Cultural Competence
In this short 2 and a half minute video, our senior programme manager for #ProjectM Beverley Powell shares a brief summary of some tips and good practice around cultural competence.
During this video, Beverley shares a brief definition of culture and presents the cultural iceberg as a metaphor for describing cultural competency.
Having now watched the video, please take a moment to reflect on the following questions:
Q: What key piece of learning will you take from this video?
Q: How will you put your learning back into your professional practice?
Transcript
Hello. My name is Beverley Powell, and I’m the Senior Manager for ProjectM.
I’m going to talk about cultural competence. Whilst we have commonalities, such as being a manager and belonging to the NHS as part of a wider system, in many ways we’re also very different and bring with us to work multiple identities through our different lived experiences.
Being aware of this could be described as cultural competency.
What do we mean by culture? Culture is the way we do things around here. Cultural differences between a team can often prevent the manager from engaging in a critical conversation with a colleague or a user of our service.
What reasons do you think this could be? What do you think would be the individual, organisational or strategic impact of not being self-aware of our own personal and cultural competence?
A common metaphor used to describe cultural competency, can be the cultural iceberg. The cultural iceberg can be split into visible and non-visible. In the visible parts of a cultural iceberg, it could be we can see age, clothes, behaviour, language and physical characteristics. However, in the cultural iceberg, what may not be visible are social skills, wealth, religion, knowledge, politics, bias, family traditions, sexual orientation, just as a number of examples.
With difference comes different ways of thinking, being, doing and learning than working and we recognise this by upholding four core pillars into our work. These four pillars are. Looking after our people, new ways of working, a sense of belonging and growing for the future.
Thanks for watching. And feel free to leave a comment on this video to encourage ProjectsM’s approach to shared learning.
Being aware of CULTURAL DIFFERENCES is very important.
Training and Development: I will advocate for and participate in cultural competence training for myself and my team. This will enhance our understanding of cultural differences and provide us with tools to engage effectively with a diverse population.
Active Listening: I will prioritize active listening in conversations, especially during critical discussions. This means being fully present, acknowledging diverse perspectives, and seeking to understand others’ experiences and viewpoints.
Self-Reflection: I will regularly reflect on my own cultural identities and biases, assessing how they impact my interactions with colleagues and service users. This will help me become more self-aware and improve my communication.
the emphasis on the four core pillars—looking after our people, embracing new ways of working, fostering a sense of belonging, and planning for the future—serves as a reminder that cultural competence is not just about acknowledging differences but actively integrating them into our organizational practices to create an inclusive environment for everyone. By applying these insights, I aim to enhance my leadership approach and contribute to a more culturally competent NHS.
Additionally, the metaphor of the cultural iceberg reinforces that while some aspects of culture are visible, many significant elements are hidden beneath the surface. This understanding encourages us to look beyond the obvious and consider the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our colleagues and service users.
From this video on cultural competence, a key piece of learning that stands out is the importance of being self-aware of our own cultural identities and how they influence our interactions in the workplace. Recognizing that cultural differences can impact communication and engagement, especially in critical conversations, highlights the necessity of cultivating cultural competence within teams.
Explore how the iceburg and the four areas apply to the team and also the clients we work with to identify areas we need to develop more understanding.
As a team leader ,it is imperative to use holistic approach
It is vital to look at the holistic picture than forming opinions superficially.
The concept of cultural iceberg and its application is going to be very useful for cohesive team working.