1. Gracious Space Creating A Safe Place for Authentic Dialogue Amidst Diversity
PA Action Coalition Nursing Diversity council
Rita K. Adeniran, DrNP, RN, CMAC, NEA, BC
Director, Diversity and Inclusion University of Pennsylvania Health System
Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow

2. Objectives
Discuss “gracious space” and “confident humility” as effective tools for creating a safe place for authentic dialogue
Describe the principles of gracious space and confident humility as enablers of excellence amidst diversity
Describe

3. Creating a Safe Place …
The principles of gracious space can help us create an environment where we trust enough to be vulnerable, have the courage to engage in authentic and respectful dialogue and utilize a sense of confident humility to further interpersonal and group understanding
(Hughes, 2004; Center For Creative Leadership, 2013)

4. What is Gracious Space (GS)?
A spirit and a setting where we ‘invite the stranger’
and we ‘embrace learning in public’.
To invite the stranger means we need diverse perspectives to see the whole picture and gain clarity on the subject
Learning in public means we will “truly listen to a new thought or a conflicting idea and are open to changing our minds.”
(Hughes, 2004)

5. Why Gracious Space (GS)?
Contemporary organizations are fast and complex
Need for efficiency has justified and almost eradicated relationships among individuals and groups
Presence of incessant escalation of violence in the political and entertainment media
Existence of polarizing forces that dictate who is included and excluded -
Let’s embrace Gracious Space- a willingness to infuse some gentleness into the rising cruelty of our world

6. GS principles empower individual to:
Give opinions without fear of criticism
Have respect for difference in spite of disagreements or conflicts
Hold off judging based on different perspectives or culture
Step back and reflect on assumptions, especially in conflicting situations
Be curious, willing to learn and be influenced
Slow down and truly listen.

7. GS is useful when there is a need to:
Bring openness and creativity to work
Make decisions with-out all the information
Resolve conflicts, difficult issues and divergent viewpoints
Utilize more data than can be truly processed to make decisions
Work with diverse groups towards a common goal

8. The gracious space environment makes it possible for people to trust enough to
be:
Vulnerable
Voice disagreement
Curious
Compassionate
Inclusive
Confronted by unprecedented change in our country’s healthcare, the need for graciousness could not be clearer or louder. Healthcare providers, staff, organizations and society must respond to the diverse viewpoints and/or polarity with graciousness
(Rita K. Adeniran)

9. Confident Humility
Confident Humility facilitates learning and “effective interaction ”
Confident Humility is the self-awareness that we all have wisdom and other assets to contribute and always have more to learn from each other regardless of our differences -
Center For Creative Leadership

10. Operationalizing Confident Humility
Speak your truth
Lean into discomfort and lean into each other
Commit to Non-closure (Be Open)
Embrace Paradox
Seek intentionality, not perfection
Build and maintain trust

11. May require the use of a complexity lens
Seeing Clearly Amidst Diversity
May require the use of a complexity lens
“You don't see something until you have the
right metaphor to let you perceive it”. Thomas Kuhn

12. The Gracious Space Philosophy
“Let's commit to establishing a “safe space for advancing Diversity, Inclusion and Cultural Competency in PA”
The Gracious Space Philosophy
can support us to create and sustain a safe space to help us advance diversity, inclusivity and cultural competence in PA and beyond!!!
Thank you! Some one to read to the UPHSCCC GS Philosophy!

13. Proposing A GS Philosophy for the PA Action Coalition Nursing Diversity Council