DEI work, for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is a human rights movement. Finding the support you need for your unique organizational culture is key to moving forward. Education and how to communicate are part of these strategic changes in your organization or community. This work lifts up the vision of everyone thriving in your organizational setting and for those you serve.
1. Intercultural competence is the focus of two instruments that increase your capacity to adapt across differences. These two tools provide you with a list of specific characteristics of where you are, where you fit into the organizational profile, and then a developmental plan:
- Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®)
- Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory® (ICS)
2. Specific programs that connect social & racial justice with Nonviolent Communication and Courage & Renewal work, such as:
- Creating a Culture of Care
- A Circle of Trust® retreat based on the vision of John Lewis
- Creating a Call in Culture instead of Cancel Culture
I. Intercultural Competence
These two inventories help you assess your intercultural competence – the capacity to shift perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural difference and commonalities.
A. The Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®) helps you bridge perspectives and unlock potential.
Susan is an IDI Administrator and can work with you to create a design for your specific organization, which includes: setting up your account, administering the inventories, follow-up debrief sessions, training options to engage and support your staff, and coaching for leadership and individuals.
Individuals, groups, and organizations learn how to approach cultural differences in new ways utilizing an Intercultural Development Continuum. Organizations gain insight with a Group Debrief and developmental plan as well as providing individual developmental plans for each staff or team member within the organization.
This is a well-researched instrument, now available in many languages. This inventory has been used across a range of nonprofit, government, school and university, for-profit and congregations and other settings.
B. Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory (ICS)®
Susan is an ICS Facilitator and can set up your organizational account, support both individual and group debriefs, and coach individuals and teams/groups on how to apply this information in your setting.
The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory® (ICS®) is the leading, cross-culturally valid assessment tool for identifying core approaches to improving communication, resolving conflicts and solving problems across cultural differences.
The ICS improves communication and conflict resolution across cultures. Given the already chaotic and unpredictable nature of our changing world, communication misunderstandings, conflicts and problems across cultures are happening more and more.
The inventory creates both understanding and effective action in working with a variety of conflict approaches. Responding more effectively to these differences in both communication and conflict styles has the following benefits:
- Increase cultural self-understanding of their own communication and conflict-resolution approach
- Increase cultural other-understanding of diverse approaches of others
- Decrease and manage stress and anxiety that are often present in conflict situations.
II. Intentional programs that add to your DEI efforts within your school, organization, or community group and for those you serve:
- Creating a Culture of Care –Racial & Social Justice and Nonviolent Communication: a 6 – 9 month program to support shared learning and transformation of culture, how to have difficult conversations, working with changing power over/power under to power with, etc. Changing organizational culture takes time and a combination of training, coaching, and development of leadership cohorts.
- Human Service Providers – Shifting Power with Clients: Transforming communication patterns from the Domination Paradigm of Power over/power under to more healthy and effective communication patterns in the Partnership Paradigm of Power With.
- On-going Education and Accountability with caucus groups: White to White Conversations about Race and other identity groups and WAG White Accountability Group.
- Highest Calling of Your Heart Gathering – A time for rest, reflection, and cross-racial dialogue. For Clergy, social & racial justice facilitators & educators, and congregations.
So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.
Based on the words of the late John Lewis, those in DEI, Social & Racial Justice work, or other Human Rights Movements, can have a brave space to talk about living into the radical love that was modeled by Lewis and the hope of a Beloved Community.
The words of John Lewis inspire us and bring up longings that many of us may be missing in our racial justice work. This retreat provides you with:
- To speak the questions that arise from our highest calling
- A place to speak about our fears, hesitancy, and wondering if I am causing more harm than I intend
- Interacting with both those at our table and who might come to our table in time
- Naming how to hold the places we are painfully separate from each other
Why? We want to create a courageous and safe space to explore the questions and tensions we hold in our racial justice work: A place to include love, relationship building, and connection with others around a higher vision for this arduous racial justice work.
So much of racial justice work is focused on the role of planning and doing action, often leaving out the soul of this work. We welcome the soul in this circle-based gathering.
Framed by Courage & Renewal Values, Principles, and Practices, you will experience a contemplative approach. You will experience grace and a place to catch your breath. This is not a workshop, planning session, or collaborative action committee, as we have all had our schedules full of these!
Solutions by Joshua Troy, LLC