says, "I know they're not there."
It's about this time that I wonder what my neighborswould think if they saw a Child Protective Services car in our driveway. Breaking a string of bad Gameboy-related decisions I look at Zachary and Nicholas and say, "Let's go look in Natalie's room."
As we enter her room, the boys take a quick scan of the room. "See I told ya dad!" Zachary exclaims. "They aren't in here." Nicholas says nothing, but continues to look.
"Look harder Zach, like your brother's doing."
Reluctantly Zachary makes a more thorough search of the room. He and Nicholas look under Natalie's chairs, behind her dresser, by her crib. No Gameboy game cartridges.
Zachary repeats his refrain, "See, I told ya. They're not here."
"Check in the corner, behind her crib," I tell them.
Nicholas takes a peek. "Here they are!" he exclaims. "And there's more than the Pokemon games. Here's the F-14 Fighter game you've been looking for Zach." I look at Zachary trying to restrain an "I told you so," but I can't.
So I don't, "Told ya so Zach." Sometimes you just have to revert to a snotty, six-year old mentality to deal with snotty, six year-olds. Don't tell my wife I said that.
Zachary gives me an innocent smile and says, "It's not our fault we couldn't find the games at first. They've never been in Natalie's room. We've never had to look there before. They've always been downstairs."
With a stash of Gameboy game cartridges in hand, Nicholas and Zachary rush out of Natalie's room. No "thanks dad" or anything of that sort that might hint of gratitude. Aren't they supposed to teach these manner-type things at school?
As I leave my little girl's room Zachary comes around the corner, gives me a hug and says, "thanks dad for showing us another place to look for our games when they get lost." All is now right in the world of parenting.
If you haven't picked it up yet, there is a gem of a teachable moment here for those who may have some reservations about affirmative action, as it has to do with hiring and promotion. How ever you may want to define affirmative action, it has, in concept, always been about encouraging us to look for talent in places that have historically been off our radar screen. It has been about "compelling" us to do things that we should've have been doing in the first place, especially in a country that prides itself on equality, justice and opportunity. If you and your organization seek to find the best people representing multiple experiences and perspectives, then you must getr a new search routine and search in places you've previously rarely or never even thought of searching.
My sons were unable to find their Gameboy game cartridges until they searched in a new place. Their regular search routine often produced success, but became outdated once their little sister became an upright, ambulatory being. Before, they had encountered great success looking in their room or the toy room. But now a new variable named Natalie is forcing them to search other places in the house, opening the doors of many rooms, if they want to find their games.
In an increasingly diverse environment, your quest for "diverse" candidates and employees requires you to consider more than the "two doors" that you've always gone through. Door #1 and door #2 may have produced good, "qualified" employees for you in the past, and they will likely do so in the future. But don't be blind to doors #3, #4, #5, #6' which have always existed. Progressive, enlightened organizations (some are likely to be your competitors) committed to diversity and inclusion will be looking behind those doors. And they will find some of the best and brightest in the very places you've been overlooking.
If you are committed and intentional about changing your search routine you will likely find that "disabled" persons are not as disabled as you think they are. Or that "Asians" know more much more than math, and some aren't even math oriented. You might discover, God-forbid, that many women are extraordinary leaders who would outdo many men if given the opportunity on a level playing field.
How might your organization be enriched if you opened a previously unnoticed, unopened door and noticed that older people actually still tick with great fervor beyond the age of sixty-five? Or that a "little college" graduate can outshine the likes of those from the Ivy League? And what if people with non-European accents have talents and skills that extend beyond the shop floor?
Doors unopened are opportunities unclaimed. Once you decide to seek the benefits offered behind previously untouched doors, don't just open the door for a quick scan and say "I told ya so," like my son Zachary did. Stay a while and make a thorough search, and do it with commitment and sincerity. The diverse talent you are looking for is there, though they may need to get better acquainted with you before they decide it is "safe" to connect.
Reaching out to audiences that harbor suspicion toward you (because you were never there before) will require sustained effort. It often is a matter of trust, and one or two "help wanted" postings in an "ethnic" newspaper usually don't cut it. That's just one small step in a series of many steps required for building trust in communities that have been historically overlooked, underestimated and neglected.
By making these efforts to do what you've never done before, and looking in places you've never looked before, you are taking "affirming action." If more people and organizations took affirming action, there would be a decreasing need to have affirmative action policies. Such policies, still necessary, are the result of a history of legal and societal doors being slammed in the face of those who were the "wrong" race, gender, age, religion, etc.
If you happened to be part of an unfortunate group that was the "wrong" (fill in the blank), you were dismissed without even a chance to compete. And to make matters worse, you were presented and labeled as "unqualified," so much so that those unenlightened about your great potential say things like, "we have to find a qualified (fill in the blank)." The underlying assumption being that you, and others like you, are very few in number, and hence it is so difficult finding "qualified ones."
It will take time, energy and commitment to change hiring and promotion strategies that tend to be ineffective in the face of increasing diversity. It will require those who are truly committed to a level playing field (where everyone gets to at least "try-out") to examine, and likely change, their attitudes, beliefs and behavioral practices. Making that commitment to change, to recognize and open other doors, is the very essence of "affirming action." With that approach we will one day not need legally-based affirmative action.
So there are two challenges before us, take internally motivated affirming action or externally influenced affirmative action. What's your pick?
Oh, yes, the other challenge. Resist the temptation of purchasing Gameboy games for the kids you know. Unless, of course, those kids happen to belong to a relative you despise with great intensity.
Author Bio
Steve L. Robbins, Ph.D. is president of S.L. Robbins & Associates, a diversity, inclusion and cultural competency consulting firm, and is also a visiting professor at Grand Valley State University. A sought-after speaker, presenter and consultant on diversity issues, he gets much of his insight and "material" from everyday experiences and interactions with people,especially his four kids. Dr. Robbins can be reached by email at steve@slrobbins.com or by phone at 616-915-8424.
(Written by: Dr. Steve L. Robbins, this and other shortstories that speak to diversity will be included in Dr.Robbins forthcoming book, "Teachable Moments: Short Stories
to Spark Diversity Dialogue)
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3. Cross-Cultural Faux Pas
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Cross-Cultural Marketing Mistakes
Below are just a few of many mistakes U.S. marketers have made when when going into markets without adequate research and knowledge. Some are quite funny. Learn from their mistakes! If you have any that you know of send email them our way and we'll share them with others. I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said, "It is the wise person who learns from his/her mistakes. It is the wiser person who learns from the mistakes of others." (The "orange" highlighting is my attempt to correct Mr. Franklin's gender-biased language).
1. The Dairy Association's huge success with the campaign "Got Milk?" prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to their attention the Spanish translation read "Are you lactating?"
2. Coors put its slogan, "Turn It Loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer From Diarrhea."
3. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux."
4. Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into Germany only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the "Manure Stick."
5. When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the labels of what's inside, since many people can't read.
6. Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.
7. An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I Saw the Potato" (la papa).
8. Pepsi's "Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave" in Chinese.
9. The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as "Kekoukela", meaning "Bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax", depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent "kokou kole", translating into "happiness in the mouth."
10. Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken" was translated into Spanish as "it takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate."
11. When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to have read, "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." The company thought that the word "embarazar" (to impregnate) meant to embarrass, so the ad read: "It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant!"
12. When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first class seats in the Mexican market, it translated its "Fly In Leather" campaign literally, which meant "Fly Naked" (vuela en cuero) in Spanish.
(Source: http://www.csuchico.edu, author: Anonmyous)
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4. Events Calendar
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*SHRM Workplace Diversity Conference
Join leaders in the field of diversity management at this two-and-a-half-day event. This conference offers excellent learning and networking opportunity for all professionals who are responsible for diversity within small, medium and large organizations. You will attend guided dialogue sessions that focus on emerging diversity issues, current research, and legislative and regulatory compliance. Conference takes placeOctober 24-26, 2006 in Las Vegas, NV.More info at: http://shrm.org/conferences/diversity
*Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Conference
Community Business is proud to present the Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Conference, November 22-23, 2005 at the Island Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong. This two-day conference will explore two key themes, 1) Women in the Workplace and 2)Cross-Cultural Effectiveness. The conference is designed for D&I practioners and HR specialists from companies, governments, academia and NGOs in Asia, Europe and the US.
More info at: http://www.communitybusiness.org.hk/Diversity.html
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5. Stats You Can Use
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Minority Buying Power
Projected buying power for selected "minority" yet emerging groups.
| GROUP |
2002 |
2007 |
% Increase |
African American |
$645.9 billion |
$852.8 billion |
170 percent |
Asian American |
$296.4 billion |
$454.9 billion |
287 percent |
Hispanic* |
$580.5 billion |
$925.1 billion |
315 percent |
GLBT |
$451 billion |
$608 billion |
35 percent |
(Source: Selig Center's report, The Multicultural Economy 2002: Minority Buying Power in the New Century)
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6. Web Sites of Interest
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* Fusion is a Web site developed by the Newspaper Association of America, offering what it calls "diversityResources for business results." Check it out, it's pretty good.
Visit site at: http://www.naa.com/fusion
*The Diversity Central Web site has an array of resourcesthat would be helpful to diversity professionals.
Visit site at: http://www.diversityhotwire.com
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7. Books of Interest
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TITLE: Making Diversity Work : Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace
AUTHOR(s): Sondra Thiederman
PUB YEAR: 2003
REVIEW: Making Diversity Work offers fresh and fascinating ideas for reducing bias--one person at a time. "Bias lies in every heart and mind--it is also where the answers lie," writes diversity expert Sondra Thiederman. By focusing on the individual, rather than the organization, she defines a powerful focus for bias busting in the workplace. Racial and sexual bias costs big bucks warns Thiederman, citing litigation, lowered sales, and loss of employees and customers. Using case studies, politically incorrect questions, and insightful strategies, she guides readers through "the discomfort of self discovery."
CLICK TO PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0793177634
TITLE: Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education, Fourth Edition
AUTHOR(s): Sonia Nieto
PUB YEAR: 2003
REVIEW: In this Fourth Edition of her best-selling book, renowned scholar Sonia Nieto explores the meaning, necessity, and benefits of multicultural education for students of all backgrounds. Intended for preservice and in-service teachers and educators, Affirming Diversity, 4/e looks at how personal, social, political, cultural, and educational factors affect the success or failure of students in today's classroom. Expanding upon the popular case-study approach, the Fourth Edition examines the lives of 18 real students who are affected bymulticultural education, or a lack thereof. Topics include racial, linguistic, religious, cultural, and sexual diversity. Social justice is firmly embedded in this view of multicultural education, and teachers are encouraged to work for social change in their classrooms, schools, and communities.
CLICK TO PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/020538692X
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8. Did You Know?
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"Communicating with People with Disabilities"
Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities
I. Speak directly to the individual with a disability rather than through a companion or sign language interpreter who may be present.
II. Offer to shake hands when introduced. People with limited hand use or an artificial limb can usually shake hands and offering the left hand is an acceptable greeting.
III. Always identify yourself and others who may be with you when meeting someone with a visual disability. Then conversing in a group, remember to identify the person to whom you are speaking. When dining with a friend who has a visual disability, ask if you can describe what is on his or her plate.
IV. If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen or ask for instructions.
V. Treat adults as adults. Address people with disabilities by their first names only when extending that same familiarity to all others. Never patronize people in wheelchairs by patting them on the head or shoulder.
VI. Do not lean against or hang on someone's wheelchair. Bear in mind that people with disabilities treat their chairs as extensions of their bodies. And so do people with guide dogs and help dogs. Never distract a work animal from their job without the owner's permission.
VII. Listen attentively when talking with people whohave difficulty speaking and wait for them to finish. If necessary, ask short questions that require short answers, or a nod of the head. Never pretend to understand; instead repeat what you have understood and allow the person to respond.
VIII. Place yourself at eye level when speaking with someone in a wheelchair or on crutches.
IX. Tap a person who has a hearing disability on the shoulder or wave your hand to get his or her attention.Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly, and expressively to establish if the person can read your lips. If so, try to face the light source and keep hands, cigarettes and food away from your mouth when speaking. If a person is wearing a hearing aid, don't assume that they have the ability to discriminate your speaking voice. Never shout at a person. Just speak in a normal tone of voice.
X. Relax. Don't be embarrassed if you happen to use common expressions, such as "See you later" or "Did you hear about this?" that seem to relate to a person's disability.
(Source: The Ten Commandments are adapted from many sources as a public service by United Cerebral palsy Associations, Inc (UCPA). Irene M. Ward & Associated updated UCPA's version of The Ten Commandments as a public service and to provide the most current language possible for the video entitled, The Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities.)
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9. Unintentional Intolerance Workshops & Presentations
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A sought-after consultant and keynote speaker, Dr. Steve L. Robbins, coined the term "unintentional intolerance" several years ago, and has since developed wonderfully engaging presentations and workshops on the topic.
Research and experience tell us that we all have biases that we are often unaware of, or think little about. Yet, these biases guide our decision-making, behaviors and attributions on a daily basis. Could we be making "bad" decisions and engaging in exclusive behavior without knowing? The answer is, "Yes."
In his presentations and workshops, Dr. Robbins explores the "how's" and "why's" surrounding unintentional intolerance His interactive, humorous and eye-opening presentations engage audiences in a non-threatening manner, encouraging them to re-think their understanding of diversityand inclusion.
If you and your organization would like to experience Dr. Robbins' "Unintentional Intolerance" message or other messages addressing diversity, inclusion and cultura lcomeptence, please contact him at the address below. You may also get more information at Dr. Robbins' Web site, www.slrobbins.com.
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10. Recipe of the Week
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Pho - Beef Noodle Soup Recipe
This is a favorite of mine. Can be eaten at any meal.
INGREDIENTS
3 large onions
1 Tbsp peanut oil
5 pounds combination of meaty beef and chicken bones
4 ginger slices julienned
2 carrots julienned
1 small stick cinnamon
1 star anise
2 whole cloves
1 tsp whole black peppercorn
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled, smashed
2 cups (1/2 lb) fresh bean sprouts
1/2 lb beef sirloin, sliced very thin across grain, bitesize
1 green onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
4 fresh red or green chiles, sliced
2 limes cut into wedges
8 ounces rice sticks, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained
2 - 3 Tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam / nam pla)
Fresh black pepper to taste
METHOD
Slice two of the onions into 1/4 inch slices. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add the sliced onion, and cook, stirring, until the outside has browned. Remove and drain. Slice the remaining onion into paper-thin slices and set aside.
Rinse the bones and place in a stockpot. Cover with cold water. Bring slowly to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered. For a clear broth skim off foam. After 10 - 15 minutes, add browned onion and ginger, carrots, cinnamon, cardomom, star anise, cloves, garlic and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Simmer the stock, partially covered for 6 to 12 hours, skimming regularly. If necesary add more water to keep the bones covered. Strain the stock, skim off, and discard any fat.
At serving time, arrange the sliced beef on a platter. Garnish with reserved white and green onion. On another platter, arrange the bean sprouts, coriander, chiles and limes. Meanwhile, plunge the rice sticks in boilin water to heat. Drain. Place equal portions in each soup bowl. Cover to keep warm. Heat beef stock to boiling. Season with fish sauce and pepper. Pour into a soup tureen or chafing dish. At the table, place the soup on a portable warmer to keep hot. Offer each guest a bowl of warm rice noodles. Each diner adds some beef and onion to a bowl. Ladle the hot stock over the meat, stirring to cook the meat. Add the bean sprouts, coriander, chiles, and lime to taste. Enjoy with chopsticks and a soup spoon. Serves 6 to 8 portions.
Enjoy!
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Until Next Time!
Steve L. Robbins, Ph.D.
S.L. Robbins & Assciates
2469 Grand River Dr
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Phone: 616-915-8424
Fax: 309-417-0515
Web: http://www.slrobbins.com
"Justice is the condition that requires those who suffer the least to speak up the most."
Dr. Steve Long-Nguyen Robbins, 2000
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"Inclusion Insights" is the premier eNewsletter for diversity and inclusion-related information, tips and resources. Developed for HR professionals, educators and others involved in diversity and inclusion-related activities and initiatives, "Inclusion Insights" gives you quick access to timely, important information and resources that will assist you in creating a more inclusive organization.
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