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Inside Out |
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April 19, 2007 -- Volume 3, Issue 4 |
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A Message from Kim |
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Hi Everyone, This week's issue is on the topic of diversity and how timely that is! Given the recent public outrage at Imus' racist comments about the Rutger's women's basketball players, diversity awareness and appreciate is a very hot topic! But Imus isn't the first and he probably won't be the last. The recent barrage of comments began with Mel Gibson's anti-semetic comments, then Michael Richards' racist statements, Tim Hardaway's anti-gay comments and now Imus. Our approach to Diversity is fresh and unique. We take an inside-out approach to help people look at their own biases and prejudices, understand the point of view of the other person, and develop an internal motivation to change. I believe this is a missing piece in most diversity programs. If your company, school, organization, or community is looking for an answer regarding getting along better with each other, then our workshops can help. Call for a consultation. In honor of this issue on Diversity, I've written an article about my recent experiences with Diversity in Australia. I hope you enjoy it. Until next time,
Make today the day you want it to be! |
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In This Issue |
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Feature Article Upcoming Events -- The Dalai Lama Book Review |
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Diversity Down Under by Kim Olver As many of you already know, I just returned from a trip to Australia where my training partner and I facilitated some diversity workshops for school personnel in Queensland but we felt as if we ended up learning far more than we taught. Of course our message of diversity is different from most. We do not pretend to be diversity experts, knowing all there is to know about the many cultures that currently exist in the world. What we do talk about, however, is helping people take an inside-out look at themselves and what qualities, skills and characteristics they possess that either help or hinder their communication with people they perceive as different from them. This is a universal message. It doesn’t matter what culture(s) exists, an inside-out approach is the first step toward improving communication, which is the basis for most diversity initiatives. Once people start talking to each other with the goal of understanding each other, then people begin to realize what they perceived as difference really wasn’t different after all. There is much more in common between groups than within groups. What we learned however was incredibly interesting. One thing was confirmed for me. We here in the United States are extremely ethnocentric. We may know a lot about what is happening in our country but actually know very little about what is happening in other counties unless we are at war with them. In our news, most stories are about domestic issues while in other countries, a great emphasis is placed on world news. The Australians we met were quite abreast of conditions and situations in the United States, but I dare say we in the US are no where near as informed of Australian news.
What we learned while there is that Australia is a country that is very friendly for refugees. They have a very diverse population as they are open to receive those in need. Currently, they are getting many Sudanese refugees, many of them orphans. They have a high Asian population and some Indians. Their indigenous population consists of Aborigines and they have populations of Torres Straight people and South Sea Island people. Many South Sea Islanders were brought to Australia against their will as slaves to work the cane fields—not unlike the African-Americans in this country.
The Aborigines were basically treated as the Native Americans in this country. There were many slaughters of their people. In fact, as recently as the 1950s, a white man could apply for a hunting permit to hunt and kill Aborigines! Can you imagine? They were hunted and killed as if they were a game animal.
Another horrible injustice done to these people is something that has come to be called the Stolen Generations. Up until 1970, yes 1970, the good, white Christian people of Australia could and did kidnap Aboriginal children from their homes and place them in Christian missions where they were “civilized” and taught to act like white people. They were punished for speaking in their Native tongue and lost all of the culture and rituals of their rich, tribal history. All because the whites believed they were helping the poor “savages” to become more “civilized.” Many parents and children were never reunited. This is a terrible crime to perpetrate on a people. The Aboriginal culture was being systematically extinguished. Currently, there are only approximately 300,000 Aboriginal people surviving in Australia.
Many still live in the communities where they were rounded up and sent. Similar to what we did to the Native Americans, they were taken to undesirable places with little regard to differences in tribe or keeping families and tribes together.
If you would like to read or watch an amazing story of triumph, read the book, Rabbit Proof Fence, or watch the movie by the same name. It is the story of how three little Aboriginal girls, ages 8-14, escaped one of the missions and walked approximately 1000 miles across Australia over a period of nine weeks while evading capture to return to their families.
With the world becoming smaller and smaller, no longer can we simply concern ourselves with what happens in our neighborhood, our city, our state or even our country. What affects one, affects us all.
Don’t wait to reach out to someone you think is different from you. Do it now. When you do, you will connect on that human level that is common to us all. When you move beyond the obvious physical differences, you often find you have much more in common than you realize. When asked what can one person do, that it is. Change perception one person at a time. It has to start somewhere. Why not with you?
Copyright © April 2007 Kim Olver. All rights reserved
NOTICE: This article is free and can be copied and reproduced |
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*Click Here to read some of Kim's other articles* |
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Teleconferences All teleconferences are free, one (1) hour in length and all you need is a telephone. When you register we will send you a phone number that you will call five minutes prior to the start of your teleconference. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, but if you prefer to just listen that’s all right too. You do not need a computer or Internet, only a telephone. Don’t delay. There are a limited number of slots available. The following Teleconferences are FREE Empowered Leadership How would you like your leaders to be more effective? How would you like to create a work environment that is empowering to your employees? Register for this call and learn the skills necessary to create an empowered workforce for both management and your employees. De-escalation Skills (Anger Management ) Have you ever been involved in a situation with an angry person where you felt defeated? Either you escalate to their level of aggression or you allowed yourself to get lambasted and felt battered in the end? Either way, you lost by allowing the angry person to dictate your responses and control your effectiveness. Come learn some easy techniques to work with an angry individual to take their level of volatility down to a manageable level so you can intellectually process the problem with them. Choice Theory & Reality Therapy June 19, 2007 -- 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. This class will preview the revolutionary work of one of the greatest thinkers of our time, Dr. William Glasser. During the call, you will learn the basic tenants and concepts of Choice Theory, an explanation of human behavior; Reality Therapy, a process of self-reflection that encourages problem solution and self-growth; Lead Management, a democratic style of leadership that is not only effective in managing workers, but is also effective with the management of students in the classroom and for agencies working with non-voluntary clients; and Quality Schools, a new way of teaching and managing the classroom environment that creates trust, quality relationships, and improved test scores. Sign up today. Goal Setting & Attainment Are you serious about attaining your goals this year? Do you want to do more than make a New Year's Resolution that you forget by the time the Super Bowl is on television? Join me on the free teleconference to learn my time-tested 7-Step process for Goal Attainment. We will do more than set goals--we will discuss a system to implement that will exponentially increase your opportunity for success. Also, my Goal Attainment ystem is multi-faceted. You won't just be focusing your attention on your career goals unless you want to. My system has you take a look at all areas of your life so you can accomplish an optimal work/life balance for yourself. There is nothing to lose but an hour of your time and so much to gain. Let's make this year best year yet! Celebrate Diversity Do you maintain a diverse workforce in your place of business? Do you celebrate diversity? Would you like to learn how to create a diverse workplace that embraces diversity? Register for this call and learn how creating a diverse workforce in your place of business can increase your bottom line and create a more pleasant work environment for you, your co-workers and your employees. Workshops Reality Therapy & Choice Theory October 8 - 12, 2007 -- Chicago, IL October 22 - 26, 2007 -- Virginia Beach, VA In this week long workshop, you will learn so much about yourself, others and life in general. You will learn Choice Theory, a new psychology of personal freedom. Its practice will help you gain control over your life by focusing on those things you can change. Learn a four-step problem-solving method that will ensure your success. Use the same approach to help others self-evaluate their own behavior. This process is helpful for friends, children, parents, or anyone in your life looking for solutions. You will be able to help. Choice Theory can be applied in all areas of your life and its application to various areas will be discussed this week. If you are seeking more peace and concrete solutions, then this workshop is for you. April 30, 2007 This workshop is devoted to a scrutinizing introspective, inside out approach to looking at our own issues that may either enhance or hinder our ability to embrace members of cultures different from our own.
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Chat Room All Chats are from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. EST |
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"I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that together we succeed in building a better world through human understanding and love." -- The Dalai Lama This is such a simple prayer but if we all prayed it, there would no longer be oppressors and friends. We would all meld into one. We would see everyone as valid in his or her own right, without a need to control those around us. We could greet difference for what it is--simply difference, not something wrong, scary, or something evil to be eliminated. When we stop trying to control others, we realize there is enough room in this world for people of different opinions to live in peace. Let's work toward the Dalai Lama's vision one person at a time. |
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The Rage of a Privileged Class For those of you from the majority culture who have a difficult time understanding what successful African-Americans are so angry about, this book will help explain it. Cose provides excellent insight into the mind and experience of African-Americans who have "made it" in a predominantly white world. There are many insights shared in this book to which most whites would not be privy. Middle to high-class blacks are generally not comfortable sharing their experiences of inequality with their white counterparts because most whites don't understand why well-to-do blacks should be angry or dissatisfied. After all, they are better off than most blacks and some whites. If you really want to understand what successful African-Americans are so angry about, read this book and gain insight from those who can provide it--the people themselves. Click here to order this book |
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If you are attempting to develop diversity appreciation in your company or organization, it is essential to become proactive. You cannot just go along daily believing everything is all right and react to certain crises that occur. Provide regular forums where people can talk about issues, current events and personal grievance in an atmosphere of trust, respect and support. Regular communication, support and facilitation are important to improving relationships and teamwork. Be sure you have a skilled facilitator to manage conflict and work through challenging situations with people. Everyone needs to have an opportunity to be heard and individual opinions must be encouraged and people's right to hold them upheld. The focus must be on mutual understanding. People do not have to agree with each other, but they need to listen to each other's positions with respect in an attempt to at least see how the position makes sense from the person's point of view. The idea is to figure out if there is value in both positions and how could each person contribute to the project or solution. Difference adds value because it provides a wealth of information and experiences upon which to draw. |
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Question: How can you say there is no right or wrong? Sometimes there just is a "right" way and one person is "wrong." What do you do in those situations? Answer: Yes, you are correct. There will be times when there is an absolute right and wrong. For example, there may be regulatory requirements that must be met in order for a company to continue to do business. It is also an absolute that employees cannot do their jobs while under the influence of alcohol. There are certain things that are considered non-negotiables. However, in the field of diversity, there are many things that are perceived as non-negotiables that in actuality, could be negotiated. For example, you may be from white, middle-class America and believe it is irresponsible to show up late to work. However, if you are from a culture where time is measured differently than by the clock, showing up at a different time for work might be acceptable provided the person was willing to stay later at the end of the day or make up the time over lunch. There are ways to be flexible that often are not even considered because the person in power believes there is an absolute right and wrong and no negotiation is possible. Next time you find yourself in a situation such as this, simply ask the question, "Is this an absolute non-negotiable or is it possible a reasonable agreement can be worked out"? |
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