Keys to Cultural Competence for the Workplace

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Keys to Cultural Competencefor the Workplace
An open access workshop presented by The
Diversity Program, Central Vancouver Island
Multicultural Society
Last Modified 2 July 2014
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Workshop Objectives

• To understand the context of workplace diversity
  and the changing workforce environment
• To define cultural competence and the differences
  between individual and workplace competence
• To raise our individual and group awareness about
  biases
• To discuss strategies to increase our skills and
  knowledge related to cultural competency

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Did You Know?

• Within five years
• Canadas visible minority population will have
  grown from 4 million (2007) to an estimated 8.5
  million.
• 100 of the growth in the labour force will be
  from immigration.
• With more and more skilled immigrants coming to
  Canada, all workplaces are becoming more diverse.
  
• With diversity comes unique perspectives and
  innovation.

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Did you Know?
The Aboriginal population is the fastest growing
population under the age of 25, representing an
increasingly educated, readily available
workforce. (Aboriginal Resource Council 2010)
In 2011, 23.2 of Aboriginal workers in B.C.
were between the ages of 15 and 24 as opposed to
14.0 of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. In
2011, unemployment rates for Aboriginal people in
B.C. were almost double (14.6) the rate for
non-Aboriginal workers (7.4). This indicates
that this group is underutilized in the labour
market.
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Cultural Competence

• the ability to function effectively in culturally
  diverse situations and with diverse people.

• For Individuals
• A set of consistent behaviours, attitudes, skills
  and knowledge that create respectful interactions
  with people different from ourselves.

• For Workplaces
• Recognizing the value of diversity and having
  policies and procedures in place which support a
  respectful organizational culture.

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Icebreaker 1 Synonym Twist

• Scenario
• In pairs, discuss your weekend. BUT every time
  you use a verb during the conversation (saw, ate,
  enjoyed) you also have to come up with a synonym
  (watched, ingested, liked).
• Try it!
• What do you notice? What made this challenging?
• Debrief
• This ice breaker is an exercise to increase
  awareness about the challenges of communication
  and the English language.

Definitions Verb The part of speech that
expresses existence, action, or
occurrence. Synonym A word or phrase that means
exactly or nearly the same as another word or
phrase in the same language.
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Icebreaker 2 Unspoken Truth?

• Look at your partner and answer
• (without communicating)
• what did they have for breakfast this morning?
• where did they go for their last holiday?
• what is their marital status?
• how many children they have?
• what is their ancestry?
• how many generations they have been in Canada?

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(Weaver, 1986)
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Keys to Cultural Competence

• Awareness
• Skills
• Knowledge
• Result Developing cultural competence results in
  an ability to understand, communicate with, and
  effectively interact with people across cultures.
• (Mercedes Vaughn, 2007)

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Awareness Barriers in the Workplace

• Low tolerance to ambiguity or high uncertainty
  avoidance
• Overly task-oriented or high need for individual
  achievement
• Overly closed-minded and inflexible
• (Weaver, 2009)
• What are some other examples?

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Awareness SkillYour Own Identity

• First step Develop knowledge and awareness about
  your own cultural awareness identity.
• Questions to ask Yourself
• What is my cultural background?
• What are some things that I value because my
  culture values those things? (think below the
  surface of the iceberg)
• How well do my beliefs and values fit in with my
  culture's values?
• Have clashes between my values and those promoted
  by my culture harmed me in any way?
• What things would I like to pass on to children
  from my culture?

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Activity Who Am I, Who Are You?

• 1. Who Am I?
• Write down 5 words that describe who you are
  (your identity). Underline the one word you feel
  BEST describes the identity with which you most
  associate yourself.
• 2. Who Are You?
• Write down 2 words that you think BEST describes
  the identity of the person you are paired with.
  Wait to discuss!
• 3. Who Do You think I Am?
• Discuss with your partner. Have they used the
  same or different words to describe your
  identity? How does their view of your identity
  make you feel?

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Strategies to Develop your Awareness, Skills
Knowledge

• Some general strategies to take with you to your
  workplace, home, relationships and community
• 1. Value diversity
• 2. Engage in cultural self-assessments
• 3. Understand the dynamics of difference
• 4. Develop cultural knowledge
• 5. Adapt to culture, especially to its deep
  structural aspects
• 6. Establish cultural reciprocity and share your
  culture!

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Discussion

• In what ways can you incorporate what you have
  learned into your life and work?

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Conclusion

• Your New KEYS to Cultural Competence
• Your understanding for the context of workplace
  diversity and the changing workforce environment.
  
• Your ability to define cultural competence and
  the differences between individual and workplace
  competence.
• Your greater awareness about biases
  stereotypes.
• Your ability to discuss strategies to increase
  our skills and knowledge related to cultural
  competency.

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What to do next?See our Cross-Cultural
Communication Workshopto further develop your
skills
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References

• Community Action Forum. (2008). Making the case
  for cultural competence. Retrieved from
  www.pillarnonprofit.ca/search/bf0dd28c3dc9534390a5
  a1066e025a7c/
• Hanley, J. (nd). Five stages toward cultural
  competence Beyond the tip of the iceberg. Whole
  Communities. Retrieved from http//www.wholecommun
  ities.org/pdf/privilege/10_Beyondthetipoftheiceber
  g_JeromeHanley.pdf
• Martin, M Vaughn, B. (2007). Strategic
  Diversity Inclusion Management magazine, pp.
  31-36. DTUI Publications Division San Francisco,
  CA.
• Weaver, G. (1986). Understanding and coping with
  cross-cultural adjustment stress. In R. M. Paige
  (Ed.), Cross-Cultural Orientation, New
  Conceptualizations and Applications. Lanham, MD
  University Press of America.
• Weaver, G. (2009). Overcoming barriers to
  cross-cultural communication. Intercultural
  Management Institute, University of Illinois.