Readiness for Multicultural Organizational Change: Hearts, Minds and Cultural Norms
Many nonprofit organizations embark on initiatives focused on diversity, inclusion, equity, cultural competence, cultural humility and/or multiculturalism. At the onset, there is usually a group of people—often a diversity committee—involved in planning the initiative. The people in this group are usually eager for, and deeply invested in, change. Then comes the task of engaging the rest of the organization to build buy-in and shared ownership. But, hmmm? How do we approach this? Typically, people in the organization are not on the same...
read moreBridging Divides When Differences Run Deep
Today’s blog is about engaging in dialogue about controversial issues. I share my own experiences speaking out as the mom of a gay son and discuss ideas, principles and skills to go beyond “preaching to the choir” and make room for all voices—especially those we disagree with. “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its...
read more"Rocking the Boat" to Make a Difference
In honor of Women’s History Month, today’s “Lessons from the Field” is dedicated to women who “rock the boat” in the interest of creating more equitable and effective organizations. There are countless everyday “she-roes” who speak their truths, when not everyone is willing to listen. It is often a few brave women who speak out, sometimes repeatedly, to catalyze crucial conversations that make our organizations, communities, and society work better for everyone. Withholding Communication There are many times when we humans...
read moreThe Gift of Generous Listening
A few days ago I received the gift of generous listening from a friend and colleague. It changed my perspective and lifted me out of the winter blues. She listened to my concerns without judging or trying to fix anything. She acknowledged me in a way that left me feeling valued and believing that my contributions make a difference. Our conversation reminded me that generous listening can change lives. Generous listening is more than a skill, and it is much more than hearing what someone is saying. It is a way of being when you are interacting...
read moreFinding Freedom from Self-Limiting Mindsets
Recently, while facilitating a workshop, I handled a participant’s question in a way that was experienced negatively by the participant and others in the group. My immediate reaction was that I had really blown it, harmed another person, ruined my credibility and damaged trust. My fall blog is about making a difference by choosing our “mindset” in responding to our circumstances. In this situation, I wished I could turn back time and have a second chance at answering the question. I could not change what had already happened,...
read moreWhen Expectations Aren’t Met: Responsive Employee Feedback
Greetings and Happy Summer! Recently, several people have asked for training or support for supervisors on giving feedback to employees. My summer blog shares some ideas and principles that I have found to be valuable in responding when employees don’t meet expectations. While the focus is on feedback from supervisors to employees, the principles apply in other situations. Rick Bowers, Mediation Consultants, LLC, shared valuable insights and wisdom that made this article possible. Your feedback is welcome! When Expectations Aren’t...
read moreTransformation and Multicultural Organizational Development: What’s the Connection?
Greetings and Happy Spring! Today’s blog was inspired by a conversation with a potential client. The potential client was grappling with how to support organizations that have already done some work around cultural competence and want to engage in multicultural transformation. I hope you enjoy reading and welcome your feedback! How can leaders who want to build transformed, multicultural organizations conceptualize and approach this process? Many organizations have engaged in work to improve their services for diverse populations....
read moreResponding to Tensions in the Community
Dear Laurin, Our organization serves people from different ages and backgrounds in the same facility. Cutbacks in services have resulted in increased tension in the community we serve. Recently we have had some conflict over the use of space for program activities. In one incident, an older white male community member told a group of male youth of color to leave a recreational space so he could use it. When they did not leave immediately, he called one of the youth a _______ (overtly racist term). We have already taken measures to make sure...
read moreOvercoming Silos to Build a Multicultural Organization
Dear Laurin, During the past decade my organization received funding that enabled us to hire staff for targeted outreach and direct service to Latina and African American communities. While this has greatly expanded our service delivery in these communities, it has also created silos among these programs and inhibited the sharing of learning, support and best practices across all programs. We are an organization with a small staff and a large base of volunteers. How can we work to overcome these silos and build a multicultural organization...
read moreTransforming Communication: When Breakdowns Become Breakthroughs
Dear Friends, I didn’t start out my consultant business with a focus on communication. This focus grew as a result of a steady stream of communication breakdowns over the years: conflicts with people being targeted and blamed, people complaining that they weren’t being heard, concerns about lack of transparency, people avoiding difficult conversations, tensions resulting from different communication styles…and so on. I saw that these breakdowns could have a devastating impact on the people, their morale and their work. I also...
read more