I have been fortunate to join professional and social groups as a way to improve the quality of my life and serve the community I live in. One day, it dawned on me that I should reach out to those who were interested in engaging more closely with diversity by learning about people and their cultures. This is one of the reasons I started the Regina Cross Cultural Sharing Circle.
After almost two years, I am excited to share my version of a sharing circle with individuals and organizations as a learning and development tool for fostering diversity and inclusion. The following question and answer format contains a straightforward profile of this tool.
What is the Regina Cross Cultural Sharing Circle?
It’s a kind of peer mentoring group. The word “peer” means that everyone in the group is on the same level. The word “mentor” means that each person shares her or his knowledge, experiences, and perspective about his or her culture as a way of exposing others to a different worldview and encouraging self-reflection.
Why the term, “cross cultural”?
Everyone has a culture even if she or he doesn’t think so. Surprisingly, some people may not be aware of it, but everyone has been socialized by her or his parents, teachers, partners, friends, co-workers, etc. to adopt certain values, principles, beliefs, and practices or customs, and to behave in a certain way. The term “cross” is used because the cultural perspective shared by each person in the group is acknowledged as unique.
What makes this sharing circle different from other speaking groups or expert panels?
First, the difference is in the approach of the sharing circle. In the circle, the mentors are not expected to convince others of their opinions. The sharing circle is not a platform for debate. I say to the mentors at the start of the session, “Check your ego at the door!” because the focus is on listening and developing empathy or trying to see the topic from another person’s perspective.
Another way to describe this activity is learning to shift one’s perspective and mindset. The sharing circle is thus a way of practicing the art of suspending judgement of others. This is achieved, hopefully, by laying down one simple rule: the mentors refrain from making negative comments about other cultures, individuals, or groups.
Last, but not least, I share questions that will engage the mentors with the topic and help them to develop self-awareness as they are learning about other cultures. Developing self-awareness is foundational and integral to the process of building intercultural competence.
What have you learned so far from the sharing circle?
Here are some of the lessons I have learned from the sharing circle:
People experience a sense of catharsis.
They have an opportunity to express themselves without the pressure of convincing anyone of their viewpoint. They have an opportunity to talk about something that matters to them, but has been taken for granted at work or at home.
Moreover, culture is commonly used to raise funds for organizations. People may enjoy the tangible aspects of a culture: food and drink, music, dance, etc. without learning much about or understanding the subjective or invisible aspects: the values and beliefs that underpin certain customs and practices.
People are willing to be vulnerable.
They are willing to take a certain amount of risk, open up and share information or insights they may otherwise not share if they thought they would be judged. In other words, they feel a certain sense of safety, but they are also courageous, because it takes courage to share both one’s perspective and emotions. On the other hand, it can be liberating to express emotions that, in the dominant culture, may be misunderstood.
People are an amazing source of knowledge both in breadth and depth.
Everyone seems to have a well of experiences to draw from. Everyone’s story or perspective is fascinating. Everyone adds value to the group. I have been delighted and enthralled every time by what I have heard. This has made it a beneficial experience for me and provides an incentive to continue to host and facilitate the sharing circle.
Why do you call this sharing circle “a model for learning and development in diversity and inclusion”?
It is my hope that the experience I have shared in this post will encourage organizations to adopt my version of a sharing circle as a tool for building intercultural competence. It is also a flexible tool that can be modified to the needs of the organization.
What should organizations do if they are interested in utilizing the Cross Cultural Sharing Circle?
They should send me a message so that we can have a conversation about it. They can contact me at: [email protected] . People who want to try out the sharing circle can register for the next session by clicking on the RSVP button in the page footer.
I had an opportunity to participate in the Intercultural Sharing Circle in 2018. I found it a really powerful experience. It was a respectful and non-judgmental way to learn about other people, their backgrounds, their experiences and their rich diverse cultures. It’s amazing how much we learn when we take a moment to just listen.