Workshop on Developing Intercultural Competency by Carolyn Petersen
This workshop led by Carolyn Petersen aims to deepen participants' understanding of intercultural competency and provide insight into developing necessary skills and behaviors. Activities include watching TED talks, self-reflection on intercultural interactions, and setting ground rules for productive discussions. The concept of intercultural competence, with its three dimensions of mindset, heartset, and skillset, is explored to enhance communication across cultures. The session also introduces the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) as a tool for self-awareness and further development in multicultural settings.
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Presentation Transcript
Intercultural Communication Carolyn Petersen
Workshop Objective: To deepen participants understanding of intercultural competency and gain insight into how these skills and behaviours can be developed
ACTIVITIES: * Watch TED, Derek Sivers Weird, or just different? http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_ weird_or_just_different#t-41376 * Reflect: What are you most confident about and what do you find challenging when interacting with people from other cultures?
Some ground rules: Presume goodwill Be open by sharing and listening Honour confidentiality Respect time frames Pay attention to your own reactions (what are your triggers)
Intercultural Competence: The capability to shift cultural perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonalities. (Hammer, 2009)
Three dimensions: 1. Mindset intercultural awareness (ability to understand similarities and differences) 2. Heartset intercultural sensitivity (emotional desire to acknowledge, appreciate and accept cultural differences) 3. Skillset intercultural adroitness (ability to reach communication goals while interacting with people from other cultures) * All three are important to intercultural competence (Bennett, J.M., 2003)
- Intercultural competence has a developmental continuum (theoretical model developed by Milton Bennett) - Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is a measure of intercultural competency based on Bennett s model - Can be used to increase self-awareness and encourage further development / useful for multicultural teams - More information on the IDI is available in the attached handout and at: http://idiinventory.com/
Culture hides much more than it reveals, and strangely enough what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants. Years of study have convinced me that the real job is not to understand foreign culture but to understand our own. - Edward T. Hall, The Silent Language
- Many factors contribute to cultural identity (personality, internal dimensions, external dimensions, organizational dimensions) *ACTIVITY: - Write 15 descriptive statements that begin with I am - Identify 10 descriptors that are most important to you and then choose top 5 - Traits we use to describe ourselves reflect our values and beliefs. - Identifying values similarities and differences can improve teamwork and relationship development.
- Culture as an iceberg - Above the waterline (can only see about 10%) behaviours that can be observed (objective culture) - Below the waterline (hidden) informs behaviour, worldview / normal (values, attitudes, beliefs)
Stereotypes are: Inflexible do not change Restrictive do not allow for differences Prescriptive make assumptions first The behaviour of an individual applied absolutely to all members of a group. (NorQuest College, Critical Incidents for Intercultural Communication)
Generalizations are: Flexible can change Inclusive can accommodate difference Descriptive make generalizations from observations The observable behaviours of a group applied for possible understanding of individuals. (NorQuest College, Critical Incidents for Intercultural Communication)
Cultural Orientations: General observational categories which provide clues to better understand the motivations and values that influence peoples behaviours, and to recognize cultural differences that exist at a group, rather than individual, level (NorQuest College, Critical Incidents for Intercultural Communication)
Cultural Orientations: Cultural Orientations: Individualism Collectivism Direct Indirect Task-oriented Relationship-oriented Ascribed status Achieved status
- Cultural orientations are a continuum with two perspectives on opposite ends of the spectrum (individuals from any particular orientation will fall somewhere along the continuum) - Also need to consider context and power dynamics (dominant/non- dominant groups) - Each person takes cultural values with them into every interaction (often unconscious)
Somethings Up - Framework for working through intercultural misunderstandings Something s Up Suspend Judgment Informed Action Make Sense (NorQuest College, Critical Incidents for Intercultural Communication)
Describe the Describe the Something s Up Something s Up What happened? How does each person feel? Focus on facts and feelings don t try to make sense of it or solve it at this stage) Notice triggers usually happens when a person s behaviour doesn t meet our expectations Something s Up
Identify and Suspend Judgment - Judgment is a natural response, influences behaviour and decisions (displays cultural values) What are the judgments of the people involved? What are each person s conclusions or perceptions of the other? Think about how others might see us. Suspend Judgment
Make Sense Step 1: What is this about? What did each person expect? (What is their normal? ) Step 2: How are the expectations of each similar and/or different? Try to understand using cultural orientations Intent and impact are not the same (assume good intentions) Make Sense
Informed Action What can be done to move forward? Short term Long term Look for shared goals and adapt behaviour. Informed Action
Practice: Watch examples and practice using Something s Up : http://media.norquest.ca/mds/owls/somethings_up_cycle.htm More information is available at: http://www.norquest.ca/NorquestCollege/media/pdf/centres/ intercultural/CriticalIncidentsBooklet.pdf http://www.norquest.ca/NorquestCollege/media/pdf/centres/ intercultural/CIICH_final_facilitatorsguide.pdf
Going forward Be aware of your own normal Ask questions and be curious about other worldviews Check understanding (don t make assumptions) Treat others as they would like to be treated See difference as value-added Forgive and learn from mistakes Be aware of slang, informal expressions
Carolyn Petersen Intercultural Communication Facilitator Email: carolyn.p@sasktel.net
