Cultural Competence Leadership: Managing Diversity in the 21st Century

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Cultural Competence Leadership Managing
Diversity in the 21st Century

• James L. Mason, Ph.D.
• 2009 Pathways to Adulthood Conference
• San Diego, California
• June 3-5, 2009

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Cultural Competence Leadership is not just for
managers or people at the top of the food chain .
. .

• Everyone can learn to lead by discovering the
  power that lies within each one of us to make a
  difference and being prepared when the call to
  lead comes.

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Multicultural Self-Assessment Questions

• What culturally diverse groups are you serving?
• What drives your diversity efforts?
• What are your cross cultural comforts and
  discomforts?
• What are the cultural barriers/issues you face in
  providing quality services?
• Describe the linkages and contacts you have
  within culturally diverse communities?
• Identify any cross cultural success stories or
  examples of cultural strengths you have
  experienced. Why? How? Replicable?

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Cultural Competence

• For the Individual
• The state of being capable of functioning
  effectively in the context of cultural
  differences.
• For the Organization
• A set of congruent practice skills, attitudes,
  policies and structures, which come together in a
  system, agency, or among professionals and enable
  that system, agency or those professionals to
  work effectively in the context of cultural
  differences

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Linguistic Competence

• Providing culturally appropriate oral and written
• language services to limited English proficiency
  (LEP)
• members through such means as bilingual/bicultural
  
• staff, trained interpreters, and qualified
  translators
• also includes
• Using varied approaches to share information with
• individuals who experience cognitive disabilities
  
• which may involve translation of
• legally binding documents
• public awareness materials/media campaigns
• health education materials/signage

source Goode, T and Jones, W. 2002
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CULTURAL COMPETENCE CONTINUUM
source Cross, Bazron, Dennis and Isaacs, 1989
National Center for Cultural Competence, 2004
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Rationale for Cultural and Linguistic Competence

• Demographics and Diverse Belief Systems
• Disparate Service Outcomes/Service Disparities
• Market Share and Utilization
• Inadequate Formal and Informal Learning
• Accreditation, Funding, and Licensure
• Inter- and Intra-Group Conflict
• Chronic and Disproportionate Poverty
• Historic Under-representation
• Liability and Malpractice
• Legal Issues/Civil Rights

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Rationale for Work Force Diversity

• Organizational Efficiency Cost
• Resource Acquisition and Development
• Historically Under-employed Groups
• Creativity and Productivity
• Problem Identification and Solving
• Workforce/Organizational Appeal
• Organizational Growth and Marketability
• Social Responsibility/Justice
• Adapted from Creating the Multicultural
  Organization, Taylor Cox Jr. (2001)

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Culturally Competent Staff Development Training
Activities

• Anti-bias and Anti-discrimination
• Workforce and Managing Diversity
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Cultural and Linguistic Competence
• Cross Cultural Conflict Management
• Intercultural Communication

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Additional Training Concerns

• Multicultural vs. Cultural-Specific?
• Generalist vs. Discipline-specific
• Differentiated by Staffing Levels?
• Consumer/Community Perspective?

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Enhancing Cultural Competence Awareness

• Valuing diversity, being aware of cultural
  strengths, building on assets
• Assessing competence (etic and emic)
• Managing the dynamics of difference in our work
  force and among our customers
• Recognizing the limits of ones expertise and
• Adapting to difference vis-a-vis attitudes,
  practices, polices, and structures.

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Enhancing Cultural Competence Knowledge

• Understanding how constituents view credible
  services, relevant treatment models, and
  effective providers, and our programs
• Knowing adverse ecological stressors and
  contextual factors that impact customers
• Utilizing family-, cultural-, and community-based
  resources to create comprehensive systems of care
  

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Enhancing Cultural Competence Skills

• Ongoing development and training to improve our
  competence around community engagement and
  empowerment
• Using community assets and competencies to
  promote and build healthy behaviors,
• Developing techniques that help us and our
  organizations become non-oppressive entities.

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Dimensions of Diversity

• Ethnocultural Groups
• Black or African Americans
• Hispanic or Latino Americans
• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Native Americans and American Natives
• Bi- or Multi-Racial
• Euro-ethnic groups

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Dimensions of Diversity

• Non-Ethnic Cultural Groups
• (e.g., women, lgbtqs, people w/disabilities,
  seniors, people in poverty, people who are
  homeless, religious minorities, etc. )
• Refugees and Immigrants
• Survival vs. Opportunity
• Documented vs. Undocumented

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Cultural Factors That Influence Diversity Among
Individuals and Groups

• Internal Factors
• Cultural/Racial Identity
• Socioeconomic Status
• Nationality
• Language Style
• Family History
• Help-Seeking behavior
• Generational Status
• Age Life Cycle Issues
• Spatial Regional Patterns
• Gender Sexuality
• Religion Spiritual Views
• Political Orientation

• External Factors
• Institutional Biases
• Community Economics
• Public Safety Infrastructure
• Behavioral Health
• Geographic/Cultural isolation
• Intergroup Relations
• Natural Networks of Support
• Community History
• Political Climate
• Media Impact
• Community Demographics

Modified from James Mason, Ph.D., NCCC Senior
Consultant
Developed by National Center for Cultural
Competence, 2002
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Natural Networks of Support

• Merchants and Businesspeople
• Unheralded Leaders Community Elders
• Faith-Based Institutions
• Ethnic Media Personalities
• Advocacy Organizations
• Collateral Agencies
• Social Networks
• Consumer and Family Member Organizations

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Cultural Competence Leadership A Journey not a
Destination

• Cultural competence is an active, developmental,
  and ongoing process that is aspirational rather
  than achieved, that requires
• Awareness of ones own assumptions, values, and
  biases
• Knowledge of the worldview of diverse clients and
  communities
• Skills strategies and techniques consistent with
  the life experiences and contexts of diverse
  clients and communities.
• Counseling the Culturally Diverse Sue Sue (2003)

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Leadership Tips

• "Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites.
  Experts often possess more data than judgment.
  Elites can become so inbred that they produce
  hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they
  are nicked by the real world."
• The Powell Principles by Oren Harari

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Leadership Tips

• You don't know what you can get away with
  until you try.
• The Powell Principles by Oren Harari

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Leadership Tips

• Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier
• The Powell Principles by Oren Harari

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Leadership Tips

• . . . Don't always run at a breakneck pace.
  Take leave when you've earned it Spend time with
  your families. Corollary surround yourself with
  people who take their work seriously, but not
  themselves, those who work hard and play hard.
• The Powell Principles by Oren Harari

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Leadership Tips

• Command is lonely.
• The Powell Principles by Oren Harari