Facilitating multicultural groups : a practical guide

Facilitators are being called upon to work in international and cross-cultural arenas more than ever before. Facilitating Multicultural Groups provides a practical approach for facilitators to enhance their skills when working with people from diverse backgrounds. Based on research and facilitator experiences, it takes the facilitator step-by-step through ideas, processes, and frameworks that are designed to assist with workshop preparation, facilitation, and evaluation. It gives advice on how to adapt learning materials to suit specific situations and offers techniques to deal with conflict. Complete with definition of terminology, useful quotations, references, and electronic resources to follow up on areas of interest, this is essential reading for anyone facilitating multicultural groups. 0749444924.pdf......Page 2 Dedication & Imprint......Page 3 Contents......Page 4 About the author......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 9 Introduction......Page 12 Preparation research......Page 20 Generic cultural competencies framework......Page 22 Cultural intelligence......Page 27 What to take with you if working overseas......Page 28 What to check if going overseas......Page 29 Arrival strategies......Page 30 Use of local facilitation techniques and facilitators......Page 35 Diversity checklist for workshop design......Page 36 Getting to know and contracting with......Page 41 Planning workshop openings......Page 43 Ending rituals and celebration......Page 45 Formative evaluation......Page 46 Long-term evaluation......Page 49 Facilitator health and well-being......Page 50 Claiming the workshop space......Page 52 Introductions......Page 53 Clarifying individual roles......Page 55 Contracting participants’ needs and responsibilities......Page 56 Cultural attitudes to technology......Page 57 Creating cultural safety......Page 58 Enhancing respect......Page 60 Warm-up activities......Page 63 Energizers......Page 65 Room maintenance......Page 66 Strategies to encourage networking......Page 67 Processes to explore understanding......Page 70 Assumptions......Page 75 Linking the parts of a workshop......Page 81 Group formation......Page 83 What if they don’t understand?......Page 84 Transference of learning......Page 85 Motivating participants to read outside a workshop......Page 86 Adapting processes to different cultural contexts......Page 87 Stop–start role play......Page 88 Power in groups......Page 92 Modes of facilitation......Page 94 Ladder of participation......Page 95 Ladder of empowerment......Page 98 Ladders of equity......Page 100 Ladder of political safety, open and safe communication......Page 107 Values in facilitation and participation......Page 108 Uses of power and power bases......Page 109 Empowering processes to harness positive thinking......Page 111 Assumptions of appreciative inquiry......Page 113 Introduction......Page 118 Cultural socialization......Page 119 Characteristics of effective culturally diverse teams......Page 122 Intercultural sensitivity......Page 127 Cultural mapping......Page 128 The MBI model......Page 129 Different interpretations of the word ‘culture’......Page 131 Purpose/rationale of the cultural values card pack......Page 134 Explanations of cultural values cards......Page 137 Sorting the cultural card pack......Page 142 M: Mapping cultures with the card pack......Page 143 B: Bridge-building processes and strategies......Page 146 I: Integrating bridges into the existing system......Page 148 Comparing cultural ideals and cultural realities......Page 149 Other processes and strategies to map cultures......Page 150 Previously mapped cultures......Page 154 Behaviour cards......Page 155 Cultural awareness in simulation activities......Page 156 Mapping the cultures of stakeholders......Page 157 Facilitative bridging strategies......Page 161 Metaphors......Page 170 Stories......Page 171 Inviting participants to tell their stories......Page 172 Personal story process......Page 174 Case studies created by outsiders......Page 176 Case stories created by participants......Page 177 Role-reversal stories through the eyes of ‘the other’......Page 182 Music......Page 184 Hints for facilitators......Page 189 Processes involving music and sound......Page 192 Dance......Page 195 Group media (community-based media)......Page 196 Flows of communication with pictures......Page 197 Useful visual literacy research findings for facilitators......Page 198 Pictures and cartoons as discussion starters......Page 201 Facilitated discussion framework for picture analysis......Page 203 Mindscapes and concept drawing......Page 206 Participants design pictures......Page 211 Multi-purpose visuals......Page 212 Picture card packs......Page 214 Three-dimensional idea generation and development of prototypes......Page 215 Empowering uses of participatory video......Page 217 Resources for seeing things from different angles......Page 219 Learning how to draw......Page 222 Introduction......Page 224 Constructive and destructive paths and choices......Page 225 Ways of talking and listening......Page 228 Warm-up activity to identify sources of conflict......Page 232 Raising awareness of assumptions and stereotypes......Page 235 Perception and content assumptions and misunderstandings......Page 243 When dialogue stops, learning stops......Page 244 Use of superordinate goals to unite disparate groups......Page 248 Facilitating cultural inclusivity......Page 254 Holding up a mirror to the ‘others’......Page 259 Reconciliation and healing between cultures within a country: Australia......Page 264 Reconciliation among refugees......Page 275 Reconciliation and healing between cultures within a country: African examples......Page 276 The relationship between language......Page 282 Concepts do not always translate across cultures......Page 286 Speech patterns......Page 289 Different meanings and uses of silence......Page 293 Hints for facilitators to ‘facilitate or hold silence’......Page 302 Types of interpreting......Page 304 The mutual misunderstanding zone......Page 315 Translating documents......Page 318 Appendix 1: Sample 'cultural values' cards......Page 320 Appendix 2: Behaviour cards......Page 324 References......Page 330 Index......Page 341 000a69aa.jpeg......Page 1 Title pg 2 Dedication & Imprint 3 Contents 4 About the author 7 Acknowledgements 8 Abbreviations 9 Introduction 12 1 Preparations with clients 20 Introduction 20 Preparation research 20 Generic cultural competencies framework 22 Cultural intelligence 27 What to take with you if working overseas 28 Customizing materials 29 What to check if going overseas 29 Arrival strategies 30 Use of local facilitation techniques and facilitators 35 Diversity checklist for workshop design 36 Getting to know and contracting with 41 Prior preparation by local counterparts 43 Planning workshop openings 43 Ending rituals and celebration 45 Formative evaluation 46 Long-term evaluation 49 Facilitator health and well-being 50 2 Workshop delivery 52 Introduction 52 Claiming the workshop space 52 Being prepared 53 Introductions 53 Clarifying individual roles 55 Contracting participants’ needs and responsibilities 56 Cultural attitudes to technology 57 Creating physical safety 58 Creating cultural safety 58 Enhancing respect 60 Warm-up activities 63 Energizers 65 Room maintenance 66 Strategies to encourage networking 67 Strategies to provoke thinking 70 Processes to explore understanding 70 Assumptions 75 Linking the parts of a workshop 81 Group formation 83 What if they don’t understand? 84 Transference of learning 85 Motivating participants to read outside a workshop 86 Adapting processes to different cultural contexts 87 Stop–start role play 88 3 Power and empowerment in groups 92 Introduction 92 Power in groups 92 Modes of facilitation 94 Ladder of participation 95 Ladder of empowerment 98 Ladders of equity 100 Ladder of political safety, open and safe communication 107 Values in facilitation and participation 108 Uses of power and power bases 109 Empowering processes to harness positive thinking 111 Assumptions of appreciative inquiry 113 4 Strategies to enable multicultural teams to be more effective 118 Introduction 118 Cultural socialization 119 Characteristics of effective culturally diverse teams 122 Intercultural leadership 127 Intercultural sensitivity 127 Cultural mapping 128 The MBI model 129 Different interpretations of the word ‘culture’ 131 Purpose/rationale of the cultural values card pack 134 Explanations of cultural values cards 137 Sorting the cultural card pack 142 M: Mapping cultures with the card pack 143 B: Bridge-building processes and strategies 146 I: Integrating bridges into the existing system 148 Comparing cultural ideals and cultural realities 149 Other processes and strategies to map cultures 150 Previously mapped cultures 154 Behaviour cards 155 Cultural awareness in simulation activities 156 Mapping the cultures of stakeholders 157 Facilitative bridging strategies 161 5 Metaphors, stories, music and dance 170 Introduction 170 Metaphors 170 Stories 171 Inviting participants to tell their stories 172 Personal story process 174 Case studies created by outsiders 176 Case stories created by participants 177 Role-reversal stories through the eyes of ‘the other’ 182 Role-reversal stories to help participants to decentre 184 Music 184 Hints for facilitators 189 Processes involving music and sound 192 Dance 195 6 Visual techniques 196 Introduction 196 Group media (community-based media) 196 Flows of communication with pictures 197 Useful visual literacy research findings for facilitators 198 Pictures and cartoons as discussion starters 201 Facilitated discussion framework for picture analysis 203 Mindscapes and concept drawing 206 Participants design pictures 211 Multi-purpose visuals 212 Picture card packs 214 Three-dimensional idea generation and development of prototypes 215 Empowering uses of participatory video 217 Resources for seeing things from different angles 219 How to avoid death by PowerPoint 222 Learning how to draw 222 7 Facilitating difference 224 Introduction 224 Constructive and destructive paths and choices 225 Ways of talking and listening 228 Facilitating dialogue in culturally diverse groups 232 Warm-up activity to identify sources of conflict 232 Raising awareness of assumptions and stereotypes 235 Perception and content assumptions and misunderstandings 243 When dialogue stops, learning stops 244 Use of superordinate goals to unite disparate groups 248 Facilitating cultural inclusivity 254 Holding up a mirror to the ‘others’ 259 8 Facilitating reconciliation 264 Introduction 264 Reconciliation and healing between cultures within a country: Australia 264 Reconciliation among refugees 275 Reconciliation and healing between cultures within a country: African examples 276 9 Language and silence 282 Introduction 282 The relationship between language 282 Concepts do not always translate across cultures 286 Speech patterns 289 Different cultural interpretations of concepts 293 Different meanings and uses of silence 293 Hints for facilitators to ‘facilitate or hold silence’ 302 10 Facilitating with interpreters and translators 304 Introduction 304 Types of interpreting 304 Debriefing experiential learning activities 315 The mutual misunderstanding zone 315 Translating documents 318 Appendix 1: Sample 'cultural values' cards 320 Appendix 2: Behaviour cards 324 References 330 Index 341 000a69aa.jpeg 1 0749444924.pdf 2 Facilitators are being called upon to work in international and cross-cultural arenas more than ever before to help groups co-ordinate plans for governance, education and community development. There are also increasingly frequent cases of pandemics that require facilitating multicultural groups such as the Tsunami and HIV/Aids disaster relief. Facilitating Multicultural Groups provides a practical approach for facilitators needing to enhance their skills when working with people from a diverse range of multicultural backgrounds. Based on research and facilitator experiences it takes the facilitator step-by-step through ideas, processes, models and frameworks that are designed to assist with the preparation, facilitation and evaluation of workshops. It advises how to adapt learning materials to suit specific situations and offers techniques to deal with conflict. Complete with additional resources available on a dedicated website including: Cultural value cards pack; Cultural behaviors card pack; Medical insurance advice; Glossary of key terms; Useful networks; Country by country background information, this is essential reading for anyone facilitating multicultural groups.