WELCOME to the MINDFUL MAGIC. I work with companies that want their teams to work together better and improve the quality of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace.
I am Debra W. Gould, President & CEO of Debra Gould & Associates, Inc., a Performance Management company.
“Men hate each other because they fear each other, and they fear each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other because they are often separated from each other.”-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mentioning Diversity- It doesn’t matter how easy to get along with what we believe we are, there will come a time when someone or something challenges that belief. Usually, the challenge is related to one or more of the cultural landmines outlined below. Listen or look at the continuum and mark an “X” on the spot where you believe you fall from 1 to 5.
Cultural Landmines: Achievement Relationship to Personal
Physically Distant to Physically Close Linear Time to Non-Linear Time
Authoritarian to Democratic
Direct Communicator to Indirect Communicator My Goals to Our Goals Aggressive Attitude to Passive Attitude
So, what do you do if one of these landmines explodes in the workplace or your personal life? The WAY you communicate is going to be very important. Use the following steps as your guide:
Provide feedback that gives the person information about the IMPACT of their behavior
Use “I” statements
Make a clear request for the person to discontinue making those statements or exhibiting that behavior in your presence
Inform the person of the consequences of continuing to engage in offensive speech or behavior
The Minute-Being mindful of your diversity assessment-What do you think and feel about this? What do you do about this? Is there anything you would like to do differently about this in the future?
The Meeting of the Mindful-for fuller minds and moving organizations…please contact
Debra Gould & Associates, Inc.
Phone: (504) 460-9641
Email: djgould@gouldassoc.com, website: www.gouldassoc.com
