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.
The diagnostic assessment will tell you which of five orientations you tend to use most of the time. These orientations are based on Mitchell Hammer, Ph.D.’s theory of intercultural development. The more effective orientations are called “intercultural”.
In the intercultural development sense, “intercultural” means having the ability to shift your cultural perspective to a different cultural perspective and change your behaviour accordingly. It’s about adapting your behaviour and improving your performance for mutual benefit, and it is a significant accomplishment you can be proud of. When you can do this regularly, you can truly say you are intercultural and this will be your new superpower.
Becoming intercultural is not impossible. Individuals and teams have the potential to learn and grow into confident and authentic intercultural role models and leaders who can prevent conflicts and foster inclusion and equity. Increasing self-awareness by obtaining a professional assessment and feedback is a necessary and preliminary step to effective leadership with EDI, and transforming and elevating the organizational culture for everyone.
To arrange an IDI® and professional feedback session, and take the first step towards intercultural empowerment and effective EDI, send an email to Angeline at: [email protected].
