An open access workshop presented by:
The Diversity Program, Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society
Keys to Cultural Competence
for the Workplace
Last Modified
13 April 2015
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Workshop Objectives
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To understand the context of workplace diversity
and the changing workforce environment
To define cultural competence and the
differences between individual and workplace
competence
To raise our individual and group awareness
about biases
To discuss strategies to increase our skills and
knowledge related to cultural competency
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Did You Know?
Within five years:
 Canada’s “visible minority” population will have grown from 4
million (2007) to an estimated 8.5 million.
 100% of the growth in the labour force will be from immigration.
 With more and more skilled immigrants coming to Canada, all
workplaces are becoming more diverse.
 With diversity comes unique perspectives and innovation.
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Did you Know?
The Aboriginal population is the fastest growing population
under the age of 25, representing an increasingly educated,
readily available workforce. (Aboriginal Resource Council 2010)
In 2011, 23.2% of Aboriginal workers in B.C. were between the
ages of 15 and 24 as opposed to 14.0% of their non-Aboriginal
counterparts.
In 2011, unemployment rates for Aboriginal people in B.C. were
almost double (14.6%) the rate for non-Aboriginal workers
(7.4%). This indicates that this group is underutilized in the
labour market.
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Cultural Competence:
the ability to function effectively in culturally
diverse situations and with diverse people.
For Individuals:
A set of consistent
behaviours, attitudes, skills
and knowledge that create
respectful interactions with
people different from
ourselves.
For Workplaces:
Recognizing the value of
diversity and having policies
and procedures in place
which support a respectful
organizational culture.
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Icebreaker 1: Synonym Twist
Scenario:
In pairs, discuss your weekend. BUT every
time you use a verb during the conversation
(saw, ate, enjoyed) you also have to come up
with a synonym (watched, ingested, liked).
Try it!
What do you notice? What made this challenging?
Debrief:
Definitions
Verb: The part of speech
that expresses existence,
action, or occurrence.
Synonym: A word or phrase
that means exactly or
nearly the same as another
word or phrase in the same
language.
This ice breaker is an exercise to increase awareness
about the challenges of communication and the
English language.
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Icebreaker 2: Unspoken Truth?
Look at your partner and answer
(without communicating):
 what did they have for breakfast this morning?
 where did they go for their last holiday?
 what is their marital status?
 how many children they have?
 what is their ancestry?
 how many generations they have been in Canada?
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(Weaver, 1986)
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Keys to Cultural Competence
 Awareness
 Skills
 Knowledge
Result: Developing cultural competence results in
an ability to understand, communicate with, and
effectively interact with people across cultures.
(Mercedes & Vaughn, 2007)
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Awareness:
Barriers in the Workplace
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Low tolerance to ambiguity or high
uncertainty avoidance
Overly task-oriented or high need for
individual achievement
Overly closed-minded and inflexible
(Weaver, 2009)
What are some other examples?
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Awareness & Skill
Your Own Identity
First step: Develop knowledge and awareness about your own
cultural awareness & identity.
Questions to ask Yourself:
 What is my cultural background?
 What are some things that I value because my culture values
those things? (think below the surface of the iceberg)
 How well do my beliefs and values fit in with my culture's values?
 Have clashes between my values and those promoted by my
culture harmed me in any way?
 What things would I like to pass on to children from my culture?
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Activity: Who Am I, Who Are You?
1. Who Am I?
Write down 5 words that describe who you are (your identity).
Underline the one word you feel BEST describes the identity with
which you most associate yourself.
2. Who Are You?
Write down 2 words that you think BEST describes the identity of the
person you are paired with. Wait to discuss!
3. Who Do You think I Am?
Discuss with your partner. Have they used the same or different
words to describe your identity? How does their view of your identity
make you feel?
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Strategies to Develop your
Awareness, Skills & Knowledge
Some general strategies to take with you to your workplace,
home, relationships and community:
1. Value diversity
2. Engage in cultural self-assessments
3. Understand the dynamics of difference
4. Develop cultural knowledge
5. Adapt to culture, especially to its deep structural aspects
6. Establish cultural reciprocity and share your culture!
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DISCUSSION
In what ways can you incorporate what
you have learned into your life and
work?
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CONCLUSION
Your New KEYS to Cultural Competence:
• Your understanding for the context of workplace diversity
and the changing workforce environment.
• Your ability to define cultural competence and the
differences between individual and workplace competence.
• Your greater awareness about biases & stereotypes.
• Your ability to discuss strategies to increase our skills and
knowledge related to cultural competency.
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What to do next?
See our Cross-Cultural
Communication Workshop
to further develop your skills
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References
Community Action Forum. (2008). Making the case for cultural competence. Retrieved
from www.pillarnonprofit.ca/search/bf0dd28c3dc9534390a5a1066e025a7c/
Hanley, J. (nd). Five stages toward cultural competence: Beyond the tip of the iceberg.
Whole Communities. Retrieved from
http://www.wholecommunities.org/pdf/privilege/10_Beyondthetipoftheiceberg_Je
romeHanley.pdf
Martin, M & Vaughn, B. (2007). Strategic Diversity & Inclusion Management magazine,
pp. 31-36. DTUI Publications Division: San Francisco, CA.
Weaver, G. (1986). Understanding and coping with cross-cultural adjustment stress. In R.
M. Paige (Ed.), Cross-Cultural Orientation, New Conceptualizations and Applications.
Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
Weaver, G. (2009). Overcoming barriers to cross-cultural communication. Intercultural
Management Institute, University of Illinois.
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