This article is a short list of tips for making an easy and effective cultural competency training. It’s important to know that these tips are not exclusive to healthcare, and can be applied to any area in which you have trainees or employees who need a diversity training program.

Cultural Competency Training 

With a single word, misinterpretation and conflict can occur. It becomes difficult to communicate with an individual from different cultural backgrounds. The best way to effectively communicate with others from diverse backgrounds is to understand their perspective.

Cultural training is focused on understanding the importance of cultural differences, realizing one’s own and someone else’s values, and valuing individuals that are discriminated against. The result is words and actions which recognize, affirm, and value individuals and communities as well as protect and preserve dignity. When assessing a culture it is important to understand what “culturally competent” means.

This is what cultural competence looks like: Learning about the cultural identities of others, making it a priority to interact with them on an individual and/or group level without challenging their identity in any way and also trying to work together to achieve a goal.

Demonstrating respect and understanding when cultures interact, Supporting individuals as a cultural component, Being conscious of the dynamics of interactions between cultures

Cultural Competency Training: 7 Tips to Make It Easy

When you are doing cultural competency training, it is important to keep the following in mind:

1. Make sure that your training is accessible to all employees.
2. Make sure that your training is tailored to the specific needs of your employees.
3. Make sure that your training is engaging and fun for your employees.
4. Make sure that your training is practical and helpful.
5. Make sure that your training is effective and efficient.
6. Make sure that your training is cost-effective.
7. Make sure that your training is sustainable.
8. Make sure that your team understands the importance of cultural competency training.

Cultural Competency Best Practices

One of the biggest challenges that organizations face when trying to improve their cultural competency is that many people believe cultural competence training (CCT) is hard and requires a lot of time. However, this is not the case.

Rather than spending hours learning about different cultures and trying to memorize obscure cultural references, CCT can be improved by implementing best practices. By following these tips, you will be able to create successful CCT programs without having to spend hours on training.

1. Start with a Mission Statement

Before starting any CCT program, it is important to have a clear mission statement. This will help determine the objectives of the program and guide your team as they work towards achieving them.

2. Create a Culture Map

A culture map is a visual representation of your organization’s culture. It helps leaders and employees understand how different factors affect their behavior and how that affects the culture as a whole.

3. Educate Your Employees About Cultural Competency

It is important to provide your employees with information about cultural competency before they need it. This will help them understand why it is important to learn about different cultures and how to interact respectfully with others from different cultures.

4. Empower Your Employees to Avoid Interactions that Could Harm Their CultureTeam members should be aware of how different cultural behaviors can create tension for other team members. To prevent this, you will want to give them a handbook with information about their specific culture.
5. Reinforce Cultural Competencies as You Provide TrainingIf your employees are expected to travel with customers or work on presentations, you may need to provide training in cultural competency as well.
6. Take Time to Celebrate What Makes Your Organization UniqueWhen you are celebrating your organization’s strengths and its diversity, conduct training for diversity in the workplace it will help build relationships more. you’ll want to pay attention to what makes it unique. This will help your employees understand that the culture is more than just race and gender

Implicit Bias in Healthcare Training Michigan

Cultural Competency Training can be a difficult and challenging process, but it doesn’t have to be. There are several steps that healthcare providers can take to make the training more effective and less stressful for employees.

One of the first steps is to identify implicit bias in the training process. This is bias that people may not even be aware of, but is still influencing their behavior. By identifying implicit bias, healthcare providers can challenge it and help employees learn how to recognize and address it.

Recognizing Norms

Sometimes people struggle with cultural norms. To create a positive experience, first identify in advance the values you believe your colleague or friend may have and try to avoid any behavior that would go beyond those boundaries.

It is often difficult to make decisions with someone else. You might struggle against getting their input and the other person acquiescing without giving a choice.

Acknowledging Differences

Some of the most common causes of misunderstanding are stereotypes. Everyone is different and some may have more negative characteristics than others. People learn stereotypes by misinformation spread by the media and other people, rumors, jokes, etc.

By educating ourselves about others, accepting those differences, and being open-minded, we can unlearn the outdated rhetoric of stereotypes. You may offend someone; apologize, and make sure to pay special attention to future interactions. When you notice someone engaging in stereotyping, take the opportunity to address it with them without adding fuel to the fire.

Taking advantage of cultural training opportunities can break down stereotypes and create more understanding before they affect business operations. Cultural differences can hamper good communication, interpersonal relationships, and more so, cause business to suffer their effects. 

Be Aware of Your Peers

When it comes to cultural competency training, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist. In fact, many of the tips that I’m about to share with you can actually be done in a fun and easy way.

First and foremost, be aware of your peers. When it comes to cultural competency training, it’s important that everyone in the group is on the same page. If one person is doing their own thing, it can lead to confusion and frustration. So take note of what your peers are doing and try to mimic their approach as much as possible.

Culture Checklists and Assessments

Cultural Competency Training doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, you can use simple checklists and assessments to help your team become more aware of their cultural backgrounds and sensitivities. Leadership tests also help and are a major part in cultural competency training.

One way to do this is to use culture checklists. These are sheets that list specific examples of what’s common in a certain culture. For example, a checklist for Spanish-speaking employees might include things like eating habits, holidays, and expressions of love.

Conclusion

Many people are under the impression that cultural competency training is a very difficult process, and it definitely can be. In this article, we have outlined seven tips that will help you to achieve success when undertaking cultural competency training. So whether you are just getting started or you are already familiar with some of the basics, read on for some helpful advice that will help you to succeed in your goals.