1. Intercultural Communication Carolyn Petersen

2. Workshop Objective: To deepen participants’ understanding of intercultural competency and gain insight into how these skills and behaviours can be developed

3. 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?

4. 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)

5. Intercultural Competence: The capability to shift cultural perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonalities. (Hammer, 2009)

6. 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)

8. -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/

9. “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”

10. Gardenswartz & Rowe, 2003

11. -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.

13. What is culture?

14. -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 )

15. 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)

16. 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)

17. 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)

18. IndividualismCollectivism Direct Indirect Task-oriented Relationship-oriented Achieved status Ascribed status Cultural Orientations:

19. -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)

20. (NorQuest College, Critical Incidents for Intercultural Communication) Something’s Up Suspend Judgment Make Sense Informed Action

21. Describe the 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. Informed Action What can be done to move forward?  Short term  Long term Look for shared goals and adapt behaviour. Informed Action

25. 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

26. 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

27. Carolyn Petersen Intercultural Communication Facilitator Email: carolyn.p@sasktel.net