4 Cultural Competence Techniques Loretta Hobbs, O'Neal-Hobbs Associates, Washington, DC Culture involves shared ways people understand and interpret their world. Therefore, people go about solving problems and interacting with others in a cultural context. (Frons Trompenaars) Behavior and attitudes are rooted in culture, which defines what is normal. That's why people who are different may also do things so differently. Therefore, culturally competent services & communication are culturally responsive. Here are 4 techniques that will help us all to be Culturally Competent, especially when working with people who are different from us, in some way. Technique 1: Respect Through Listening & Building Empathy Seek first to understand before trying to be understood. (Stephen Covey) Be giving about sharing your own needs and strategies. Technique 2: Ask, Don't Assume Ask Others About Their Needs and Wants, Don't Assume! Take a risk! Sample Questions What would you like from this experience? Are there skills and talents you would like to offer? What do you need to be successful or useful? How can we support you in this effort? What would make you feel at home and part of the group? Technique 3: Use Facilitation & Leadership to Promote Humanness Use your leadership to facilitate conversations with others as a way for others to Just Be Human! By being the wonderful, confident human being that you are, you give others an example of what it means to just be human and real. This is important because we all have things about us that we like and we all have things about us that we are not so proud of. We are all confident about some things and not about others...and it should be OKAY! So, just keep being you and support others to be themselves. Supporting others means: Helping others communicate what they need or would like in order to feel supported in the working environment. Creating a culturally friendly and supportive environment. Being appropriately curious about differences, instead of critical. Technique 4: Force Field Analysis What Things Are (or Would Be) Useful & Helpful What Things Are Not (or Would Not Be) Useful or Helpful