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Diversity training is
not a new idea. Diversity trainers use their expertise in: |
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• Conflict resolution |
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• Preparing organizations for increases
in racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity |
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• Preparing employees for international
work |
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• Safeguarding against harassment and unfair
employment lawsuits |
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• Taking advantage of employee diversity
to increase productivity |
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• Conducting cultural audits |
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• Managing sexual attraction in the workplace |
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• Developing competencies needed to exploit
the international marketplace. |
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Diversity training
has existed for quite a while in some form or another, although
different labels were used to refer to it. Perhaps the most
globally shared label is cross-cultural training. |
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| As the labels suggest, diversity
training aims to combat racism, sexism, exclusion, and ethnocentrism.
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However, today's marketplace offers
an additional connotation, which is more positive.
Diversity training aims to give individuals and companies a
competitive edge in an increasing global community. |
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| OMI courses provide the skills needed
to get the most out of interactions with people of a different
race, gender, or nationality. |
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| What is OMI's diversity training philosophy?
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The OMI philosophy is based on a critical thinking
teaching strategy and a three-component training model. |
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The oldest and still most powerful teaching approach
is Socratic teaching. In Socratic teaching, the focus is on asking
the student insightful questions to ponder, rather seeking particular
answers.
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Diversity training com-petence fits nicely
with the method because skillful diversity work requires
critical thinking in formulating solutions to inter-cultural
challenges.The student is the questioner and inquisitive
learner who are given considerable freedom in learning
under expert guidance.
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| OMI trains three competencies:
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a) attitudes/awareness,
(b) knowledge, and
(c) skills. |
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Attitude/awareness
refers to insights into personal biases,
moral positions, and how differences
affect us. Knowledge refers
to the concepts, skill
requirements, and ethics associated
with diversity training. Skills refer to the ability to effectively
train and evaluate perfor-mance.
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Practicing what one is trying to learn in the act of
learning is central to the OMI training philosophy. |
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OMI assumes that diversity training and consulting
competency requires rigorous training. |
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How is Diversity training different from multicultural,
cross-cultural, and race relations training? |
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Multi-cultural training focuses on educating people
to understand and appreciate cultural diff-erences. Diversity
training, from the OMI perspective, focuses on building community
rather than pointing out how people are different. Appreciation
of differences is important, but it is not considered the highest
priority competency. The abilities to make others comfortable
and included are most important, no matter how much you know about
their culture.
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Cross-cultural training focuses
on educating people to manage themselves in other countries or as
a minority in another cultural group. OMI provides knowledge and
skills to manage cultural differences that exist in one's own country
and in others. Diversity also includes gender, sexual preference,
religion, and other types of diversity that are not central in cross-cultural
training. |
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Race relations
training focuses on educating people to understand and appreciate
racial diff-erences, and helping different races get along.
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Diversity training in-cludes race relations
while addresses the general problem of dealing with people
who are different. Institutional barriers are considered
without placing blame on individuals.
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Diversity
training, focuses on
building community rather than pointing out how people
are different. |
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Cross-Cultural Sensitivity Training |
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Course Content |
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• Background and overview of
the Country
• Understanding their values and Psyche
• The Iceberg analogy of culture
• Monochronic
vs. Polychronic people
• Table Manners
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Personal GroOMIng
• Working Abroad
• Beating
the Blues
• Develop a Personal Action Plan
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Summary
• Close |
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