Courageous Conversations
FACILITATED BY MALCOLM FIALHO – SENIOR DIVERSITY OFFICER
A fish is the last one to know
what water is
Chinese Proverb
The University of Western Australia
Key Drivers
Global University – top 50 in 50 vision
‘Citizens of the Globe’
The University of Western Australia
Rights and Responsibilities
 Everyone has the right to work and study in
environments marked by respect, dignity, safety, and
free of discrimination, harassment, and bullying.
 People work best in a setting marked by mutual respect,
personal dignity, and support, which utilises one's skills
and abilities, and encourages further learning.
 We VALUE respect, diversity, inclusiveness,
and fairness for all staff and students.
The University of Western Australia
Diversity Wheel
The University of Western Australia
Understanding Privilege
 Privilege is defined as those conditions and circumstances enjoyed
by a person because he/she is a member of the majority group in a
society at any given point in time.
 Majority group refers to the largest group, while a minority group is a
group with fewer members represented in the social system.
 For the purposes of a discussion about privilege, majority group also
signifies the group that has historically held advantages in terms of
power and economic resources.
 In an Australian context, it refers to able-bodied men of AngloChristian, heterosexual background.
The University of Western Australia
Unconscious Bias
 Refers to stereotypes about groups of people that
individuals forms outside their own consciousness
 Replicates the social hierarchy and influences behaviour
 Results in decisions and actions based on perceptions of
people’s gender, race, class and other characteristics
 Often completely incompatible with our values
The University of Western Australia
How ‘Unconscious Bias’
Manifests at Work
 Evaluations of resumes and job credentials
 Letters of recommendation
 Academic esteem
 Auditions
 Pay gaps
 Distribution of mentoring, coaching, sponsorship
 The construction of merit
The University of Western Australia
70
Notre Dame
Melb Divinity Coll.
Bond
Batchelor
Sunshine Coast
USQ
ACU
Newcastle
Swinburne
VU
Flinders
UniSA
Charles Darwin
Griffith
La Trobe
Edith Cowan
UWS
CQU
Ballarat
Charles Sturt
Deakin
Adelaide
Southern Cross
Murdoch
UWA
Monash
Melbourne
James Cook
Sydney
Sector
Curtin
Macquarie
Tasmania
QUT
Wollongong
UQ
RMIT
UNSW
UNE
Canberra
Avondale
UTS
ANU
Percentage
Figure 1: Representation of Female Professional Staff, 2008
100
90
80
63
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
The University of Western Australia
60
50
Melb Divinity Coll.
UNE
Newcastle
Charles Darwin
Charles Sturt
Notre Dame
Sunshine Coast
Adelaide
Canberra
Flinders
Deakin
UWA
Murdoch
Bond
UNSW
Sydney
QUT
Melbourne
Batchelor
UWS
Monash
Sector
RMIT
Wollongong
ANU
James Cook
Tasmania
Southern Cross
Macquarie
Griffith
Swinburne
UQ
USQ
Edith Cowan
Ballarat
VU
Curtin
La Trobe
ACU
Avondale
CQU
UniSA
UTS
Figure 2: % Female Professional Staff at Level 10, 2008
110
100
90
80
70
49
UA Target 2010 = 50%
40
30
20
10
The University of Western Australia
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Melb Divinity Coll.
Notre Dame
Newcastle
Sunshine Coast
Charles Darwin
Deakin
Adelaide
Batchelor
Melbourne
Sydney
QUT
Griffith
ACU
Canberra
UWS
UNSW
JCU
Monash
Wollongong
Sector
Flinders
Macquarie
Southern Cross
CQU
RMIT
UQ
ANU
UWA
VU
UNE
Edith Cowan
Murdoch
Tasmania
Bond
UTS
UniSA
La Trobe
Curtin
Charles Sturt
Swinburne
Ballarat
USQ
Avondale
Figure 3: % Female Senior Professional Staff (HEW 10 and above), 2008
44
The University of Western Australia
50%
Batchelor
ACU
Notre Dame
Charles Darwin
Southern Cross
Flinders
Deakin University
UWS
Canberra
Sunshine Coast
La Trobe
UniSA
Ballarat
Monash
Edith Cowan
CQU
Melbourne Uni
Bond
Griffith
Sydney
Macquarie
QUT
UTS
Curtin
JCU
Sector Average
Charles Sturt
Newcastle
Murdoch
Avondale
Tasmania
VU
RMIT
USQ
UNE
Wollongong
UQ
UWA
Adelaide
UNSW
Swinburne
Melb Divinity College
ANU
% Female
Figure 7: Representation of Female Academic Staff 2008
70%
60%
42%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
The University of Western Australia
30%
UWS
Canberra
ACU
Sunshine Coast
Charles Darwin
Ballarat
Deakin
Flinders
UTS
Macquarie
Southern Cross
Batchelor
Swinburne
Sydney
UniSA
Melb Divinity College
Griffith
Melbourne
Curtin
Tasmania
Edith Cowan
Sector Average
QUT
UNE
La Trobe
Monash
RMIT
VU
UWA
Bond
UNSW
Charles Sturt
Murdoch
Wollongong
ANU
USQ
Newcastle
UQ
CQU
Adelaide
JCU
Avondale
Notre Dame
Figure 10: Representation of Female Academic Staff at Level D, 2008
60%
60%
50%
50%
Target of 40% by 2010
40%
40%
29%
30%
20%
20%
10%
10%
0%
0%
The University of Western Australia
30%
Bond
ACU
Ballarat
UWS
QUT
Charles Darwin
Melb Divinity Coll
UTS
Deakin University
Sunshine Coast
Edith Cowan
La Trobe
Griffith
UniSA
RMIT
USQ
Flinders
Sector Average
Melbourne Uni
Wollongong
Charles Sturt
Curtin
Newcastle
Southern Cross
Macquarie
VU
Sydney
Tasmania
JCU
UQ
UNSW
Monash
ANU
Canberra
Adelaide
UWA
Swinburne
CQU
UNE
Murdoch
Avondale
Batchelor
Notre Dame
Figure 11: Representation of Female Academic Staff at Level E, 2008
60%
50%
40%
Target 25% by 2010
20%
10%
0%
The University of Western Australia
Education – A gendered
paradigm?
•
•
•
•
Reproducing professional ‘habit’
‘Soft’ competencies – feminine
Lack of gender ‘competence’
Achieving life balance challenges
The University of Western Australia
Continued……
• Leaky ‘pipeline’ effect
• Imbalance of ‘A’ types, as opposed to
‘V’ types
• Issues of ‘image’
• Research Vs Teaching
The University of Western Australia
Themes of Heroic Leadership
Sinclair, 2001
 Heroism – rejecting weakness, valuing displays
of courage
 Physical toughness – exhibiting physical
stamina and endurance, capacity for work,
experience in working in difficult conditions
 Emotional toughness – stoic, not showing
weakness or doubt
 Self-reliance – exhibiting strong drive, not
dependent or vulnerable to others
The University of Western Australia
Themes of Heroic Leadership continued…
Corporate norms and practices can reinforce these
values through:
 Expectation of very long working hours
 Rarely taking leave and often accumulating leave
 Preparedness to sacrifice family and personal time as
necessary for the job
 Travel at short notice, life fits around work
 An interest in sport and social rituals centred around
sport celebrating masculine physical achievement
The University of Western Australia
Rules of Individualism
• ‘No sissy stuff’: avoid all behaviours that suggest
being weak, ‘not up to it’
• ‘Be a big wheel’: success, status and superiority
to command others
• ‘Be a sturdy oak’: reliability and dependability
are defined as emotional stoicism
• ‘Give ‘em hell’: exude an aura of aggression,
daring and risk-taking, go for it’
The University of Western Australia
Gender Discrimination
DOMINANT PARADIGM
OTHER EXPERIENCES
Group solidarity
Marginalisation
Affirming perceptions
Exclusion
Support Networks
Negative perceptions
Exclusive club
Less opportunity to accrue ‘merit’
Camaraderie
Isolation
High profile tasks and special
assignments
Harassment
(Sinclair)
The University of Western Australia
Unconscious Gender Bias –
The Glass Ceiling
• Remains entrenched in Australian workplaces
• Under representation of women in workforce
and leadership positions = serious economic
and social implications
• Narrow definitions of ‘merit’, assessment; lack of
workforce flexibility; chequered career paths;
‘construction’ of leadership; unfair emphasis on
women’s looks/relationships/families; cultural ‘fit’
The University of Western Australia
I’m not racist, but…..zero tolerance or
zero acknowledgement?
(Innes, 2011)
Unconscious Racial Bias & The Bamboo
Ceiling
•
•
•
•
•
Accent
Skin colour
Cultural Distance – ‘fit’
Low racial ‘consciousness’ and cultural competence
Image & Brand
The University of Western Australia
Cultural Competence
• We go beyond protecting rights, and proactively
developing core attributes to make you more effective
and aware members of the student body, your
workplace, and the community
• The development of personal, social and ethical
awareness in an international context and the ability of
UWA staff and students to communicate clearly,
effectively and appropriately in a range of contexts
• ‘a set of skills that allow individuals to increase their
understanding of cultural differences within, among and
between diverse cultural groups, marked by respect for
such diversity
The University of Western Australia
Cultural Competence….. continued
• ‘the ability to recognise and promote cultural diversity
and incorporate it into professional practice, such that all
social groups are treated with respect and in recognition
of their different needs.’
• Global citizens who are intellectually and emotionally
comfortable with difference
The University of Western Australia
Cultural Competence
• Assimilation: Invisibility and denial
• Tolerance: Lofty statements of intent
• Recognition: Operational response; ‘token’
• Valuing and affirming: Consciousness
The University of Western Australia
Race in Contemporary Australia
• Evolving, complex story
• Need to move from romantic multiculturalism (May, 2003) to
revolutionary multiculturalism
• Invisibility and denial
• Indigenous issues, refugees & emerging communities (Muslim
& African), International student violence, cyber racism (Innes,
2011)
The University of Western Australia
Romantic Multiculturalism?
• Indigenous Australian life expectancy is 16-20 years less
than non – Indigenous Australians
• Universities Australia Group of 8 senior structure have
no CALD or Indigenous representation
• Whitest Parliament in the Western World
• Lack of access and full participation in both employment
and education – Indigenous people, emerging
communities, refugees
• Visible diversity is ‘invisible’ i.e. UWA Executive, Deans,
Head of School/School Managers
The University of Western Australia
Three Critical Factors
Head (Cognitive)
Heart (Experiential)
Hands (Behavioural)
The University of Western Australia
Condition 1: Keep the spotlight on Race
• Racial identity - Corner, culture and colour
• Racism – Individual & Systemic
• Prejudice + Power = Racism
• Equality and Equity
The University of Western Australia
Condition 2: Connecting through your story
‘Internal’
look – your unique race story
‘To what degree, and how, does race impact my
life?’
The University of Western Australia
Condition 3: Make complexity your friend!
• Individual and collective race ‘stories’
• Critical analysis – how has my cultural background and
race experience shaped me?
• Validating multiple viewpoints – ‘lens’
The University of Western Australia
Common basis for miscommunication
Way of Life
The University of Western Australia
Common basis for miscommunication
Contacts
The University of Western Australia
Common basis for miscommunication
What is punctuality?
The University of Western Australia
Common basis for miscommunication
How we deal with anger
The University of Western Australia
Common basis for miscommunication
How we queue
The University of Western Australia
Common basis for miscommunication
How we handle problems
The University of Western Australia
Common basis for miscommunication
How we see the boss
The University of Western Australia
Condition 4: Understanding ‘White’ Privilege
‘…White privilege is like an invisible weightless
knapsack of special provisions, maps,
passports, code books, visas, clothes, tools
and blank checks. As far as I can tell, my African
American co-workers, friends, and acquaintance
with whom I come into daily or frequent contact in
this particular time, place and line of work cannot
count on most of these conditions.’
(Peggy McIntosh, 1988)
The University of Western Australia
Condition 4: Understanding ‘whiteness’
• Innovate prism to understand race and power
• All white people benefit from racial privilege,
albeit unequally
• White ‘system’, not skin colour per se
• Sharing unearned benefits of a racially based
system of wealth and privilege
The University of Western Australia
‘Whiteness’ and Higher Education
‘…(the) majority of students, faculty and administrators are
oblivious not only to what it means to be White, but to the
extend to which their Whiteness dominates the campus
culture, making it uncomfortable for many people of colour...’
White privilege should be identified and examined – the
solution is not ‘necessarily eliminating privileges or
courtesies afforded Whites, but rather, expanding them to
all human beings’.
Rodriguez, 2004; Delgado, 2004
The University of Western Australia
Heterosexual privilege/heteronormativity
and sexuality discrimination
Heterosexual people:
•will not hear comments such as “that heterosexual looking one over there”
•can hold hands with their partner without being stared at or have rude
comments made to them
•do not have to be frightened about being beaten up because they are straight
•will not have to fear rejection from their friends or workmates if they talk about
their partner
•will not become adept at the use of third person impersonal pronouns
•will not be in a position of having to lie about their lives to avoid ridicule
•would not consider their sexuality a reason for not getting a job or promotion
The University of Western Australia
Unconscious Bias – The Pink Ceiling
DON’T ASSUME THAT:
•everyone is either ‘homosexual’ or ‘heterosexual’. Instead, know that there is a
continuum of attraction and affiliation.
•sexuality is the most important feature of a gay/lesbian/bisexual person’s identity.
Instead, understand that sexuality is one facet of their relationship.
•all GLBTI people use the same language to describe themselves. Instead, recognise that
the words and language commonly used (lesbian, gay, queer, dyke, homosexual) mean
different things to different people and often make important political statements.
•GLBTI people are experts on the subject.
•GLBTI people are attracted to you. Instead, realize that they may or may not be attracted
to you and use the opportunity to assess your own comfort levels towards sexuality.
•GLBTI people want ‘special rights’ or ‘special consideration’.
•GLBTI people believe the same things, want the same things or need the same things.
The University of Western Australia
Ally Network aims to:
• Provide a visible network of identified ALLIES to the GLBTI
(gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex) community
• Create a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment
• Build a support and advocacy network
• Develop further awareness and visibility of GLBTI staff and
students and their issues
• Forge cultural change at a local level
• www.equity.uwa.edu.au/about_equity_and_diversity_at_uwa/a
lly_network
The University of Western Australia
Inclusive Leadership
• Personal openness, approachability, emotional
intelligence, maturity, empathy
• encouraging empathy, self-disclosure, psychological
safety, collective identity and shared goals in staff –
inclusive, open environment
• A high level of gender and ‘cultural’ competence
• Learning from mistakes and discomfort
• Having courageous conversations – capacity building
• Supported by an overarching workplace culture of
inclusivity practice
The University of Western Australia
Leaders and Cohesive Teams
• Create an environment that is optimal for people’s learning
and working together ….
• … where different perspectives are the end game Deloitte
• Analyse accurately the impact that various people have on
processes and outcomes
• Balance processes and outcomes (inclusiveness as a
process)
• Be an agent for systemic and cultural change and for the
development of all
Leadership in Action, Centre for Creative Leadership
The University of Western Australia
The Diversity Agenda: Your Role
• Identity: Who am I? What am I what worth?
• Inclusion: Do I leave my identity in the car park?
• Performance/Achievement: How is merit defined in this
workplace?
• Cultural Competence: How comfortable am I around
diversity?
• Social Justice: Have I examined my position on a range of
social issues?
The University of Western Australia