Sondra Thiederman

Dr. Sondra Thiederman is one of the nation’s leading experts on workplace diversity, cross-cultural business, and bias reduction. As President of Cross-Cultural Communications, a San Diego based training firm, Sondra has 25 years experience as a speaker, trainer, and author helping professionals in Fortune 500 companies, public sector organizations, and dozens of associations find ways to successfully navigate our increasingly-diverse workplaces.

Since receiving her doctorate with an emphasis on cross-cultural studies from UCLA, Sondra has helped hundreds of organizations develop solutions to their cross-cultural and diversity challenges. Among her clients are such leading organizations as Xerox Corporation, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Marriott Corporation, Century 21 Real Estate, American Express, The Federal Reserve Bank, Motorola, and AT&T. She has also addressed notable associations including the Arthritis Foundation, the Society for Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business, the American Society of Association Executives, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. In addition, she has served as consultant to the University of California and the American Cancer Society and has been appointed by Elizabeth Dole to serve on the Diversity Cabinet of the American Red Cross.

Sondra has extensive media experience including mention in such national publications as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and U.S.A Today. She is published in professional journals ranging from Personnel Journal to Real Estate Today, has written on diversity for the web site Monster.com, and is the author of four books including the ground-breaking Making Diversity Work: Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace.”

TOPICS

Resolving the Diversity Paradox: From Differences to Commonalities
The word “paradox” calls up images of ideas or situations that exist simultaneously, but that contradict each other. In that sense, this title might be a bit misleading. The phrase “Diversity Paradox” refers to the fact that we are all – at the same moment – different in some ways and alike in others. Your job in the workplace is to construct an environment in which the two are both honored, both valued, and both encouraged. The purpose of this presentation is to share the tools for making this ‘Diversity Paradox’ work.”

Bias-Free Leadership: Your Competitive Advantage
Have you ever heard that biases – especially the unconscious variety – can’t be defeated? ‘All we can do,’ some have said, ‘is learn to work around them.’ Yes, of course, there are biases and stereotypes so deeply rooted that it would take a jackhammer to dislodge them, but others, if attacked with the right weapons, are easily defeated. Providing those weapons is what this presentation is all about.

Sondra Thiederman can design presentations specific to your needs. Below is a partial list of topics she has addressed in the past:

• Retail Industry: Loss prevention — how to avoid the pitfalls of profiling.
• Property Management: How to relate effectively to diverse renters.
• Meeting Planning: How to create meetings appropriate for diverse attendees.
• Mortgage Banking/Lending: How to market to diverse borrowers.
• Hospitality/Gaming/Tourism: How to meet the needs of diverse guests.
• All Industries: What other companies are doing in the area of diversity.
• All Industries: How bias can damage our careers and what to do about it.
• All Industries: Skills for interviewing diverse candidates
• All Industries: Programs covering specific information about different cultures. This information might be in the context of management, customer service, or sales.

Full Biography

Sondra Thiederman is one of the nation’s leading experts on workplace diversity, cross-cultural business, and bias reduction. As President of Cross- Cultural Communications, a San Diego- based training firm, Sondra has 25 years experience as a speaker, trainer, and author helping professionals in Fortune 500 companies, public sector organizations, and dozens of associations find ways to successfully navigate our increasingly diverse workplaces.

Since receiving her doctorate with an emphasis on cross-cultural studies from UCLA, Sondra has helped hundreds of groups develop solutions to their cross-cultural and diversity leadership challenges. Among her clients are such leading organizations as General Motors, Xerox Corporation, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Marriott Corporation, the Mayo Clinic, Century 21 Real Estate, American Express, The Federal Reserve Bank, Motorola, and AT&T. She has also addressed notable associations including the Arthritis Foundation, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the American Society of Association Executives, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. In addition, she has served as consultant to the University of California and the American Cancer Society and has been appointed by Elizabeth Dole to serve on the Diversity Cabinet of the American Red Cross.

Sondra has extensive media experience including mention in such national publications as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and U.S.A Today. She is published in professional journals ranging from T&D to Real Estate Today to Association Management, and has written on diversity for the web site Monster.com. She is the author of four books including the award-winning Profiting in America’s Multicultural Marketplace and, most recently, Making Diversity Work: Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace.