Cultural Competency: Building Bridges Every Friday

Organizations today span a rich tapestry of cultural backgrounds, identities, experiences, and perspectives. While diversity represents a valuable asset, realizing its potential requires cultural competence.

Developing cultural competence involves building the skills and knowledge needed to understand diverse perspectives, communicate respectfully across cultures, and interact effectively with people of all backgrounds. It enables connecting across differences to build community and drive impactful change.

Fridays present an excellent opportunity to develop cultural competency. The techniques below can guide you:

• Fostering self-awareness
• Expanding cultural knowledge
• Developing communication skills
• Nurturing belonging
• Promoting inclusive behaviors
• Dismantling unconscious bias
• Championing diversity and equity
• Celebrating cultural occasions

Commit to growing your cultural competence bit by bit each week. Let's dive into techniques.

Foster Self-Awareness

The foundation of cultural competence starts with understanding your identity, values, biases, and privileges. Reflection questions to explore include:

• What cultural groups do I belong to, and how have they shaped my experiences?
• What biases or stereotypes do I carry consciously or subconsciously?
• How do my thoughts and actions support or obstruct inclusion and equity?
• How can I leverage my privileges and influence to advocate for others?

By continuously evaluating our lens, we clarify where growth is needed.

Expand Cultural Knowledge

Seek to learn about cultural groups, norms, values actively, and needs different from your own. Ways to expand knowledge include:

• Reading books, shows, films, and media created by diverse voices
• Attending cultural events and experiencing traditions firsthand
• Connecting 1:1 with colleagues from different backgrounds to hear their stories
• Studying key historical events, contributions, and challenges impacting cultures
• Following thought leaders, activists, and influencers within cultural communities

Building cultural knowledge combats stereotyping and fuels insight.

Develop Communication Skills

Strengthen how you communicate across cultures through:

• Adjusting vocabulary, tone, idioms, and humor awareness
• Confirming understanding by paraphrasing and inviting open discussion
• Avoiding generalizations. Recognize diversity within cultural groups.
• Examining power dynamics and ensuring equitable participation
• Listening actively to understand lived experiences before reacting

Mindful communication conveys respect while bridging divides.

Nurture Belonging

Foster an environment where employees of all backgrounds feel welcomed, valued, and safe to be their authentic selves. You can:

• Share stories of your own experiences as a cultural minority if relevant. Vulnerability builds trust.
• Educate yourself on the issues marginalized groups face. Believe and amplify lived experiences.
• Speak up against insensitive remarks and behaviors. Make it safe for others.
• Promote affinity networks and mentors that provide support systems.
• Recognize different cultural holiday traditions happening throughout the year.

Cultivating true belonging empowers engagement across differences.

Promote Inclusive Behaviors

Everyday habits that quietly promote inclusion:

• Making small talk on shared interests vs. demographic factors
• Avoiding assumptions and judging based on appearance
• Inviting quieter voices into discussions
• Greeting colleagues in their native language
• Ensuring food/gifts accommodate cultural dietary needs

Subtle shifts create ripples of positive impact on morale and coworker dynamics.

Dismantle Unconscious Bias

Interrupt automatic biases through:

• Catching biased thoughts as they occur and reframing them objectively
• Seeking constructive feedback from underrepresented groups on growth areas
• Pausing before reacting to seek alternative perspectives
• Auditing processes like hiring,评估, and assignments to remove structural bias
• Calling out biased comments respectfully. Use it as a teaching moment.

Conscious effort steadily transforms unconscious habits over time.

Champion Diversity and Equity

Look for opportunities large and small to champion diversity, inclusion, and equity. You can:

• Volunteer with organizations advancing justice
• Use your privilege to create opportunities for marginalized groups
• Integrate diverse voices and perspectives into projects
• Mentor and sponsor those from underrepresented backgrounds
• Speak up when rooms lack diversity. Draw attention to imbalances.

Leverage your influence to affect positive change. Allyship takes the initiative.

Celebrate Cultural Occasions

Honor important cultural traditions, holidays, and heritage months by:

• Sharing the history and meaning behind occasions
• Highlighting diverse leaders and changemakers
• Discussing diverse cultural traditions related to occasions
• Hosting educational events, food celebrations, or dialogues
• Promoting related causes and ways to get involved

Participating authentically in cultural celebrations builds community.

Pursuing cultural competence is a lifelong journey. Making small, consistent investments every Friday plants seeds for an inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued, understood, and can contribute meaningfully. Keep expanding your cultural bridges.

What practices help you nurture cultural competence? Please share your ideas and experiences below!

#culture #diversity #inclusion #equity #belonging