Do you sometimes fell like an "outsider" at your job? Do you worry about how to advance in your career without sacrificing what makes you individual? In other words, how can you "get ahead" without selling out? "From the Outside In" is a unique guidebook that shows you how to break through the "concrete ceiling" and succeed on your own terms. Based on extensive research and firsthand interviews, this practical book presents the seven strategies that successful people have used to get themselves noticed and appreciated for their talents--regardless of their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, physical condition--or anything else that made them different from the company's dominant culture. Written by a "diverse" team of authors, you'll get real-world advice on how to:

Recognize the power that resides in your own hands. Learn from the real-life examples of how people used the seven strategies to achieve their goals. Use the 10 extra things you can do to maximize your value to your organization. Practice the easy-to-remember model (SAME) to build good relationships with people at all levels of the organization. Map out your objective and strategies on the worksheets provided. Become more visible without showing off.

"The ideal of a harmonious and diverse workplace has been given much lip service, but the daily realities of working with people who are not like you have proven to be difficult.

Featuring ""voices"" (actual comments from members of diverse groups), this book reveals how individuals feel about their treatment and their relationships on the job. By listening to the ""voices,"" readers will learn to understand what it means to be ""the other"" and so improve communication, morale, and productivity.

The range covered is extraordinary: African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinos, recent immigrants, disabled workers, gays and lesbians, young and old workers, women, white males. For each group, the book provides:

(1) background on the culture and values of that group

(2) honest comments from members of the group and a synthesis of the group's most common problems

(3) typical scenarios where supervisors and co-workers from diverse groups often hit communication barriers

(4) explanations of what went wrong in each situation and how to correct it

Many people want to communicate with others, but don't know how. Voices will help them understand diversity not as an academic concept, but as a human reality."