One of the key methods of building intercultural competence is to build cultural self-awareness. Building cultural self-awareness is beneficial as it can help to improve our ability to bridge cultural or value differences which in turn helps us to communicate and lead better. [Read more…] about Building Cultural Self-Awareness: A Key Component of Intercultural Development and effective EDI
The Outcomes of Intercultural Competence Development for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
What is a cultural difference? The answer to this question depends on your individual and distinct orientation to cultural differences, which means how you mainly experience, make sense of, respond/react to, and navigate cultural differences. It also depends on the level of complexity of your conception of culture.
Intercultural Competence and the IDI®: the first step to intercultural empowerment and effective EDI
Interpersonal and intercultural communication could be more of a joy rather than a chore if informed by self-awareness about how effectively you bridge diversity and cultural/value differences between yourself and others. At the outset, this distinct form of self-awareness can be gained from a diagnostic assessment – the Intercultural Development Inventory® and professional feedback that reveal unconscious biases regarding your “go to” approach for managing cultural differences. The benefit of this self-awareness is being able to approach new situations henceforth from a position of knowledge and strength. [Read more…] about Intercultural Competence and the IDI®: the first step to intercultural empowerment and effective EDI
Humility and the Ego – friends or foes?
At the November 30, 2021 session of the Intercultural Sharing Circle, I posed the following questions to the participants about their relationship with humility. I am humbled to have this opportunity to share my responses with my readers.
- What does humility mean to you? Is it important to you? How do you express it?
As an intercultural mindset and leadership coach, I have learned that it is not possible to learn and grow without humility. Cliché aside, the times when I was able to empathize with other people and grow from those interactions and experiences were the times when I was my most humble self, for example, when I realized that I had made a mistake, when I needed to apologize, or fix the mistake I had made.
Reflections and action to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – audio version.
Reflections and action to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
On September 29, 2021, I hosted and facilitated a special session of the Diversity and Cross-Cultural Sharing Circle to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The topic I designed for the session was: “Truth and Reconciliation – what is its relationship to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion? When, where, and how does it fit into your organization’s goals, plans, and priorities?” After sharing the appropriate land acknowledgment, introductions, and the guidelines for participation, I posed the following questions to the participants and shared these responses with them:
