Reader reviews in full

WARNING: Read this book and you have no more excuses ✭✭✭✭✭

With solid research, real-world anecdotes, and concrete steps for people at every level in the workplace, the authors make a convincing case for inclusion and draw a blueprint for organizations ready to make the commitment. Read it to learn once and for all exactly why diverse, inclusive businesses innovate more, survive disruption more often, hire (and keep) the best employees, make better decisions, and earn higher profits. Each chapter includes actionable steps for senior leaders, middle managers, and teams/employees to make it happen. Unlike a lot of books in the business section, INdivisible doesn’t try to sell a product or promise any easy, clever solutions. Building a diverse and inclusive workplace is going to take time and effort. It will have to be earned, and the authors show us how. Now, it’s up to us. – Martha

A call to arms to anyone who’s still to properly get their head around inclusion, and explains why inclusion is indivisible from business success and sustainability. – Rebecca Berry

The first part of the book is a compelling business and social case for inclusion, but this book isn’t just aimed at leaders. The authors are very clear that everyone owns inclusion, and their calls to action at the end of each chapter are split out to reflect this. The second part of the book brings it all together in a practical methodology to weave inclusion into every aspect of business.

What stuck out for me:

• A new model: Rebekah Steele’s inclusion ecosystem model goes beyond business boundaries, showing the economic, social and environmental factors that impact on the design and implementation of an inclusion strategy.

• A new personal perspective: Belonging is something I’ve always thought of as an outcome of having an inclusive culture, but belonging can signify ownership, with its historical slavery connotations. And a sense of belonging can be associated with feeling comfortable in a group of similar people, which opposes the principle of being inclusive. I’ll be taking belonging as a descriptor of inclusion out of my conversations.

• A new tool: the ten enablers of inclusion, clustered into three groups: connection (openness, respect and trust), opportunity (fairness, transparency and choice) and common cause (shared power, participation, support, shared purpose).

Pragmatically get to the root of your organizational Ecosystem ✭✭✭✭✭

Systemic practices and biases have created stultifying organizational and business cultures. It follows then, that efforts to transform those cultures must be systematic, strategic and sustainable. In my search for resources, I found INdivisible, which immediately stood out for its amazingly cogent analysis of the complexity of shifting organizational ecosystems. Yet comparatively, what also sets INdivisible apart is how it bolsters case studies with a pragmatic litmus of suggestions, guides, and examples of how to ‘seed’ a whole system approach engaging everyone—from senior leaders to middle and frontline workforce. INdivisible outlines a path to understand your organization’s ecosystem, to unearth and confront biases, to challenge thinking and design, and to nurture a culture wherein Inclusion becomes the well-spring of your business strategy. I wish I could give MORE THAN 5 STARS. – MJR

Incredibly impactful and practical resource for DEI professionals ✭✭✭✭✭

I heard Alison and Rebekah on a podcast talking about their research and approach they following in helping leaders build inclusive cultures and was immediately intrigued. I purchased the book and found it to be incredibly helpful, with solid research, examples and lists of action items for individuals at all levels of an organization. The concept about incorporating diversity and inclusion strategy into business strategy is spot on and this book provides support and guidance to support that journey. I highly recommend this book to any leader who is serious about building a sustainable inclusive culture. – Jenny

The ultimate handbook on inclusion for people in business ✭✭✭✭✭

I couldn’t put this book down. An enjoyable read with moments of reflection, practical takeaways and an action plan. I think it’s the only book out there that provides the framework for rethinking inclusion in its totality. It’s a must-have handbook for any manager or business leader – you’ll want to go back to it again! – Sally Donohoe

D&I has to be the main show rather than the side show ✭✭✭✭✭

Over the last 10 years organisations have approached D&I in a piecemeal approach & that’s where it’s ended up – piecemeal! D&I is an opportunity to be seized as a business priority in a holistic manner. This book helps leaders & middle managers to think differently about how to ensure D&I is positioned as a business priority. – Christine Brown-Quinn, Amazon #1 Best Selling Author of Unlock Your Career Success: Knowing the Unwritten Rules Changes Everything (see Amazon.com for Christine’s video review)

So many actionable gems in this book! ✭✭✭✭✭

“I have worked for a few companies that took a piecemeal approach to creating an inclusive work environment. Progress was slow or non-existent. We typically would launch one program at a time that became known as the “flavor of the month” with failure to deliver any kind of sustainable results. “Indivisible” would surely have been an insightful book in those situations! As I read each chapter, it made so much sense that a different approach, a whole new, integrated approach is needed. Inclusion efforts should not be siloed! At the end of each chapter, the actions for senior leaders, middle managers and individuals have provided insights in my role in creating an inclusive work environment that I had not considered before. These “take action” examples will broaden your perspectives with actionable, new approaches to uncover the full business potential of inclusion. If you are ready for making an impact in your inclusion strategies, then this engaging and refreshing book is for you.” – Julie Reimer

Indivisible – we’re all in this together ✭✭✭✭✭

“‘Indivisible‘ is an insightful and thought provoking book that argues for a coherent and holistic view of diversity and inclusion. One insight – that diversity needs to be part of an integrated culture of change for it to deliver sustainable goals – was particularly striking. It is not something that we can do to others or do in isolation. It also proposes that, as leaders, we need to be present ourselves, bringing our whole selves to the inclusion party, so that we take into account and and acknowledge people’s varied perceptions – including our own. After all diversity isn’t just about having many voices in the debate – it means making sure they are heard, understood and acted on. Through out this book there is an important emphasis on respect. It notes we can’t be inclusive and respect difference unless we act with courtesy and consideration. There’s a lovely analogy for this – traffic roundabouts. They only work because we have learned to be thoughtful and to understand we can all benefit if we pay attention to each other and act together. This book shows us how we can do that in this in even more contested spaces, like the workplace.” – Lynne Berry

Inclusion fully implemented in the ecosystem is key ✭✭✭✭✭

Indivisible is a brilliant guide on how to take full advantage of inclusion in the organization. I recently gave it as a read for a students’ seminar at ESSEC Business School. They were so engaged and inspired by the book that they decided to create an Office for Inclusion and they thought it through so it would impact all of the school’s ecosystem. – Vanessa Barro, ESSEC Business School

Favourite new reference! ✭✭✭✭✭

For organizations and institutions that want real change, this is a must read! Integrating Equity and Inclusion work info business strategies is a key to inclusive business outcomes. Rebekah and Allison have shared a real and proven architecture to achieve this integration. This books on my desk and picked up at least once a day to review and share insights! – Amazon customer

What can you to forward diversity and inclusion? ✭✭✭✭✭

INdivisible provides a practical read of how to be actively involved with diversity and inclusion efforts. The book is set up in a way that each chapter ends with actions for senior leaders, middle managers, and individuals. The book is well researched and written. Should be a must-have for anyone interested in broadening their perspectives and addressing biases. – SL

More than a handbook – a practical insight and action plan in one ✭✭✭✭✭

“When difference alone is the driver for change, it places the onus for driving change on those who often have the least power to create it”… best words I have ever read on the subject.

Society and the western workplace is so choc full of the “norm”, it leaves anyone not “norm” to fight their own battle. Even as a D&I practitioner, some of my biggest obstacles were in convincing the organisation that their efforts to support one protected characteristic were simply not enough. I wish I’d had this book! This book shows how to move from identifying differences and labels, to truly embodying an inclusive workplace that makes space for all. When you remove the barriers, the difference truly disappears. But more than this – when we stop identifying people as “disabled”, “carers” “homosexual” and other labels, we can begin to see them as humans again… and realise that they are most likely not just under one label either!

This book makes real the advice of one of my other heroes – Chimamanda Adiche – who pleads that we stop seeing people as a “single story”. Highly recommended! – K Brassington

Indivisible – an important contribution to D&I ✭✭✭✭✭

“Diversity without inclusion is a promise unfulfilled” I got more than great one liners from this book. It’s packed full of interesting observations and practical advice on how to do D&I better in the workplace. Their insights into the dangers of focusing only on marginalised groups when promoting greater D&I were particularly helpful. – John Lee

INdivisible changed my perspective on inclusion ✭✭✭✭✭

What I really like about the book is that the authors manage to reframe inclusion in a more holistic and very constructive way with a clear focus on business success. It’s not moral supremacy or ideological battles that will drive necessary and meaningful change. There is no obvious correlation between being right and being effective. We all might need to change our perspective on diversity and inclusion instead. A very inspiring book indeed – I am in! – Dietmar Schloesser

Important read to add to your Diversity, Equity & Inclusion book collection ✭✭✭✭✭

This book talks to the intersection of Innovation, sustainability & inclusion supported and grounded by research. For those who are looking to move the needle in their corporate inclusion efforts this book is a must read. – John

Demonstrates how inclusion can supercharge organisations ✭✭✭✭✭

Alison Maitland and Rebekah Steele have produced a much needed, fresh, and radical perspective on how organisations can transform performance by focusing on inclusion. The book is full of wonderful, insightful anecdotes and underpinned by a clear, user friendly roadmap of how to put the ideas for a more inclusive centred workplace into practice.

This is a book for a VUCA world where resilience, adaptability, collaboration, and innovation are key attributes for success and even survival. INdivisible demonstrates how fostering a culture of inclusion can supercharge organizations. Importantly, organisations are viewed not as separate entities but as connected, inter-dependent and operating as part of a fast-evolving ecosystem. Aimed at everyone, the writers skillfully call out the actions that senior leaders, middle managers, and individuals can take to turn their inclusive aspirations into reality. – David Learmond

A leading book on inclusion ✭✭✭✭✭

“A thought provoking book on inclusion. Providing clear and practical guidance on how best to drive lasting systemic change in organisations. This is a great read for anyone looking to untangle the complexity of making inclusion a realistic ambition in modern organisations.” – Chris Parke

A fresh perspective for all individuals within a business on how to positively implement inclusion ✭✭✭✭✭

INdivisible provides an insightful and radical approach to the way inclusion should be fostered by businesses to improve their performance. The approach laid out in the book is clear and it does an excellent job of explaining how all individuals of a business from senior management to juniors can play their part in inclusion within the business.

Inclusion is clearly a very hot and important topic for businesses to address and act on today – this book is highly recommended for all those seeking a fresh perspective on how to do so. – yhlee

To the Point ✭✭✭✭✭

This book is a broad and to the point description on how D&I can potentially contribute to performance and innovation. Just as important is the internal loyalty and external image of the organisation that succeeds in creating a diversity cultural that attracts the best talent. A self-reinforcing circle explain why successful companies keep on succeeding. The author underline the importance of integrating these practises inside as well as outside of the organisation. Internally it must be made relevant at all levels in the organisation and in the process that determines performance. They stress the importance of building up the metrics documenting effect. It is the broad aspects of diversity and inclusion practices brought into relevance for business performance that make this book unique. And, not to forget – easy to read – and easy to understand. Congratulations. Recommended highly! – bjørn ekelund

 Inclusion Makes Better Business Solutions ✭✭✭✭✭

What a powerful book this is. It is extremely well written, clear, and actionable. It spoke to me as an individual and made me feel included because I could see ways that I could engage but also what I should expect to see from my line and senior managers, as well as what my team could do. The case studies are interesting and to the point. It should be included in every new employee starter pack, regardless of whether they are a first jobber or CEO. – Amazon Customer

Great authors / Fantastic presenters ✭✭✭✭✭

Alison Maitland and Rebekah Steele are not only experts in the D&I field, they also know how to engage an audience…whether it is through the written word of INdivisible or through engaging corporate facilitation. – John Gillis

Business Innovation and Inclusion Opportunity ✭✭✭✭✭

INdivisible’s bold and radical plan for a new and uncompromising D&I model will give you the keys to accelerate your Business Innovation. This book is so relevant right NOW and offering an answer on how to keep up with the pace of change forced by the current crisis.

“Sticking with the status quo is risky… standard approaches to understanding and addressing inclusion are incomplete and inefficient”. With decades of international corporate service under my belt, I saw a growing and steady recognition of D&I over time but now is the moment to give D&I the same business focus as any other business products in your organisation. INdivisible explains the WHY D&I matters, HOW to evaluate its impact, and WHAT actions to take for maximum effect. “Are you bold enough to embrace a different approach? Do you want to take your business to the next level? Reconnect with what we have in common as human beings and how our differences make our lives richer and more worthwhile”.

INdivisible is easy to ready with a unique mix of fluid narrative and business clarity, I finished it within a week and left me energised and with so many fresh ideas on how to apply it to my business environment. INDivisible is Must-read for anybody passionate on D&I and I would personally recommend it to business leaders determined t to walk-the-talk on D&I and give an Innovation edge to their enterprise at the same time. – Amazon customer

Everything you always wanted to know about Inclusion and Diversity… ✭✭✭✭✭

With “INdivisible”, Alison Maitland and Rebekah Steele give a comprehensive view of “all things inclusion”. They highlight common barriers to a successful approach and offer a step-by-step guide to achieving change. They freely share examples from their own experience which makes the book and the approach very accessibly. In writing, they keep different stakeholders in mind and at the end of each chapter offer practical tips of what individuals at all levels can do to contribute to an inclusive working environment that makes businesses thrive. – Veronika Hucke

Easy but serious read for Boards and Executives

“A very practical and straightforward book setting out a compelling business case for organisations to rethink their approach to inclusion, diversity and equality. It makes for an easy but serious read for Board members and Executives at all levels.” – Anne Minto OBE, Non Executive Director, Tate & Lyle plc, EXL Inc & The University of Aberdeen

Step by step way to move to a new model of inclusion

“The book is a loud call for a more bold, ambitious and comprehensive inclusion strategy. The authors talk about how through this you can harness ‘collective superpower’. […]. ‘To me the thing that stands out about this book is the expansiveness of the vision.” – Marion Devine, The Conference Board

A powerful way to connect our people and put ideas into action

“At Atos, we have a long-standing tradition of reading 4 books per year that support our culture of inclusivity and encourage our 110,000 employees in 73 countries to open their minds to differing points of view.  With so many volumes to choose from, we carefully consider the titles we select, and are thrilled to focus on INdivisible this September. Our experience is that books like this are a powerful way to connect our people and put ideas into action in the space of diversity and inclusion.” – Denise Reed Lamoreaux, Global Chief Diversity Officer at Atos