A growing list of cultural differences -- from generational to technological skills, from social and political, to religious and lifestyle differences -- are realities in today’s workplace. In this episode of the Serious Soft Skills Podcast, we will discuss what being culturally aware means and how to avoid being culturally unaware.

Among the topics Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham discuss in this episode:

• Dealing with diversity in the workplace and how it affects performance, innovation and meeting customers’ needs
• The example in computers and how they look differently for a 60 year old vs. a 20 year old
• Why we need to try to see the world more broadly than only through our own eyes
• How opportunities are lost when we go blindly or avoid situations
• Awareness of where diversity issues arises is the first step
• When we put people in a place of being an outsider and how it hurts us
• Something as simple as food can raise issues or diffuse them
• How Goleman’s work on emotional intelligence set the stage, but does not full cover cultural awareness
• Individual and organizational responsibility for recognizing and leveraging people’s differences
• How mentoring and one-on-one interactions, and even our peers, can help us become more adept
• Finding similarities can overcome great challenges

Hints for Being More Culturally Aware

1. Avoid doing anything that could marginalizing one or more individuals.
2. Ensure your organization is setting a tone for inclusion
3. Engage in self-reflection to become better (see Episode 14)

Next week

Serious Soft Skills will celebrate its first anniversary with a look at the last year, what’s coming up for us in the new year and a celebration. 

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