A Manager's Guide to Sexual Orientation in the WorkPlace »

Bob Powers is the author of the book Happy Cruelty Day! He has performed at HBO’s Aspen Comedy Festival, and is the creator of the Web site www.girlsarepretty.com. He lives in New York City.

For the first time ever, managers have a tool that will enable them to effectively tackle the controversial, and sometimes explosive issues surrounding sexual orientation in the workplace. Cultivated from Bob Powers' 25 years business experience with some of the world's finest organizations, A Manager's Guide to Sexual Orientation in the Workplace provides managers with the knowledge, skills and resources to foster higher productivity and performace through an all-inclusive work environment.

In Part I, managers are introduced to fifteen workers who relate their remarkable life histories about being gay, lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual in the workplace. Through real-life situations from corporate America, managers gain knowledge of sexuality issues that influence co-workers, employees, bosses and customers alike.

In Part II, managers learn how to select diversity-sensitive employees, define their responsibilities in the workplace, set performance expectations, provide feedback and recognition, and reward success to cultivate the open and inclusive work environment. As workers shift their energies away from "hiding" their sexual orientation, workplace productivity increases to achieve and exceed goals and objectives.

In Part III, managers develop strategies to effectively communicate the company message of inclusion and openness in the workplace. Features include:

101 Ways to Make the Workplace More Inclusive
A sample diversity policy to foster a productive work environment for diverse groups of employees A resource guide of community organizations, consultants, speakers bureaus and outrach programs in the US and Canada A complete bibliography of source material

In this easy-to-read guide, CEOs, human resource directors, and staff managers alike will find the best resource available to successfully manage sexual orientation issues in the workplace and create a highly productive workforce to gain the competitive edge!

Library Journal

How do American companies develop diversity in programs in their workplaces today that successfully integrate gays and lesbians into the corporate fabric of inclusivity? This question is the first premise for both these books. Bob Powers and Alan Ellis, long-time diversity trainers, look at specific individuals-gay/lesbian/bisexual/heterosexual-who have come to terms with sexual orientation workplace issues themselves and influenced others in a positive way. In six chapters the authors build on these personal accounts to explore how managers can implement diversity programs and make them work. A highlight of the book is a listing of "101 ways to make your workplace more inclusive." An excellent resource listing concludes the work. Winfield and Spielman, who are founders and principals of Common Ground, a consulting firm that specializes in workplace education about sexual orientation, offer a far more ambitious book. While they also incorporate personal stories to make points, they succeed in creating a far more comprehensive manual on how to achieve true diversity for sexual minorities. In addition to describing successful corporate diversity programs (notably Lotus and AT&T), they go on to cover discussions of what "domestic partnership benefits" are and how they can be realistically achieved in work settings. Both works are recommended to general readers.-Richard Drezen, "Washington Post" News Research Ctr., Washington, D.C.