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Booz Allen Book Club Offers Opportunities for Diversity Dialogue Over 30 chapters provide congenial forums to discuss subjects from racism, to veterans’ issues, to gay rights. If, as Franz Kafka said, a book is the ax for the frozen sea within us, dozens of Booz Allen Hamilton staff have broken the ice with the help of senior consultant Eric Peterson and the firm’s diversity initiatives. “At Booz Allen, diversity education starts with skills-based training courses,” Peterson says. “But one way we continue the learning process is through the Diversity Book Club.” He cites Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks as an example. “By reading Maud Martha’s story, people of all races experience some of the African-American culture through literature, and can discuss diversity in a non-intimidating setting.” Founded in 2004, the Diversity Book Club is comprised of nationwide chapters that meet each month at Booz Allen offices and client sites. The club features a mix of fiction and non-fiction classics, new publications, and best-sellers, each tied to a diversity theme:
Senior consultant Katie Babcock facilitates a FlexWork chapter of the club and also participates in the Greater Kansas City chapter. “Through the club, we’ve had honest discussions with our coworkers and learned a lot about each other from the experiences we’ve shared. It’s always eye-opening to hear from someone who has completely different views from yours. It’s a reminder to keep an open mind and heart and be willing to listen, because everyone is coming from a different place.”
2007 Book List What draws most participants to the club is a love of reading, but the benefits of participation extend beyond that. Babcock says, “The club has enhanced the diversity dialogue at work. It’s an easy way to start conversations about topics that may be sensitive or difficult to talk about in an open or productive way. Without the book club, a lot of these conversations wouldn’t be happening. “I was fortunate to grow up as an Army brat and experience different cultures,” she adds. “The book club highlights the fact that everyone comes from a different place. That’s what frames their perceptions and that’s what they bring to the discussions. And that’s what makes the discussions so entertaining.” Associate Kia Braxton’s chapter meets at Columbia Square in Washington, D.C., where she maintains a diversity library for the club. “Senior leaders have served as guest facilitators,” she says, “and it was interesting to hear their first-hand experiences with diversity issues. Every discussion helps us relate to clients and to each other by giving us insights into each other’s lives. We all have assumptions about other cultures that may or may not be accurate; the book Third Culture Kids showed me how we usually identify with our parents’ cultures.” Participants are from all levels at Booz Allen and their communication styles are different, but “we respect all opinions, which encourages us to be honest and frank,” Braxton says. With a core group of attendees that numbers 13 or more, the Rome, New York chapter is one of the largest. “Our staff is mostly Caucasian, but we have very diverse backgrounds in education, income levels, and experience,” says associate Debra Nipe. “About 20 people read the books each month whether or not they can attend the meeting. But many send me notes with their opinions, which we often include in the discussion.” Nipe says each book provides a new learning experience. “Persepolis is a story about Iran during a revolution, and it was eye-opening to read about the Middle East during wartime. Kite Runner was set during a revolution in Afghanistan and was brutal, but inspired us to discuss our views on subjects we wouldn’t normally discuss. We talked about funerals after reading Tuesdays with Morrie; autism after reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time; and slavery after reading The Known World. These conversations reveal a lot about ourselves.”
Books Read in Past Years For books to make the list, chapter facilitators must first gather recommendations from club members and forward them to Peterson for review. Facilitators also handle logistics such as scheduling meeting times. Prior to each meeting, Peterson sends questions related to that month’s topic to guide facilitators. For example, when Curious Incident was featured, Peterson’s questions included: “One of the primary disadvantages of the autistic is that they can’t project or intuit what other people might be feeling or thinking. Does the protagonist seem to suffer from his mental and emotional isolation, or does he seem to enjoy it?” As I Lay Frying inspired the discussion question: “How have legal recognition of gay and lesbian relationships in Canada and Massachusetts changed the conversation about gay rights in recent years?” Says Peterson, “Discussions can migrate away from the questions into other diversity issues.” He asks for feedback at the end of the year and uses it to adapt the questions and the club to participant needs. Feedback also identified the most popular books so far: The Kite Runner, Expat, Dreams from My Father, and To Kill a Mockingbird—which may also have logged the greatest attendance. “The better the story, the more popular the book.” Braxton agrees. “Dreams and Kite Runner were excellent. I also enjoyed The Known World—I had no idea that some free blacks themselves owned slaves; Persepolis, because I had never read a graphic novel; and One Bullet—I expected a political statement about the Iraq war, but it was about the growth and evolution of an individual Marine Corps officer.” Any least favorites? “Overwhelmingly, Soul of a Citizen. It was about community activism, but many readers in our chapter felt it was preachy.” But she notes that even books that are not well liked by chapter members often provoke lively discussions on diversity topics. Peterson says, “Sometimes the fact that everyone in the room hated a book teaches a group about themselves. Hopefully it doesn’t happen too often, but it’s always about the learning.” Nipe and her New York chapter learned a great deal about how autistic individuals interact with the world from The Curious Incident. “Most of us found it engrossing and incredible that someone without autism would be able write a book like that.” In Kansas, Morrie was a favorite: “The discussion about generational diversity was productive and I learned a lot through the experiences of coworkers my age and older,” Babcock says. “I don’t think we’ve had a least favorite book; some are more challenging, but the discussion questions always seem to spark great conversations.” Connecting People, Broadening Perspectives At three years old, the club is a work in progress. Participation in Braxton’s chapter ebbs and flows, impacted by heavy workloads. “Some people want to read the books but can’t participate regularly,” she says. “But it’s necessary to have ongoing dialogues on diversity.” Braxton says more people should increase their participation in diversity-related events, and suggests senior leaders encourage more diversity involvement. More people are getting involved through the FlexWork chapter. Says Babcock, “It’s a way for staff who cannot easily attend meetings in their local offices to participate. We use the firm's intranet site to facilitate the discussion. We send an e-mail to forum members announcing the book, then post the discussion questions and send another e-mail alerting members about the posting. Members can also create their own discussion threads. “Time is the greatest challenge—finding time to read the books, review the questions, check the site for replies. We’re addressing this by adding a teleconference to allow more people to participate.” The books also receive a second life in Rome and beyond. Says Nipe, “When they’re finished, the staff brings books back to the office for others to read, or we send extras to the troops overseas. When we interview new hires, we introduce the book club as part of our office’s diversity initiative.” Her chapter continues to grow. “If people can be as honest as they can be, they will get more out of the book club. What makes a meeting memorable is the subject matter; Curious was stand-out book and meeting because we were so fascinated by the subject.” The Diversity Book Club is sponsored by Booz Allen’s Diversity Team and Workforce Leadership Council. story posted March 1, 2007 Related Links...
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