Engaging Diversity for Organizational Transformation

Approach Unique Approach to Diversity Education – Dialogue – Talk Together Share the Problems/Burdens/Solutions We have to co-construct new relationships –Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Class, Ability Engage in Diversity Education –Fun, Intense, Emotion, Challenging, Rewarding; –Mostly learning about self, not the other; enhancing capacity to better relate to others

Understanding American/Earth Identity through Alien Eyes What would aliens think about how we do social identity and intergroup relations? What would they discover? –Gender, Race, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Age, Class Third Rock from the Sun

Theoretical Overview, Rationale, Methodology Intergroup Dialogue – University of Michigan –can be broadly defined as a face-to-face facilitated learning experience that brings together people from different social identity groups over a sustained period of time to understand their commonalities and differences, examine the nature and impact of societal inequalities, and explore ways of working together toward greater equality and justice. Transformational Social Therapy –Created by Charles Rojzman over the past twenty years as method of engagement to transform both individuals and institutions for improved coexistence and cooperation. TST utilizing group psychodynamics to assist participants in developing the capacity to change socio-institutional practices to achieve a profound transformation of ways of living and working with others. Goal = Multicultural Competency

Intergroup Dialogue The goals of IGD include the development of a “consciousness about social identity and social group differences” by examining individual and group identities, behaviors and power relationships and “forge connections across differences and conflicts by building caring and reciprocal relationships” where participants can “learn to listen and speak openly, engage with one another seriously, take risks, explore differences and conflicts, and discover common ground” as well as build coalitions for social action. Unlike feel-good types of cross-group encounters that attempt to promote understanding by avoiding, masking, or overcoming conflicts, intergroup dialogue recognizes that communicating about and, if possible, working through conflict are both positive and necessary parts of the intergroup encounter. Such disagreements and conflicts can become valuable opportunities for participants to engage in significant conversations about different perspectives and tensions shaping relationships. Theoretical Overview, Rationale, Methodology

Transformational Social Therapy – Charles Rojzman –TST involves the “harmonization of motivations”, where participants are required to “express the negative” in order to bring out “information we need to know about real needs and suffering” of participants in order to know what is required to motivate people to change” –Rojzman argues that “We can’t change people, but people will change if they are motivated to do so”. Rojzman says that TST is not about changing people or relations, but to raise “awareness of the lack of trust, fears and prejudices, so that people will become willing to change themselves in ways they themselves determine”. –For Rojzman, peace can only come about when groups move from violence to conflict. For him, conflict is a natural, normal part of life because of the diversity of experiences, thoughts, practices and ideas. People are violent when conflicts are not able to express themselves in a peaceful manner. He argues that “in order to avoid violence, we should stop avoiding conflict. In practical terms and in terms of practice, this means creating encounters between people where there are no paranoid fantasies about ‘others’”. Theoretical Overview, Rationale, Methodology

Multicultural Competency the awareness, knowledge and skills needed to work and live with others who are culturally different from self in meaningful, relevant, and productive ways

Awareness A belief that differences are valuable and that learning about others who are culturally different is necessary and rewarding A willingness to self-examine and, when necessary, challenge and change their own values, worldview, assumptions, and biases

Knowledge Knowledge of diverse cultures and oppressed groups (i.e., history, traditions, values, customs, resources, issues) Knowledge about how gender, class, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion or spirituality, and disability and ability affect individuals and their experiences

Skills Ability to identify and openly discuss cultural differences and issues Ability to assess the impact of cultural differences on communication and effectively communicate across those differences Ability to gain the trust and respect of individuals who are culturally different from themselves

Dimension of Identity

Multicultural Self-Assessment Identify Groups/Issues –Excel –Limitations/Significant Areas for Growth Gender, Race, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Age, Class Share Results with Partner What did you learn? Self or Other

Learning from the Aliens - Again

Engaging Diversity – Gallery Walk Examination of Multicultural Incompetency and Bias –Please identify an incident that you participated in, observed or were the victim of someone’s actions, behaviors or judgments that reflected discriminatory or bias behavior against you, a colleague/employee or customer/client. (Ex. During the discussion of a candidate we were considering hiring, one of the managers questioned a women’s marital status.)

Engaging Diversity – Gallery Walk Examination of Multicultural Incompetency and Bias Place Responses on Wall Read the Responses - Silence Dialogue What surprised you? How did it feel to read the comments? Admission of Guilt – Perpetrators? Revealing of Pain – Victims? Commentary of Organization and Leaders?

The males of the organization in leadership positions receive the title of “officer of the company” as well as the title of VP and $25,000 bonuses while females do not get either While being introduced by a Senior VP at my organization, I was referred to as a “real smart cookie.” Would the same description have been asked if I were male? During an interview the hiring manager assumed the applicant had an accent and wanted his authorization to work in the U.S. without sponsorship being checked simply because he had an Hispanic name before he even spoke to him I was giving an employee a performance review and he was not happy with the amount of his compensation increase. He told me not to “Jew him down,” which is a term I had actually never heard before. A candidate’s age was discussed on whether he should be hired because of it. Engaging Diversity – Gallery Walk

Value of Dialogue for Value of Dialogue for Individual and Organizational Transformation Confront Conflict/Focus on Problems Solving Problems Organizational Assessment - Collective Intelligence Diminishing Tension/Conflicts Building Community Facilitating Professional Development/Healing Increasing Success – Numbers, Money, etc

Power of Dialogue How do you build community in your organizations? How do you address issues related to social identity? How could dialogue enhance your work environment?

Educational Programs and Contact –Engaging Diversity, Keeping It Real: Introduction to Intergroup Dialogue – May 20 8am-5pm - $50 –Graduate Certificate in Diversity Leadership – 12 Credits, 4 Courses -