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RISEZINE
A Publication of Please
Rise
Summer 2010 Vol. 6 No. 1
Welcome to
RiseZine my quarterly electronic
magazine (ezine) that can help you solve problems in your business and your
life. It is my desire to bring you inspiration from the experiences I
gained during the twenty (20) years I spent as a Judge of the Denver County
Court participating in the transformation of lives. I’m convinced that
those experiences will heighten your knowledge, sensitivity and outlook on
the issues you face in your business and your life. I am honored to share
your precious time with you.
Are you
Culturally Competent?
 The
South African flag is the only national flag in the world to display six colors
as a part of its primary design. After a month long cornucopia of colors,
sights and sounds (can you say “vuvuzelas”), South Africa adjusts to life after
the 2010 World Cup. Since receiving the award in 2004, South Africa was viewed
in a different light. With its history of Apartheid (official policy of
segregation of the races), a huge psychological barrier had to be crossed.
After internal protests, insurgency and western nations and institutional
boycotts led to a peaceful transition to majority rule, the first multi-racial
elections in 1994 brought the end to apartheid and Nelson Mandela became
President. The “rainbow nation” has regained some of its luster with the World
Cup and a renewed sense of common purpose between the country’s black majority
and the white minority. Would the enthusiasm and unity fostered by the World
Cup experience carry over into the daily lives of its 48 million people? That
remains to be seen. What we can garner from watching the diverse cultures
interact in the stadiums all over the country is that cultural competence can be
a unifying force for communication and peace no matter the language.
A few
months ago, I was retained to assist a higher education organization in
enhancing relationships between staff members of diverse backgrounds, gender,
levels of physical ability, sexual orientation and age. The University
understood that in order to attract a diverse population in the highly
competitive arena of college recruitment, and to provide a rich educational
experience for students matriculating there, it had to promote open access and
opportunity for all.
So, why is
diversity important? The University of Oregon defines diversity as, “[A] concept
that encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each
individual is unique and recognizing our individual differences; understanding
each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the
rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.” I expand the
definition to include diversity as
acceptance, respect, and understanding of individual differences along the
dimensions of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities,
religious beliefs, socio-economic status and political beliefs toward the goal
of embracing and celebrating the differences as evidence of being a culturally
competent person.
Cultural
competence means “a set of skills and attitudes that allow individuals to
effectively and appropriately communicate and work with people who are different
from themselves.” Promoting diversity but failing to include everyone in the
organization will limit an organizations ability to reap the full benefits of a
diverse workforce. Although it may enhance organizational performance, high
employee diversity may pose potential problems. In a purely homogenous
organization, it is easier to maintain a sense of cohesiveness because people
tend to feel more comfortable when they interact primarily with similar
individuals. Thus, diversity can be a double-edged sword, requiring
decision-making creativity and the congruence of the organization with the
marketplace but decreasing employee’s satisfaction with being members of the
organization. An organization’s diversity culture influences the extent to
which these problems appear. In order to move your organization forward to
function as a multicultural institution consider the following three types of
diversity cultures:
1. MONOLITHIC organizations
are characterized by a large majority of employees from one group; differences
between group members are resolved by the process of assimilation. The message
is: ‘we do not particularly welcome diversity’.
2.
PLURALISTIC organizations
are more heterogeneous, they have taken steps to promote diversity. They focus
on the numbers of majority versus minority members. The mixed message: We
promote diversity, but we expect employees from minority groups to fit in with
the majority group.
3. MULTICULTURAL organizations
do more than promote diversity; they also promote a culture of inclusion. The
goal is to create a culture in which all employees feel comfortable and
appreciated and are given a chance to make meaningful contributions; the
message: ‘we welcome members of all groups as full participants and strive to
take advantage of their skills and backgrounds’.
When I
completed the higher education diversity presentation, I asked the participants
to comment on what they had learned. They reported that they learned that they
needed to “see each person individually and to try to understand who they really
are”; “not be judgmental with certain persons and situations;” “how to approach
others and listening actively;” and, “think more about how I am perceived by my
peers.” I can report that they are on the path to cultural competence.
There is
another reason why I chose the South African World Cup backdrop for this
RiseZine. It brought back memories of my first meeting with an exiled South
African in the late 1960’s in Denver, Colorado. When I was in graduate school,
I had the opportunity to meet and know Dr. Ezekiel Mphalele while he was at the
University of Denver. He was banned from teaching in South Africa because of
his anti-apartheid writings and because he was a member of the African National
Congress (ANC). He painted for me a vivid picture of the treachery of
apartheid. That was the same time Nelson Mandela was a leader of the ANC and
was spending 27 years in prison. That same year I met the Assistant Dean of the
Graduate School at the University of Denver, John W. Rice. I remember his
daughter back then; (she would go on to become the United States Secretary of
State, Condoleezza Rice). Dean Rice taught a class called the Black Experience
in America. He left the segregated city of Birmingham, Alabama, where he
opposed institutional racism, governmental oppression and the Viet Nam War. He
recruited many more who suffered from oppression to the ivy-lined streets at the
University of Denver. Those memories of some forty years ago are juxtaposed
against what are the successes I see in the “rainbow nation” today.
 When
the games were over South African President Jacob Zuma finally proclaimed, “When
we won the rights to host the World Cup, we knew that working together we would
be able to succeed. But what has happened has exceeded our expectations. That
is because of the role played by our people, the South Africans. They are the
stars and champions of this tournament.”
On Sunday,
I watched the final round of the British Open Golf Championship at St. Andrews,
Scotland, the home of golf. The South African flag was flying again when South
African golfer Louis Oosthuizen raised the Claret Jug as the winner. His first
words upon accepting the trophy were, “Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela. Today
is his ninety-second birthday. He is a wonderful man who has done so much for
our country.” That’s an expression of cultural competence!
Cheers to
the “rainbow nation”. You have given a renewed sense of cultural competence and
purpose to others and have earned the right to blow your horn (vuvuzelas!).
Can’t your
organization use a healthy infusion of inspiration, motivation or training in
Leadership, Decision-making, Communication, Ethics or Team-Building? I can
provide a keynote, workshop, seminar or individual coaching tailored to meet
your needs and help you and your team RISE.
Email
Beau@PleaseRise.com.
Judge Beau
Patterson
PO Box
24008
Hilton
Head Island, SC 29925-4008
(843)
342-7473
Facsimile:
(843) 342-7470
“Actually,
it’s not that most people don’t have much and they just want a little; It’s that
they have it all and they just want a little.” -Anonymous
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