“Not Diversity” but Cultural Sensitivity Training

A group of us gathered to discuss how we’re handling the new administration’s restrictions on DEI research and training. Susan Landay and Elizabeth Power co-facilitated the conversation. We sought to equip former and current diversity trainers with tools, support, and resources to move towards a next phase of training in Civility, Compassion and Cultural Sensitivity. Following are our notes, reflections, and take-aways. [NOTE: to protect the privacy of participants, we have removed all attributions.] Access additional charts and PPT deck here.

“It’s not something we do. It’s something we that we are”

Roots of Diversity as a Polarizing Influence

Using the Deming’s 5 Whys Methodology, we began by discussing the influences that have caused DEI and diversity to be “bad words.” We appreciated that much of the anti-diversity movement may be rooted in fear. Participants shared these possible explanations for that fear:

Change: “Change is uncomfortable and holding on to what is familiar is in some way a survival practice. Having to unlearn and relearn takes a lot of deconstructing.”
Fear and Threat: Difference and unknowns can be unsettling.
Misunderstanding: Diversity is often misunderstood.
Misinformation: Spread of misinformation contributes to fear.
Exclusion and Power Shift: Some feel excluded or threatened as the established balance of power may shift.
Social Media: Amplifies concerns about diversity.
Win/Lose Perception: It feels like a win/lose situation.

Whether or not the fear is justified, we strove to understand the cause of the polarization to guide us towards appropriate next steps. The group shared the perspective that building sensitivity, mutual respect, decency, and emotional intelligence are critical to both organizational success and personal happiness.

Judgment and Stigma

The group appreciates that judging and stigmatizing others is problematic, impeding team effectiveness and personal fulfillment. As Ms. Power reminds us, we only need sensitivity training as long we judge others’ differences as deficiencies. In fact, people tend to stigmatize those who are different from themselves, often due to a lack of understanding. Knowing that babies don’t come into this world judging or stigmatizing others, we must also appreciate judgement (at least in part) as a learned behavior. That said, historically, our good judgement has helped keep us safe from dangers and predators. Nonetheless , we must ask such questions as: Is my judgment sound? Why am I judging? Should I be judging others in the way I do?

As professionals, we must appreciate the traumatizing impact of in/out jokes and imbalances of power. We must continue to advocate for marginalized or perceived-to-be marginalized groups. At the same time, we are well-served to put our energies toward looking for commonalities, rather than focusing exclusively on these differences.

Tapping into the group’s feelings

Those who have facilitated DEI-related training and leadership development efforts weighed in on how they’re feeling about the sudden shift away from sensitivity training. They expressed feeling:

Out of control, like a bull-rider.
Small – how can we fight these greater powers
Focused – concentrating on strategy and figuring out how to move forward.
Lost in a forest – hard to know where to begin
Proud – Proud of the transformative work we do
Strong – in dealing with difficult situations
Fragile – if our work is not nourished and reinforced, might it be lost?
Challenged – like I’m climbing a mountain
Hasty – concerned that we’re racing so fast we may omit important details
Frustrated – at the lack of information/strategy and scrubbing of language as everyone pauses and pivots.

Bolstering our Power

The group felt it might help to have tools and resources at their disposal. Having data that supports the need for broad perspectives might help substantiate the importance of their work. LinkedIn, McKinsey, BCG, and others have assembled a range of data points supporting the importance of diverse workforces:

60% of respondents in a LinkedIn study said that diversity within their sales team has contributed to their teams’ success.
Employers that posted about diversity saw 26% more applications from women than employers who posted less.
Our 2019 analysis finds that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25 percent more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile—up from 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014 (Exhibit 1). [McKinsey]
Companies that reported above-average diversity on their management teams also reported innovation revenue that was 19 percentage points higher than that of companies with below-average leadership diversity—45% of total revenue versus just 26%. (See Exhibit 1.) [BCG]

Access additional charts and PPT deck here.

Beyond the Numbers

Despite the importance of diversity for organizational success, the group shared these anecdotal perspectives:

“We all lose if everyone is not at the table. We miss opportunities and can’t realize the benefits of synergy.

“Engaged employees ensure the organization achieves its best results. Elizabeth Power is correct in saying that an imbalance of power reduces engagement. Enabling people to feel invited to contribute their best improves engagement and results.

“Devaluing diversity stunts participation in the process, in the future.”

Trigger Words vs. New Words

We looked at a chart of Banned and Trigger Words in Federal Grant Writing in the Trump Administration 2.0. Among the words you might expect, we also found these: woman, advocacy, community, sense of belonging, historically, enhancing. Then, we brainstormed words that have not been targeted as trigger words:

Authenticity, Civility, Commonality, Comfort, Compassion, Cultural Sensitivity, Dignity, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Ethics, Honesty, Individuality, Integrity, Knowledge, Resilience, Power, Respect, Safety, Stigma, Threat, Transparency, Trust, Unity.

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Strategies for “Not Diversity” Training

Participants shared a range of resources and ideas for transforming current efforts for moving beyond DEI training, in settings where it has been targeted for elimination:

Renaming: Use the brainstormed words to rename what we’re doing, focusing on Cultural Sensitivity, Understanding, Dignity, and Emotional Intelligence.

Encourage Communication & Sharing! Trainers Warehouse Thumballs are a valued resource for initiating conversations that bring people together and build mutual respect and understanding. Consider conversation prompts that…
- Draw out Commonalities
- Hear about others’ past experiences, which shaped who they are today
- Develop Emotional Intelligence
- Foster Resilience
- Build Trust
- Strengthen workplace ethics
Focus on Commonalities and Positive Interconnections: “Rather than focusing on ‘training,’ perhaps we focus on interests shared by people worldwide. Provide experiences that bring people together, instead of trying to teach people ‘how to think differently’.”
- Schedule a pot-luck: everyone brings a favorite dish and shares a story about their favorite food
- Take a turn with playlists: take turns allowing an attendee to kick off a weekly/monthly meetings by playing a favorite song.
- Cherished item: Ask participants to share a story of an important item in their home (clothing, jewelry, bowl, etc.)
Draw on Resources
- Check out: https://icq.global/
- Explore SHRM’s Civility Toolkit – It includes
  - Political Conversations Playbook
  - 5 Steps for Encouraging Civil Conversation
  - Cards Against Incivility
  - Civility Index Infographic and Abstract
- Look into the Say Yes program (targeted for high schoolers)
Develop Emotional Intelligence: Actively listen to others, show empathy, acknowledge your own emotions, manage reactions to stress, offer constructive feedback, apologize when necessary, adapt your communication style to different situations, and reflect on your own emotions and how they impact others.
Host a monthly Collective Learning Series, where a panel of employees and community partners share about their lived experience with a certain topic, e.g. foster care, veteran’s transitioning to civilian service, mental health, etc. It is very humanizing and helps employees understand different points of view and how we can better support one another

Taking Action through Cultural Sensitivity Training

Perhaps most important in the whole conversation was the overall framing and attitude captured by trauma expert, Elizbeth Power. She reminded us that it’s most important not to sit idly by but to take action!

“It’s not about what you say, it’s about what you do.” ~ Elizabeth Power

This mantra is crucial both in our training and in the development of new Sensitivity Training curricula. Remember, our overall goal is to increase communication and shared understanding of our commonalities – of what makes us alike, not different!

DEI & DEIA are NOT Unlawful– the law of the land is that discrimination is illegal

Cultural Sensitivity Games & Activities – some of these activities may focus too much on bias for your current training climate, but you’ll still find applicable activities to build shared understanding.

Shared Understanding Games & Exercises – same goes for this post.

Icebreaker Questions for Work – here are oodles of conversation starter prompts, perfect for the workplace

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