This critical resource gives managers, HR, and anyone who may come into contact with someone in trauma—including workplace violence, harassment, assault, illness, addiction, fraud, bankruptcy, and more—the tools they need to be prepared for what lies ahead. This book is crucial for every manager or HR representative who shouldn’t just prepare to one day be faced with a report of a traumatic experience at work, but plan on it. This five-step method will help managers make survivors feel supported and understood. The Empathetic Workplace guides supervisors of any level through an understanding of how stories of trauma impact the brain of both the survivor and the listener, as well as the tools to handle the interaction appropriately, to help the listener, the organization, and most importantly, the survivor. The easy-to-follow LASER method outlined in these pages includes the following elements that all managers should know and understand: Listen-Controlling your own reaction, managing your body language, asking open-ended questions, hearing what is not being said, and winding down the speaker when the conversation becomes unproductive are essential elements in being a good listener. Acknowledge-Once someone shares a difficult personal story with you, it is important to acknowledge that gift. Share-You can help the speaker regain some measure of control by sharing information with him or her about what happened or what happens next, your personal or organizational values, and what you don’t yet know but hope to learn. Empower-You can help the traumatized person by providing him or her with resources that are available to them through the company or outside groups. Return-The final step is to ensure that the traumatized person has a way to come back later when he or she cannot remember all that you said, thinks of more questions, or wishes for updates. The LASER technique can benefit all who are responsible for others, from top-tier managers at Fortune 500 companies to Residence Advisors in college dormitories.

This book presents different aspects of intercultural communication research as they connect to and intersect with sub-disciples such as media studies, communication education, international communication, rhetorical studies, gender and sexuality studies, popular culture, and organizational communication. Intercultural communication (IC) scholars in the CSCA region have often been questioned, and sometimes challenged, by scholars who have claimed that the Midwest is not an ideal locale for studying communication across cultures and among people from varying cultural backgrounds. However, over the years, scholars have established that intercultural communication is an important area of scholarship in the Midwest (and beyond), and that the region offers plenty of opportunities for studying the intersections of cultural perspectives in communication, ranging from racial and ethnic discrimination to the adaptation process of international students and from immigrant experiences to issues in queer cultures. Because IC research does not exist in isolation, and it is always connected to larger frameworks or theoretical approaches within communication studies, the contributors in this book address how IC scholarship informs other areas of research and how IC scholars use the concepts and theoretical lenses of IC research to examine issues outside of IC. Although the focus is mainly on IC scholarship within the CSCA region, the scope of the book extends beyond this regional boundary as well. This book was originally published as a special issue of Communication Studies.

In From Inclusion to Influence, Walter Wilson addresses urgent questions regarding the political incorporation of Latinos in America. First, he demonstrates that Latino representatives in the U.S. Congress do, in fact, represent Latino interests more effectively than do other representatives, both by serving as conduits connecting fellow Latinos to the government and by introducing their concerns into the legislative process. Then, moving beyond the debate about descriptive and substantive representation, Wilson identifies the ways in which the efforts of Latinos in Congress enable the meaningful inclusion of Latinos in politics, foster the ability of Latinos to shape public policy, and ultimately promote democracy in an increasingly diverse nation.

Practical, hands-on strategies to increase inclusion, diversity, and equity in your workplace In Impactful Inclusion Toolkit: 52 Activities to Help You Learn and Practice Inclusion Every Day in the Workplace, accomplished diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategist and leader Yvette Steele delivers a collection of practical and hands-on exercises that encourage and promote inclusion in the workplace. The exercises emphasize the development of key inclusive behaviors, including self-knowledge, connecting with others, creating new habits, and experiencing other cultures. In the book, you’ll find: 52 behaviors to practice during the year that will empower you to be more inclusive in the real world Concrete instructions regarding how to become more inclusive, rather than just high-level information about inclusivity generally Actionable strategies to help drive change in your organization and manage the discomfort that sometimes exists around DEI issues An effective and practical resource for anyone who wants to be more inclusive. Frontline and knowledge workers can empower themselves to drive change with weekly activities and resources. DEI and HR professionals, company founders, owners, managers, and other business leaders can better support staff on their inclusion journey. The Impactful Inclusion Toolkit is an essential addition to DEI strategies of any organization whether they are active or aspire to be more inclusive.

This book is a tool kit for organizational leadership and members to help nurture diversity and inclusive initiatives in organizations with the use of intellectually stimulating proposals. To increase inclusion, leadership must utilize creative approaches that inspire leadership proficiencies to enable discovery of activities which are universally engaging and promote integration. This book contains friendly-forward recommendations for organizations to employ when creating successful outcomes with team members. It is universally appealing, and leadership driven, supporting consolidative approaches to values, norms, and creative processes that engage employees in formulating healthy connections as a diverse establishment. These healthy connections acknowledge current race stigmas and its influence on work culture. Accepting that racial injustices still exist opens the door to open and honest discussions, enhanced feedback, application of new ideas accepted by team members and rooted in their work. Readers are encouraged to develop an understanding of cultural norms, expectations, and their positive impact on organizational workflow. Leadership is encouraged to utilize innovation to increase knowledge sharing, education, and environments that welcome a diverse and inclusive atmosphere.

Toby Karten guides readers as learners into the topic of disabilities and inclusion, presenting strategies and helpful tools. He seeks to demystify the field of special education for general education teachers by employing clear explanations, statistics, tips for working with parents, and much more.