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The Conversation

The Conversation

Shortlisted for the FT & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award 2021

Summary

SHORTLISTED FOR THE FT MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021

FT BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2021

Racial divisions play out as starkly in the workplace as they do in wider society. What can YOU do to eradicate the bias and create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment?


"A one-stop resource for anyone wanting to understand the causes and manifestations of racism, to examine their own biases - and know what works to advance racial equity at work." - FT

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Racial equity is achievable. But the honest conversations we need to have to foster that change can be uncomfortable - and are all too often avoided.

Drawing together years of academic research from the fields of psychology, sociology, management, and behavioural economics, Robert Livingston has created the ultimate solutions-oriented guide for those who want to transform the social order, but are unsure of how to go about it. With clarity, wit and deep understanding, The Conversation aims to combat this uncertainty by increasing confidence, capacity, and commitment to engaging in racial dialogue.

In helping us to better understand how effective discussion is key to resolving the problem of racism in society and the workplace, The Conversation is an essential tool for uprooting entrenched biases and transforming well-intentioned statements on diversity into concrete actions and measurable outcomes.
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"A critical resource for those committed to combating bias and expanding inclusion and belonging."
-Brian Chesky, CEO of AirBnb

"An absolutely critical contribution to the much needed efforts to understand and combat racism in the corporate realm. Compulsory reading for all serious leaders and people who aspire to lead."
- Nels Abbey, author of Think Like A White Man

Reviews

  • The Conversation is an extraordinarily timely book. Just as companies and organizations in the U.S. and around the world are focusing anew on the entrenched bias in their culture, The Conversation comes along to offer a path forward. Livingston has digested his authoritative understanding of the science into a remarkably approachable volume, one that is animated by his storytelling and voice on the page. The Conversation is a major achievement, one that is poised to play a significant role in improving our understanding about bias and addressing systemic racism in the workplace
    Robin J. Ely, Diane Doerge Wilson Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

About the author

Robert Livingston

Robert Livingston is a social psychologist whose research has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, andHarvard Business Review. For two decades, he has served as a diversity consultant to scores of Fortune 500 companies, public-sector agencies, and non-profit organizations. He has held professorships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and the University of Sussex. He now serves on the faculty of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
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