Essential Workplace Series

Brief Course Overview

• The Appreciating Diversity course provides participants with excellent skills and behaviours to build relationships that are authentic and beyond just being political correct.
• The course allows participants to be authentic so that they feel empowered to work and deal with issues of diversity at a “cause and impact” level.
• It will create safe spaces in large and small group discussion to talk hold courageous discussions about differences.
• Participants will learn to really listen to the other and display the skills of empathic listening.
• It will empower and provide participants with a model and a process to dialogue through the many diversity challenges which may be present a personal, team, department, organisational and world level.
• It provides them with the tools to identify and challenge destructive diversity dynamics, i.e. stereotypes, prejudices in themselves, their team and the organisation.
• After having attended this workshop participants will return with an awareness and sensitivity to manage and appreciate diversity in a positive and constructive manner because of the many authentic real discussions and tools made available to them through this course.

Who Will Benefit From The Course?

This course will benefit anyone who relates to others, in particular:

• New staff
• Staff post mergers
• Supervisors
• HR Professionals
• Team members
• Team Leaders
• Project Managers
• Change Managers
• New Managers
• Your suppliers

This Course will enable participants to:

• Increase self awareness around the diversity differentials within themselves and others.
  Understand their own thoughts and feelings about this diversity.
• Understand that diversity is expressed in many ways in just one individual and as a result, they are both different and similar to others at the same time.
• Understand the difference between diversity “isms” e.g. sexism and a diversity “issue” e.g. language, etc.
• Understand that diversity is not one dimensional. It exists and expresses itself in individuals and groups making them different and similar at the same time.
• Learn to be sensitive and empathetic particularly to those who may be different.
  
• Have a clear understanding of the “target” and “non target” model of diversity.
  Understand and take responsibility for the behaviours and manifestations which they exhibit as a non target and target.
• Have a deeper understanding and appreciation of their own diversity behaviours and manifestations and its impact on others.
• Learn about their and others’ basic cultural defence mechanisms which often entrench and propagate prejudice.
• Learn strategies to reduce their cultural defensiveness and enhance their ability to authentically relate in a cross cultural situation.
• Develop an openness and empathy toward new cultural realities and possibilities.
• Increase their awareness of cultural defensiveness in their own situation at a personal, interpersonal and organisational level.
• Develop strategies which will counteract non-productive and destructive behaviours at the personal, interpersonal and organisational level.
  

Brief Course Outline

Day 1

Welcome and Introductions

Module 1: Diversity Check-In

The aim of this module is to increase participants awareness of how they identify and describe themselves along some common diversity descriptions, which will help them to appreciate how these identifications and descriptions can make them both different from and similar to others. Further, this module invites them through reflection to explore their thoughts and feelings towards others who may hold similar or different descriptions from their own.

Module 2: Diversity “Isms and Issues”

The aim of this module is to explore the way that diversity “isms and issues” manifest at the personal, interpersonal and organisational levels. Further, that while there may be some differences in the way we define diversity “issues and isms”, they are both places where domination, oppression and alienation result.

Lunch

Module 3: The Power Walk Exercise

• The aim of this exercise is to help encourage discussion, enhance awareness and develop appreciation about differences and similarities within the group.
  To have an experiential opportunity to stand apart from the group under the various diversity differentials.
• To illicit thoughts and feelings about self and other in the group according to the diversity differentials in an emotionally safe but charged context.

Close

Day 2

Check-in and Review

Module 4: Target/Non Target Theory

The aim of this module is to explore how people at different times can be a target of “ism and issue” prejudice. We aim to identify a list of common behaviours and manifestations that accompany being a target and a non target. Further, to demonstrate how these behaviours when manifesting themselves, particularly in subtle ways, are oppressive, destructive and disempowering.

Lunch

Module 5: Authentic Cross Cultural Behaviour

The aim of this module is to explore ways to communicate with integrity across cultures and differences. We help them to become less defensive by taking responsibility and challenging their own biases through a process of accounting, recognising and acknowledging. The challenge is to become more authentic and not merely politically correct in cross-cultural behaviour and interactions.

Module 6: Diversity awareness in your team or company

The aim of this module is to assess and reflect upon the group’s diversity dynamics and how it is playing itself out at an interpersonal and organisational level. Further, to develop appropriate ideas, behaviours and strategies, which will help the group minimise “issues and isms”, and make everyone more responsible, more included and productive in an increasingly diverse and multi cultural setting.

Wrap–up, Check-out and close

Other Additional Courses:

The course above is designed to cover 6 main modules over 2 days. Below are some additional courses that you may want your staff to attend.

• Assertiveness Skills
• Developing a Culture of Superior Service
• Personal Leadership

Proposed Dates

This is a 2 day workshop.

What we require from you

• A venue which can comfortably and adequately accommodate the participants. Should you wish to hold this course at an external venue then all venue hire costs will be for your account.
• The venue must allow for at least two break-away rooms/areas.
• At least two flipchart boards.
• Lunches and morning and afternoon teas.