INCLUSION MAKE S THE WORLD REBOUND! SESSION LEADER: BRIGETTE ROUSON, J.D., M.A., PRINCIPAL ROUSON ASSOCIATES

Transcription

1 INCLUSION MAKE S THE WORLD REBOUND! SESSION LEADER: BRIGETTE ROUSON, J.D., M.A., PRINCIPAL ROUSON ASSOCIATES

2 A multicultural organizational development approach requires strong leadership, persistence, and courage. It involves breaking out of business as usual to ask tough questions, create new ways of interacting, and engage many people in different ways. It requires a spirit of learning and willingness to take risks to try new things. Nonprofit Missouri 2015 Conference Common Threads OPENING LEARNING INTERESTS AGREEMENTS FLASH POLLING This work builds a solid foundation for developing greater capacity to serve diverse populations, improve access and achieve stronger, healthier communities. - Laurin Mayeno Rouson Associates

3 LEARNING OBJECTIVES Rouson Associates Background: Greater appreciation of our own and others cultural background and its relevancy to our work Dynamics: Increased familiarity with cultural dynamics encountered in the work Concepts: Understanding of key concepts, principles, and practices in inclusion Application: Development and sharing of ideas for applying a cultural lens in our work Resources: Access to key tools and resources for deepening inclusion practically

4 OVERVIEW Welcome, Overview, Agreements, Polling Conocimiento Key Concepts, Distinguishing Culturally Competent Practice, Standards for Practice Exercise: Power Spectrum Peer Exchange: Areas of Curiosity or Challenge Applying Concepts Reflection Takeaways, Next Steps Rouson Associates

5 CREATING RESPECTFUL SPACE What agreements do we need to be fully engaged in the learning? Proposed: 1) Share airspace: Speak once, listen twice 2) Be responsible for your learning 3) Assume good intent; distinguish impact/intent 4) Honor confidentiality to this session 5) Keep the flow Clarify, confirm, contribute. Rouson Associates

6 CONOCIMIENTO Translated knowledge, consciousness, or familiarity Traditionally, a part of rites of passage Today, a psychosocial historical process for insights QUESTIONS: What is a core value that you hold that is rooted in family or a formative community? What did your grandparents do for a living? What was an early experience you had of cultural identity? What is a childhood experience related to a nonprofit or public interest organization that has special meaning? Debrief: What stands out, what influence of cultural background may be on your values, leadership style, etc.

7 CULTURE Add your first bullet point here Add your second bullet point here Add your third bullet point here

8 KEY TERMS & CONCEPTS: CULTURE Integrated patterns of human behavior encompassing values, beliefs, customs, practices, languages, methods of communicating and interacting within and across cultural groups common history, experiences, geography, social norms, lifestyles and artistic forms transmitted from generation to generation. Rouson Associates Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbor is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions. -Paulo Coelho Source:

9 CULTURE & IDENTITY Culture: integrated patterns of human behavior encompassing values, beliefs, customs, practices, languages, methods of communicating and interacting within and across cultural groups; common history, experiences, geography, social norms, lifestyles and artistic forms transmitted from generation to generation. Includes: Race/Ethnicity Immigrant Status Gender Language Religious Identity Socioeconomic Class Generation Formal Education Disability (Differently Abled) Political Perspective Geographic Background

10 CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS. Sources: U.S. Census, Congressional Research Service, news reports The United States Is Getting Bigger. U.S. population growth of 100 million is projected; factors include more births, people living longer, and higher net immigration. The United States Is Getting Older. A profound change is the rapid aging of the population with emphasis on women, openly LGBT, and more people of color reaching their senior years. A Generation Gap in Economic Well-being is Increasing. Younger working-age adults have record debt and high unemployment. The United States Is Becoming More Racially and Ethnically Diverse, reflecting of immigration, and changing both the size and the age structure of the U.S. population. Suburbanization continues as a major influence except in hotspots. Suburbanization and so-called smart sprawl continue in many metropolitan centers, even as numerous especially younger people flock to or stay in the most popular and expensive -- cities. Growing LGBT visibility and marriage equality are part of rapid legal and cultural shifts.

11 CONTEXT & CONCEPTS RELEVANCY: How are you currently, or how might you imagine, taking demographics into account?. KEY CONCEPTS: o Culture o Sexism, Gender-nonconforming discrimination o Heterosexism, homophobia o White privilege, internalized racism o Ableism o Ageism, generational bias o Geographic bias, structural disadvantage o Cultural competency Power differential

12 DEFINING CULTURAL COMPETENCY A set of behaviors, attributes and policies enabling an agency (or individual) to work effectively - Minority Executive Directors Coalition (King County - Seattle, Washington) Cultural competence requires that organizations and their personnel have the capacity to: 1. Value diversity; 2. Conduct self assessment; 3. Manage the dynamics of difference; 4. Acquire & institutionalize cultural knowledge; 5. Adapt to the diversity and cultural contexts of individuals and community served [engaged] - National Center for Cultural Competence (Georgetown University)

13 DEFINING CULTURAL COMPETENCY/INCLUSION IN CAPACITY BUILDING A community-centered process that begins with an understanding of historical realities and an appreciation of the community's assets in its own cultural context. The process works to enhance the quality of life, create equal access to resources, and promote community partnerships resulting in strategic and progressive social change. Source: Alliance for Nonprofit Management (Cultural Competency Initiative)

14 DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS Social change as motivating force Active exploration of cultural bases - including geography, historical context, religion, sexual identity, socioeconomic background Sharing and building power Modeling and facilitating learning Breaking silence Building principled relationships Structuring work with a cultural lens Source: Alliance for Nonprofit Management (Cultural Competency Initiative Research)

15 BENEFITS OF CULTURAL COMPETENCY TO PARTNERSHIPS I Strengthening relationships with, and extending beyond, the core partnership More effective talent recruitment/retention, including volunteers Increasing ability to work with multiple cultural communities/constituencies Greater opportunity for learning and innovation Improved programs Success in fundraising and less dependency on appropriations Better advocacy efforts

16 ELEMENTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE SHAPED BY CULTURAL DYNAMICS Practices Behaviors Policies Attitudes Structures

17 KEY CONCEPTS AND FINDINGS: Mainstream vs. Inclusive Practice MAINSTREAM Cultural difference only relevant at some points in time, in some situations, where surfaces in very obvious way, crisis-driven Feeding into system that disadvantages certain people, privileges others Tendency to separate people from their cultural base purports to be identity-neutral and value-neutral INCLUSION/CULTURAL COMPETENCY Culture is woven throughout the encounter always attentive to dynamics Challenging system, takes account of inequities and seeks to change power relations; deeper analysis that deals with phenomena such as internalized oppression and institutional /structural racism Tendency to invite people to do the work by offering shared background or appropriate storytelling

18 MAINSTREAM Hard skills valued and seen as separate from culture e.g., fiscal management, fundraising, governance INCLUSION Soft skills valued as an essential part of capacity building human relations, stakeholder engagement, conflict resolution. Both hard and soft skills seen through lens of culture. Revolving door and exclusion of diverse staff Recruiting, retaining, developing diverse staff Believes that in order to maintain diversity, people of color need to be developed Recognizes that people of color or other marginalized groups bring skills and strengths to the organization, and that the organization needs to be developed in order to appreciate the range of talents and approaches.

19 Power Differential

20 POWER SPECTRUM Before we acquire great power, we must acquire wisdom to use it well. - Ralph Waldo Emerson Step into the point on the continuum that shows where SOCIETY LOCATES YOU TYPICALLY based on YOUR CULTURAL IDENTITY HIGH.. MEDIUM.. LOW

21 STANDARDS FOR CULTURAL COMPETENCY/ INCLUSION Standards for Excellence: A nonprofit s leadership should ensure that the organization has a policy, plan, or strategies in place that enable the organization to effectively serve and interact with people equitably across different cultures and backgrounds. Ethical Standards in Nonprofit Capacity Building: Capacity builders shall continuously seek to develop their understanding of cultural competency and apply that learning to all processes [and] continually seek to achieve a high level of competency

22 GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR INCLUSION/CULTURAL COMPETENCY We: Understand, appreciate and utilize difference as a starting point Fully engage all participants in decisions/processes that affect them Hold a commitment to moving through interpersonal relationships to examining structures of oppression Know that it requires a long-term investment, that it takes time to build relationships. Leave knowledge on the ground, supporting sustainability. Have a commitment to follow through and to name the elephant(s) in the room. Source: Alliance for Nonprofit Management

23 CLAS STANDARDS (SELECTED) U.S. HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES CLAS Principal Standard 1: Provide effective, equitable, understandable and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy and other communication needs. Governance, Leadership and Workforce 2: Advance and sustain organizational governance and leadership that promotes CLAS and health equity through policy, practices and allocated resources. 4: Educate and train governance, leadership and workforce in culturally and linguistically appropriate policies and practices on an ongoing basis. Rouson Associates

24 CLAS STANDARDS (SELECTED) U.S. HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Communication and Language Assistance 5: Offer language assistance to individuals who have limited English proficiency and/or other communication needs, at no cost to them, to facilitate timely access to all services. Engagement, Continuous Improvement and Accountability 9: Establish culturally and linguistically appropriate goals, policies and management accountability, and infuse them throughout the organization s planning and operations. 13: Partner with the community to design, implement and evaluate policies, practices and services to ensure cultural and linguistic appropriateness. 15: Communicate the organization s progress in implementing and sustaining CLAS to all stakeholders, constituents and the general public. Rouson Associates

25 STANDARDS FOR CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE (SELECTED) Self-Awareness: [S]eek to develop an understanding of their own personal, cultural values and beliefs as one way of appreciating the importance of multicultural identities in the lives of people. Cross-Cultural Knowledge: [H]ave and continue to develop specialized knowledge and understanding about the history, traditions, values, family systems, and artistic expressions of major client groups that they serve. Empowerment and Advocacy: [B]e aware of the effect of social policies and programs on diverse client populations, advocating for and with clients whenever appropriate. Rouson Associates

26 PROCESSES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE 1. UNDERSTAND CULTURES AND INTERESTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL PLAYERS Assess forces in environment that hinder or support change Build individual, group, and organizational readiness for change Gain commitment of leadership and key players at all levels Establish means for community involvement and accountability 2. MODEL DESIRED BEHAVIOR AND FOSTER CULTURAL CHANGE Model multicultural values and skills in the process Create a climate that supports open dialogue and builds trust Source: Laurin Mayeno, monograph on Multicultural Organization Development (California Endowment, CompassPoint)

27 PROCESSES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE 3. SUSTAIN AN ONGOING PROCESS WITH A CLEAR VISION AND SUCCESSES ALONG THE WAY Commit to an ongoing process Create a vision and benchmarks for success 4. RECOGNIZE IMPACT BEYOND ORGANZATIONAL BOUNDARIES Be a responsible (responsive, engaged) community member Understand broader factors that impact desired individual and community outcomes Source: Laurin Mayeno, monograph on Multicultural Organization Development (California Endowment, CompassPoint)

28 Q & A DISCUSSION What in the guiding principles rings true? What in the standards makes sense? What are you curious about?

29 MULTICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A SUSTAINABLE PROCESS Alignment & investment of organizational players Articulating & codifying assumptions & commitments Leadership development Clarifying responsibility & authority for moving the process forward Shifting cultural norms Rouson Associates

30 ACTION STEPS DEVELOPING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURAL COMPETENCY Develop support for change throughout the organization (who wants change and who doesn't?) Have a dedicated team to deepen understanding, plan, and facilitate action. Identify the cultural groups to be involved (who needs to be involved in the planning, implementation, and reinforcement of the change?) Identify barriers to working with the organization (what is currently not working? What will stop you or slow you down?) Assess your cultural competency (what knowledge, skills, and resources can you build on? Where are the gaps? ) Source: COMMUNITY TOOLBOX ctb.ku.edu Kansas Health Foundation Rouson Associates

31 ACTION STEPS: DEVELOPING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURAL COMPETENCY Identify the resources needed (how much funding is required to bring about the change? Where can you find the resources?) Develop goals and implementation steps and deadlines for achieving them (who can do what, when, and how?). Commit to an ongoing evaluation of progress (measuring outcomes) and be willing to respond to change (what does progress and success look like? What are the signs that will tell you that the organization is on the right track?). Kansas Health Foundation Rouson Associates

32 MULTICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LESSONS LEARNED 1. Pay attention to acknowledging and building on an organization s and community s history with cultural competence. 2. Balance the internal development and work of a dedicated team with the need to engage the whole organization, keep transparency and momentum. 3. Acknowledge that individuals and units in an organization, and external stakeholders, will have different reactions and levels of receptivity. 4. Don t let resisters set the pace or process. Do listen and learn from resistance. 5. Courageous conversations offer opportunities for learning and growth. Source: Adapted from Mayeno (CompassPoint/California Endowment, 2008) Rouson Associates

33 Finance: and Fundraising: How do we support organizations in developing strategies to increase philanthropic giving [time, talent, and treasure] from within communities and launch enterprise activities resulting in sustainable earned income streams? Systems and Infrastructure: How do we support organizations in building an organizational culture that values equity, inclusiveness, and diversity? SELECTED QUESTIONS TO GUIDE PRACTICE Human Resources: How do we support recruiting, training, and maintaining a culturally diverse and capable staff team? How do we help deal with power sharing issues? What are the most effective tools to work through language differences and cultural expectations? Program Development, Management, Evaluation: How do we support organizations in developing culturally based programs that are responsive to communities voices? What are culturally appropriate ways for engaging constituents and developing partnerships?

34 APPLICATION Across the field, what are widely shared interests/aspirations? Challenges? Success stories? Brainstorming: How do cultural and power dynamics play out in your work the mission, leadership, resources? Rouson Associates

35 GOAL IDENTIFICATION WHAT IS A VISION FOR PARTNERSHIPS THAT MOTIVATES YOU? WHAT IS A KEY RESULT YOU WANT REALIZED IN LINE WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION AND ITS MISSION? Rouson Associates

36 APPLICATION: PEER EXCHANGE NEXT STEPS Solo, paired share, group dialogue: Identify 2-3 key challenges or opportunities you see related to your vision of stronger partnerships. Brainstorm with a peer about a course of action, including learning and accountability steps.

37 QUESTIONS FOR AN INCLUSION PLANNING PROCESS In what ways can the partnership be strengthened using a cultural lens? What will it take to get buy-in at the start? Who will lead the effort to deepen and enhance cultural competency? How will you keep the issues on the agenda for stakeholders? How can you engage staff and other stakeholders constructively? How will you structure ongoing learning including assessment, planning? How will progress be celebrated?

38 REFLECTION AND CLOSING Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful. - Margaret J. Wheatley TAKEAWAYS Insights, questions or areas for further learning Commitments (1 thing you are willing to do, or do differently)