Managing Cultural Diversity

Introduction to Cultural Diversity

• Course Introduction
• Ice-breaking activity: "Share Your Cultural Experiences"
• Defining Culture and Diversity
• The Impact of Globalization on Cultural Diversity
• Discussion and Q&A
• Cultural Dimensions: The Hofstede Model
• Exercise: Group Discussions on Cultural Dimensions
• Case Study: Managing Cross-Cultural Teams
• Group Presentation on Case Study

The first day we will discuss cultural diversity in general, we share all attendees’ cultural experiences, whether in their travel or work.  We discuss the impact of the new world, the globalization and the increased connectivity in the world. We discuss the cultural dimension as per Hofstede and other models to understand the science behind it. We ger into an open discuss and we go through an example of managing cross cultural teams in an organization.  The teams will each present their findings and give their opinion on the case.

Stereotypes, Prejudices, and Unconscious Bias

• Recap of Day 1
• Stereotypes, Prejudices, and Discrimination
• The Role of Media and Education
• Small Group Activity: "Breaking Stereotypes"
• Unconscious Bias in the Workplace
• Exercise: Identifying and Mitigating Unconscious Bias
• Case Study: Overcoming Bias in Hiring
• Group Discussion on Case Study

Building on the first day we start discussing the different stereotypes that we face on a continuous basis, how do we at times have prejudices and judgements, and the tendency of discriminating based on cultural misunderstanding or predefined assumptions.   

We look at the impact of the external factors on our predefined judgement for or against another culture and the impact of the media in the work place.

We get into an interactive exercise on how do we break the stereotyping and how should we mitigate our unconscious biases

Cross-Cultural Communication

• Verbal vs. Non-Verbal Communication
• High and Low Context Cultures
• Role Play: Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges
• Listening and Empathy Across Cultures
• Cultural Influences on Decision-Making
• Exercise: "Negotiating Across Cultures"
• Case Study: Effective Global Communication
• Group Discussion on Case Study

We will discuss the different types of communication, the verbal and non-verbal communication that may have and how it impacts building relationships and the importance of first-hand impressions.

Understand the different types of cultures, differentiate between them and define how to interact with each of them.

Taking decisions and how would one’s culture have an impact on the decision making.  What influences the decision making and how to manage this in an organization.

We go through an exercise of negotiating between different cultural background and assess the different approaches to ensure the best outcome possible.

We discuss how can we be effective in our current global communication and globalization of businesses.

Managing Diversity in the Workplace

• Building Inclusive Work Environments
• Diversity and Inclusion Policies
• Interactive Workshop: Creating Inclusive Workplaces
• Conflict Resolution in Diverse Teams
• Exercise: "Managing Cross-Cultural Conflicts"
• Strategies for Cultural Competence
• Developing Cultural Diversity Action Plans

We shall discuss the importance of inclusive work environment and how to create one, that encapsulates diversity in different work environment.

What are the benefits of a diverse work force and how to manage this diversity without the impact of any of the issues raised in the previous few days.

How to uncover and manage conflicts and how to resolve those conflicts keeping in mind the diversity in place.

We do an exercise on managing cross-cultural diversity conflicts and we discuss the points that are important to manage during the conflict resolution.

We discuss the strategies we need to follow to be culturally competent and how should we prepare ourselves and our organization for the ever-increasing diversity in the work place.