Research Paper: Using the Intercultural Development Inventory in Coaching

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Research Paper Assessment Name: Tamara Lebak Date: 5/11/2012 Student ID: Email:[email protected] Complete your 2000 word research paper and insert it in the space below. Then email this document as an attachment to [email protected]

Using the Intercultural Development Inventory in Coaching Tamara Lebak

Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………1 What is Culture?.........................................................................................................3

What is Intercultural Competence?............................................................................3 What is the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)?...........................................4

How does the IDI enhance diversity coaching practice?...........................................7 What is the IDI Personal Development Plan(PDP)? ……………………………….8

What are the broader applications of the IDI and the IDP to coaching?....................9 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………10

References…………………………………………………………………………11



Appendix A: Sample Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)……… Appendix B: Sample Intercultural Development Plan (IDP)…………

Introduction

"In coming years, the ability to deal constructively on an interpersonal level

with cultural diversity and the multitude of attitudes and values will not only

become a key qualification required of business executives working in

international settings, it will also be required generally of each individual as a

key factor for ensuring that cultural diversity can be experienced positively

and productively." ~Bertelsmann Stiftung

The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is a statistically reliable, cross-culturally

valid measure of intercultural competence adapted from the Developmental Model of

Intercultural Sensitivity (also called the Bennett scale.) The scale sheds light on how

individuals respond to cultural difference. The IDI assesses the response to obvious

cultural differences (e.g. country, ethnicity, and language), as well as subtle cultural

differences found beneath the context of one’s broader culture (e.g. patterns of handling

emotions, conflict style, definitions of respect and power). Coaching using the IDI helps

focus a client on how they experience difference and is a developmental model that can

assist a client in becoming more effective in the world by narrowing the gap between

intent and impact as well as increasing their capacity to experience difference in the

future.

What is Culture?



In 1976, Edward T. Hall developed a model for understanding implicit and explicit or

conscious and unconscious culture. Hall envisioned culture as an iceberg with explicit

and visible behavior as the tip of the iceberg: food, language, skin color, clothing, etc.

What lies below the surface (and ultimately what sank the Titanic!) is our implicit and

unconscious culture. These are the underlying beliefs, patterns of thought, and values

that dictate our behavior. This aspect of our culture must be brought to the surface in

order to be able to make conscious choice about our behavior.

The IDI measures a person’s orientation toward cultural difference and

commonality and can help a client reflect on his/her experiences around cultural

differences and similarities. The IDI profile can help a client increase his/her own

cultural self-awareness. It is this cultural self awareness of what lies “beneath the

surface” that can assist a client in getting more of what they want as well as become more

effective in matching their impact and their intentions.

Intercultural Competence Intercultural Competence is a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and

characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural

contexts. (Bennett J. , 2011) Intercultural Competence includes cognitive skills such as:

cultural self-awareness, Culture-general knowledge, culture-specific knowledge, and

Interaction analysis. Intercultural Competency requires affective skills such as curiosity,

cognitive flexibility, motivation and open mindedness. Behavioral skills which affect

cultural competency are patience, empathy, listening, problem solving, and information

gathering skills.



What is the Intercultural Development Inventory?

The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) was developed based on the

Developmental Model of Cultural Sensitivity (DMIS) originally created by Milton

Bennett. The IDI identifies specific developmental orientations placing subjects on a

continuum from mono-cultural to more intercultural mindsets. “This Continuum

indicates that individuals who have a more intercultural mindset have a greater capability

for responding effectively to cultural differences and recognizing and building upon true

commonalities.” That is to say that effectiveness in achieving goals is better served when

differences are understood, commonalities are recognized, and this information is used in

order to make informed, intentional, and culturally appropriate responses to facilitate

meaning and personal

growth.

Those with monocultural mindsets use their own cultural values and practices,

stereotypes, and as the lens with which to make meaning from cultural difference and



are less capable of incorporating complexity and ambiguity. Those with intercultural or

global mindsets are ethno-relative in making meaning of cultural difference and are able

to support more complex perceptions and experiences of cultural difference.

Ethnocentric Orientations Denial: People in the denial orientation do not recognize the existence of cultural differences. They are completely ethnocentric in that they believe there is a correct type of living (theirs), and that those who behave differently simply don’t know any better. In this phase, people are prone to imposing their value system upon others, believing that they are “right” and that others who are different are “confused.” They are not threatened by cultural differences because they refuse to accept them. Generally, those who experience cultural denial have not had extensive contact with people different from themselves, and thus have no experiential basis for believing in other cultures. (Bennett M. J., 2004) Defense: Those in the defense orientation are no longer blissfully ignorant of other cultures; they recognize the existence of other cultures, but not their validity. They feel threatened by the presence of other ways of thinking, and thus denigrate them in an effort to assert the superiority of their own culture. Differences are seen as problems to be overcome, and there is a dualistic “us vs. them” mentality. Whereas those in the denial orientation are unthreatened by the presence of other cultural value systems those in the defense orientation feel threatened by “competing” cultures. People in the defense orientation tend to surround themselves with members of their own culture, and avoid contact with members from other cultures. (Bennett M. J., 2004)

Minimization: People in the minimization orientation of ethnocentrism are still threatened by cultural differences, and therefore try to minimize them by telling themselves that people are more similar than dissimilar. No longer do they see those from other cultures as being misguided, inferior, or unfortunate. They still have not developed cultural self-awareness, and are insistent about getting along with everyone. Because they assume that all cultures are fundamentally similar, people in this orientation fail to tailor their approaches to a cultural context. (Bennett M. J., 2004)



Ethnorelative Orientations:

Acceptance: In this first orientation of ethnorelativism, people begin not only to recognize other cultures but to accept them as viable alternatives to their own worldview. They know that people are genuinely different from them, and accept the inevitability of other value systems and behavioral norms. They do not yet adapt their own behavior to the cultural context, but they no longer see other cultures as threatening, wrong, or inferior. People in the acceptance phase can be thought of as “culture-neutral,” seeing differences as neither good nor bad, but rather as a fact of life. (Bennett M. J., 2004) Adaptation: During the adaptation phase, people begin to view cultural differences as a valuable resource, and thus relish the differences. Because differences are seen as positive, people consciously adapt their behaviors to the different cultural norms of their environment. (Bennett M. J., 2004) Integration: Integration is the last orientation in one’s journey away from ethnocentrism. In this orientation, people accept that their identity is not based in any single culture. Once integrated, people can effortlessly and even unconsciously shift between worldviews and cultural frames of reference. Though they maintain their own cultural identity, they naturally integrate aspects of other cultures into it. (Bennett M. J., 2004)

The IDI profile presents not only an orientation placement on the developmental

scale but has also statistically calculated a perceived versus an actual or developmental

orientation. The perceived orientation indicates a client’s self perception of how they

encounter difference while the developmental score is an actual assessment of how

effective a client is at encountering difference. The orientation gap is then calculated to

determine if the client overestimates or underestimates their ability to effectively

encounter difference.



The IDI also measures Trailing Orientations which are those orientations which

have not been fully resolved and so will be used by a client to make sense of cultural

differences at particular times, around certain topics or in specific situations especially

under stress. (Hammer, 2003)

How Does the IDI Enhance Diversity Coaching Practice?

The IDI provides a statistically valid assessment of how a client experiences difference.

In coaching, understanding a client’s orientation on the DMIS as determined by the IDI

can assist a coach to better support the client to become more effective in dealing with

difference and change. Milton Bennett in his development of the DMIS also determined

appropriate interventions in order to help someone move from one stage to the next.

Appropriate interventions are key in order to be effective. Intervening at a

developmentally inappropriate level will confuse or disinterest a client. Interventions are

summarized below.



(Zemsky, 2011)

The IDI also provides a Personalized Development Plan (PDP) that a coach and client

can use in order to shape a clients goals and learning. Coaches and clients can work

together to create a plan that supports the client’s learning based on their orientation.

Perceived gap scores can assist in supporting a client to become more effective in

communicating and achieving their goals.

What is the IDI Idividual Development Plan (IDP)?

Each IDI comes with a Individual Development Plan (IDP) specific to that clients

orientation results. The IDP assists clients and coaches in determining key goals and



progress indicators important to the client, intercultural stress points where a client is

more likely to be challenged personally, socially or at work. Each IDP identifies

strengths of the Developmental Orientation as well as the developmental opportunities.

Specific suggestions of activities that are developmentally appropriate are included in the

IDP so that coach and client can create opportunities for growth.

What are the broader applications of the IDI and the IDP to coaching?

The application of the IDI and the IDP in coaching is much broader than understanding

how exchange students or business professionals will succeed in multicultural work

environments. The IDI and the IDP are effective in assisting caches and their clients to

better understand their own culture as well as the culture of their marriage, their family,

their workplace, their working group, their neighborhood, their community, even their

coaching relationship. In order to be effective change agents for themselves and in a

system, clients benefit from understanding how they encounter difference and how to

more effectively engage with difference by having tools in their toolkit to do so. The IDI

and the IDP do just that.

Conclusion

The Intercultural Development Inventory and its Development Plan are effective

coaching tools. The frame presented by the Developmental Model of Intercultural

Sensitivity is non-threatening and supportive as a frame to understand how individuals

encounter difference. Because of its broad application possibilities, coaches can use

specific and far reaching definitions of culture to enhance a clients understanding of their



orientation to difference. Becoming more aware of that orientation and being offered

developmentally appropriate interventions helps coaches and clients develop their

orientation along the continuum. In this increasingly global climate, how individuals

encounter difference can affect how business leaders successfully lead companies,

whether marriages stay together, how effective clients can be in the workplace and

socially.



References

Bennett, J. (2011 йил 20-‐23-‐Feb). Developing Intercultural Competence For

International Education Faculty and Staff. San Francisco, CA.

Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming Interculturally Competent. In J. Wurzel, Toward

multiculturalism: A reader in multicultural education 2nd Ed. (pp. 62-‐77). Newton,

MA: Intercultural Resource Corporation.

Bennettt, M. (1993). Towards Ethnorelatvism. In M. Paige, Education for the

intercultural experience. (pp. 21-‐71). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond Culture. New York, NY: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

Hammer, M. B. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The Intercultural

Development Inventory. (R. M. Ed.), Ed.) Special issue on the Intercultural

Development, International Journal of Intercultural Relations , 421-‐443.

Shelly L. Smith PhD, U. o. (1998). Ethics in Intercultural and Diversity Training: A

Guiding Perspective. Journal of the Northwest Communication Association. , 26 (2),

25-‐39.

Sonia M. Nevis, P. S. (2003). Connecting Strategic and Intimate Interactions: The

Need for Balance. Gestalt Review , 7 (2).

Zemsky, B. (2011). www.BethZemsky.com. Retrieved 11 1, 2011, from

www.BethZemsky.com.

APPENDIX A

Intercultural Development Inventory v.3 (IDI)

ORGANIZATION

INDIVIDUAL PROFILE REPORT

Prepared for:

Prepared by: In conjunction with Mitchell R. Hammer, Ph.D. IDI, LLC

The IDI v.3 is developed and copyrighted (2007-2011) by Mitchell R. Hammer, Ph.D.,

IDI, LLC, P.O. Box 1388

Berlin, Maryland 21811 USA

For information or ordering the IDI, contact: www.idiinventory.com

Tamara Lebak, Unitarian Universalist MinistersAssociation FCC

Beth Zemsky, Lead Consultant, April 30, 2012

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Introduction Success in the 21st century in our corporations and nonprofit organizations demands the development of intercultural competence. Intercultural competence spans both international and domestic workplace contexts and is essential for leaders and staff in our organizations.

A Profile Specific to Your Experience Your IDI Individual Profile Report provides valuable information about your own orientations toward cultural difference and commonality. Please be assured that the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is a cross-culturally valid and reliable assessment of intercultural competence. It is developed using rigorous psychometric protocols with over 5,000 respondents from a wide range of cultures. Further, “back translation” procedures were followed in accurately translating the IDI into a number of languages. The IDI Individual Profile can help you reflect on your experiences around cultural differences and similarities. As you review your IDI profile results, consider past situations in which you attempted to make sense of cultural differences and similarities. Re-framing your understanding of past events in this way can help you uncover assumptions that may have guided your actions in these situations. In addition, you may wish to focus on a situation or challenge you are currently facing in which cultural differences and similarities have emerged. In the workplace, these challenges can range from changing community demographics, achieving organizational profit or human resource goals, creating a diverse and inclusive work environment, globalizing your organization’s service or product offerings, maintaining safety within all global operations, facilitating successful mergers and acquisitions, selecting and preparing expatriates for international assignments, and global leadership development. As an individual, cross-cultural challenges in the workplace can arise around manager-employee relations, developing cooperative relations with other key executives, motivating others toward increased effectiveness and efficiency in achieving identified goals, and successful leadership of a diverse workforce. Your IDI Profile results can help you proactively address these and other concerns as well as increase your cultural “self-awareness” of your own, unique experiences around cultural differences and commonalities. As you reflect on your IDI Individual Profile results, consider the following:

Did you respond to each of the statements in the IDI honestly? If so, then the IDI profile will be an accurate indicator of your approach for dealing with cultural differences.

Did you think about your culture group and other cultures with which you have had

the most experience when responding to the IDI? For example, if you thought of some idealized “other culture” with which you have had little experience, then you might consider re-taking the IDI.

Have you had or are currently experiencing a significant professional or personal

transitional experience (e.g., moving to another country, traumatic event)? If so, in some cases, your responses to the IDI may reflect your struggle with this transitional situation rather than your more stable orientation toward cultural differences. If this is the case, you may consider re-taking the IDI at a later date.

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Intercultural Development Continuum Intercultural competence is the capability to accurately understand and adapt behavior to cultural difference and commonality. Intercultural competence reflects the degree to which cultural differences and commonalities in values, expectations, beliefs, and practices are effectively bridged, an inclusive environment is achieved, and specific differences that exist in your organization are addressed from a “mutual adaptation” perspective. People are not alike in their capabilities to recognize and effectively respond to cultural differences and commonalities. The intercultural development continuum (figure 1 below), adapted from the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity originally proposed by Dr. Milton Bennett, identifies specific orientations that range from more monocultural to more intercultural or global mindsets. This continuum indicates that individuals who have a more intercultural mindset have a greater capability for responding effectively to cultural differences and recognizing and building upon true commonalities. That is, your success in achieving workplace goals is better served when you are able to more deeply understand culturally learned differences, recognize commonalities between yourself and others, and act on this increased insight in culturally appropriate ways that facilitate performance, learning and personal growth among diverse groups.

Monocultural Mindsets Intercultural/Global Mindsets � Makes sense of cultural differences and

commonalities based on one’s own cultural values and practices

� Makes sense of cultural differences and commonalities based on one’s own and other culture’s values and practices

� Uses broad stereotypes to identify cultural

difference � Supports less complex perceptions and

experiences of cultural difference and commonality

� Uses cultural generalizations to recognize cultural difference

� Supports more complex perceptions and

experiences of cultural difference and commonality

The specific competence orientations identified in the developmental continuum are Denial, Polarization (Defense & Reversal), Minimization, Acceptance, and Adaptation (figure 1). The IDI also measures Cultural Disengagement as a separate dimension. Cultural Disengagement is not a dimension of intercultural competence along the continuum. Nevertheless, it is an important aspect of how people relate to their own culture group and other cultures.

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SUMMARY ORIENTATION DESCRIPTIONS Denial An orientation that likely recognizes more observable cultural

differences (e.g., food) but may not notice deeper cultural difference (e.g., conflict resolution styles) and may avoid or withdraw from cultural differences.

Polarization Defense Reversal

A judgmental orientation that views cultural differences in terms of “us” and “them”. This can take the form of: An uncritical view toward one’s own cultural values and practices and an overly critical view toward other cultural values and practices. An overly critical orientation toward one’s own cultural values and practices and an uncritical view toward other cultural values and practices.

Minimization An orientation that highlights cultural commonality and universal values and principles that may also mask deeper recognition and appreciation of cultural differences.

Acceptance An orientation that recognizes and appreciates patterns of cultural difference and commonality in one’s own and other cultures.

Adaptation An orientation that is capable of shifting cultural perspective and changing behavior in culturally appropriate and authentic ways.

Cultural Disengagement

A sense of disconnection or detachment from a primary cultural group.

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How to Interpret the IDI Profile The IDI Profile presents information about how you make sense of and respond to cultural differences and commonalities. In addition to demographic and statistical summaries, the IDI profile presents the following information:

Perceived Orientation (PO): Your Perceived Orientation (PO) reflects where you place yourself along the intercultural development continuum. Your Perceived Orientation can be Denial, Polarization (Defense/Reversal), Minimization, Acceptance or Adaptation.

Developmental Orientation (DO): The Developmental Orientation (DO) indicates your primary

orientation toward cultural differences and commonalities along the continuum as assessed by the IDI . The DO is the perspective you most likely use in those situations where cultural differences and commonalities need to be bridged. Your Developmental Orientation can be Denial, Polarization (Defense/Reversal), Minimization, Acceptance or Adaptation.

Orientation Gap (OG): The Orientation Gap (OG) is the difference along the continuum

between your Perceived Orientation and Developmental Orientation. A gap score of seven points or higher indicates a meaningful difference between the Perceived Orientation and the assessed Developmental Orientation. The larger the gap, the more likely you may be “surprised” by the discrepancy between your Perceived Orientation score and Developmental Orientation score.

• A Perceived Orientation score that is seven points or higher than the Developmental

Orientation score indicates an overestimation of your intercultural competence.

• A Developmental Orientation score that is seven points or higher than the Perceived Orientation score indicates an underestimation of your intercultural competence.

Trailing Orientations (TO): Trailing orientations are those orientations that are “in back of”

your Developmental Orientation (DO) on the intercultural continuum that are not “resolved”. When an earlier orientation is not resolved, this “trailing” perspective may be used to make sense of cultural differences at particular times, around certain topics, or in specific situations. Trailing Orientations, when they arise, tend to “pull you back” from your Developmental Orientation for dealing with cultural differences and commonalities. The IDI identifies the level of resolution you have attained regarding possible Trailing Orientations.

Leading Orientations (LO): Leading Orientations are those orientations that are immediately

“in front” of your Developmental Orientation (DO). A Leading Orientation is the next step to take in further development of intercultural competence. For example, if your Developmental Orientation is Minimization, then your Leading Orientations (LO) would be Acceptance and Adaptation.

Cultural Disengagement (CD): The Cultural Disengagement score indicates how connected or

disconnected you feel toward your own cultural community. Cultural Disengagement is not a dimension of intercultural competence along the developmental continuum. Rather, it is a separate dimension of how disconnected or detached people feel toward their own cultural group.

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IDI Individual Profile

Perceived Orientation (PO)

Your Perceived Orientation Score indicates that you rate your own capability in understandingand appropriately adapting to cultural differences within Adaptation, reflecting a capability todeeply understand, shift cultural perspective, and adapt behavior across cultural differences andcommonalities. This capability may be reflective of individuals and groups who are bi-cultural intheir experiences.

Developmental Orientation (DO)

Your Developmental Orientation Score indicates that your primary orientation toward culturaldifferences is within Adaptation, reflecting a capability to understand, shift cultural perspective,and adapt behavior across cultural differences. This capability may be reflective of individualsand groups who are bi-cultural in their experiences.

Orientation Gap (OG)

Developmental OrientationPerceived Orientation

139.62

141.71Orientations

40 55 70 85 100 115 130 145Developmental Continuum

The Orientation Gap between your Perceived Orientation score and Developmental Orientationscore is 2.09 points. A gap score of 7 points or higher can be considered a meaningful differencebetween where you perceive “you are” on the developmental continuum and where the IDI placesyour level of intercultural competence.

A Perceived Orientation score that is 7 or more points higher than the Developmental Orientationscore indicates you have overestimated your level of intercultural competence. A DO score that is7 points or more than the PO score indicates that you have underestimated your interculturalcompetence. Your Perceived level of intercultural competence matches your DevelopmentalOrientation.

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An Organization Example

Assume “Mary” is a manager of a diverse work team and her DevelopmentalOrientation is within Adaptation. She is likely able to describe a number ofstrategies she is using to make sure “everyone has the opportunity to contributeto the accomplishment of our goals”. Her Developmental Orientation ofAdaptation suggests she is likely attending to how cultural differences andcommonalities need to be recognized within the group in order to accomplishteam goals. Further, she is engaged to some degree in identifying andimplementing effective adaptations within the group so that all members can fullycontribute. For instance, Mary may observe that a number of her team members“are not participating in the same way other team members participate inbrainstorming sessions”. In fact, Mary may well sense that there are different“culturally learned” ways her staff engage in verbal dialogue. Further, Mary maybe able to identify creative, mutually adaptive strategies for leading thesesessions that result in full contributions from her culturally diverse team. ForMary, her challenge is to engage in deeper cognitive-frame shifting andbehavioral code-shifting toward an every expanding arena of cultural differences.In this instance, Mary’s continual challenge is to engage in mutual adaptationstrategies around cultural differences in order to achieve team objectives andmore effectively manage her team.

Trailing Orientations

Trailing Orientations are those orientations that are “in back of” your Developmental Orientation(DO) on the intercultural continuum that are not “resolved”. When an earlier orientation is notresolved, this “trailing” perspective may be used to make sense of cultural differences atparticular times, around certain topics, or in specific situations.

Trailing Orientations essentially represent alternative “currents” that flow through your variedexperiences with cultural differences and commonalities. Not everyone has “trailingorientations”. However, when individuals have Trailing Orientations, they may respond to aspecific situation from the perspective of this “earlier” orientation rather than the DevelopmentalOrientation or mindset that characterizes their predominant way of dealing with culturaldifference challenges. When this happens, there may be a sense at times of “going two stepsforward and one step back.” When individuals have trailing orientations, it is not uncommon for“progress” in building intercultural competence to have a “back and forth” quality in anorganization, when these earlier orientations arise. As you begin to “move past” or resolve thetrailing orientations, a more consistent sense of progress and “shared focus” emerges.

Below are graphs for each of the orientations that come before your Developmental Orientationthat remain unresolved. That is, scores of less than 4.00 indicate a Trailing Orientation for youbecause they are not “resolved”.

There are no trailing or secondary orientations for you.

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Leading Orientations

Leading Orientations are the orientations immediately “in front” of your primary(developmental) orientation. The Leading Orientations for you are to continue Adaptation.Adaptation is focused on both increasing capability to shift deeply into one or more culturalperspectives and to appropriately adapt behavior when in other cultural communities. This candevelop into a bi-cultural capability in which you move between two or more cultures as acultural mediator.

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05.00

0

1

2

3

4

5

Resolved ______________

Resolution

Unresolved


Cultural Disengagement is a sense of disconnection or detachment from one’s cultural group.Scores of less than 4.00 indicate you are not “resolved” and may be experiencing to some degreea lack of involvement in core aspects of being a member of a cultural community.Overall, your Cultural Disengagement score is 5.00, indicating you are Resolved.

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IDI Individual Profile

Demographic Information

1. First (Given) Name Last (Family) Name Age category:Tamara Lebak 31-40

2. Total amount of time you have lived in another country:1-2 years 3. Education level (completed):M.A. degree or equivalent graduate degree 4. In what world region did you primarily live during your formative years to age 18 (pleaseselect one):North America 5. Nationality and/or ethnic backgroundAmerican/Caucasian/English/Irish/Creek/Cherokee 6. Are you a member of an ethnic minority in your country?No 7. Country of citizenship (passport country). Indicate the country that you consider yourprimary country of citizenship.UNITED STATES 8. At your organization, on average over the past six months, what percent of time do youdirectly (face-to-face) interact with people from other cultures (e.g., national, ethnic) perweek:0-10% 9. At your organization, on average over the past six months, what percent of time do youinteract through email, telephone, texting and other virtual communication with peoplefrom other cultures (e.g., national, ethnic) per week:0-10% 10. Name of the organization:All Souls Unitarian Church 11. General organizational sector:Religious organization 12. Percentage of customers or clients who are international and from minority(underrepresented) populations:0-10% The following questions have been identified by your organization.

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13. GenderFemale 14. Sexual OrientationBisexual

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Contexting Questions Summary (if completed)

What is your background (e.g., nationality, ethnicity) around cultural differences? In high school I was a minority at a primarily African American High School where two of myclose friends were exchange students one from Germany and another from Holland. FollowingHigh School, I was a Rotary International Exchange Student to Belgium at 16 and was inregularly with a group of exchange students from all around the world. I went to a Frenchspeaking Belgian college prep school there where I also took Flemish as a foreign language inFrench. While in Belguim I had the opportunity to travel extensively with the exchange programas well as with my host families. I had three different host families over the course of my 14months abroad. On returning to Oklahoma I majored in French and my first profession was as aFrench teacher in an International Baccalaureate High School as well as Community College. Inmy seven years as an educator I delighted in taking students and adults abroad and have leadgroups to France, England and Italy. Following college I participated in an an intensive GestaltOrganizational Development Training program at both the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and theGestalt International Study center, both of which had a very international population. Bothprograms challenged participants to become clear about our cultural assumptions as well as therole of hierarchy in a variety of cultural settings.I will graduate in September of 2012 from the International Coaching Academy which is anInternational Coaching Federation certified program that is based in Australia that has studentsfrom all over the world. I have coached and been coached by people from India, Pakistan, Japan,France, Denmark, Brazil, Holland, England, Wales, and Canada.

What is most challenging for you in working with people from other cultures (e.g., nationality,ethnicity)? Honestly, my own pacing can often be the reason why miscommunication happens when I amworking within a diverse cultural setting. Slowing to accomodate someone of a slower pace oftenrequires and enormous amount of energy at first. Once I have slowed, I am usually capable ofmaintaining the pace with less of an energy drain. Slowing down also gives me an opportunity tocheck assumptions both my own as well as the person to whom I am speaking. Because I am sodirect as a default way of being, I have the most trouble mediating situations where the otherperson is indirect culturally. Interestingly though in my preaching I often use metaphor and storyto address a congregational issue and do so often in pastoral settings, both of which assume moreof a designated role for me. I am less likely to be able to make this transition to indirectcommunication under extreme stress or when my role is unclear.

What are key goals, responsibilities or tasks you and/or your team have, if any, in which culturaldifferences need to be successfully navigated? Worship planning, creation, hiring, conflict resolution, staff party planning, minister evaluation,pastoral care, memorial services, when and how to respond to community issues that affect thosefrom the minority present in Tulsa.

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Please give examples of situations you were personally involved with or observed where culturaldifferences needed to be addressed within your organization, and:

The situation ended negatively—that is, was not successfully resolved. Please describe where andwhen the situation took place, who was involved (please do not use actual names), whathappened and the final result. Making choices about worship creation with our diverse staff requires that we not leave anythingup to chance. That means our music staff is having to function on a completely different timelinethan they would prefer. Excellence in worship requires advance planning so that what we canstay true to the cited mission of each worship experience and who we are trying to serve. Weoften discover that we have overlooked a detail that can prevent our second (contemporary)service from fully becoming what we have a vision that it could be...which predominantly servesour minority population

The situation ended positively—that is, was successfully resolved. Please describe where andwhen the situation took place, who was involved (please do not use actual names), whathappened and the final result. We were able this year to slow down our intern hiring process and have face to face interviews inaddition to the online submission of applications and phone interviews. In that process webecame more aware of what our default hire would have been which is find someone whoappears competent on paper and in a single hour long phone interview that we think would "fitin" with the staff and plow ahead. This year we checked everyone's references even those we didnot think would be a first or second choice based on the applications. Following the phoneinterviews we invited our top three candidates to visit the church and interview in person. Afterthe additional information and opportunity to relate to the candidates we ended up not going withthe person we chose in the initial round. The positive result was that the entire committee wasinvested in a way I have never seen before and came to a 100% consensus on the choice. It's apositive outcome so far :) He starts in August.

APPENDIX B

Intercultural Development

Inventory v.3 (IDI)

INDIVIDUAL

INTERCULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (IDP)

Prepared for: Prepared by: In conjunction with Mitchell R. Hammer, Ph.D. IDI, LLC

The IDI® and the IDI Intercultural Development Plan® are registered Trademarks and Copyrighted (2007, 2011) by

Mitchell R. Hammer, Ph.D., IDI, LLC,

P.O. Box 1388 Berlin, Maryland 21811

USA

For information or ordering the IDI, contact: www.idiinventory.com

Tamara Lebak, Unitarian Universalist MinistersAssociation FCC

Beth Zemsky, Lead Consultant, April 30, 2012

Completing the Intercultural Development Inventory® and reviewing your own individual IDI® profile results with an IDI Qualified Administrator provides key insights into how you make sense cultural differences. The next step is to systematically increase your intercultural competence by working through your Intercultural Development Plan™ (IDP). This Plan is specifically customized to your particular IDI Profile results. After completing the suggested activities in your IDP, you should again take the IDI to determine your progress in increasing your intercultural competence. Accompanying this new IDI profile report will be another customized and different Intercultural Development Plan that can help you further increase your skills in shifting cultural perspective and adapting behavior. By completing this customized, Individual Development Plan, you will:

Gain insights concerning intercultural challenges you are facing and identify intercultural competence development goals that are important for you,

Gain increased understanding of how your Developmental Orientation (and Trailing

Orientation(s), if any) impacts how you perceive and respond to cultural differences and commonalities, and

Identify and engage in targeted, developmental learning that increases your

intercultural competence in bridging across diverse communities.

Some of us may believe that as we gain experience in the world, we should be better at communicating and interacting effectively with people who are from different cultures. We may also believe that traveling and living in another country for a period of time automatically results in our developing greater intercultural competence. Unfortunately, these are two common myths regarding the development of intercultural competence. Intercultural competence does not simply happen as a result of being in another culture. For example, assume you are from the United States and you go to Japan live for six months—or even six years! Does this mean that you increased your ability to shift cultural perspective and adapt behavior more effectively as a result of your “Japanese experience”? Not necessarily. You may have lived in and experienced Japan largely from your own, monocultural perspective. You may, for instance, have lived in an area of Japan where people from your own culture predominate and your relationships may have remained largely with people from your own cultural group. Further, your behavior may have changed little even though you were working and living Japan rather than the United States. Under these circumstances, you would likely gain little intercultural competence development.

An Intercultural Development Plan (IDP)

Why Have an Intercultural Development Plan?

Tamara Lebak, Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association FCC

Developing intercultural competence is a self-reflective, intentional process focused on understanding patterns of difference and commonality between yourself (and your cultural group) and other culture group’s perceptions, values and practices. It is this self-reflective, intentional process that is highlighted in this Intercultural Development Plan. Before working through your Individual Development Plan (IDP), it is important that you have reviewed and understood the Intercultural Development Continuum (the foundational concepts identified in the revised DMIS (Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity). This information may have come from a presentation by a qualified IDI administrator and/or information from our website, www.idiinventory.com. You may also have received information about your “Group IDI Profile” and/or feedback regarding your own individual IDI profile results from an IDI Qualified Administrator. Concentrated, self-reflective efforts at building your intercultural competence—tailored to your own IDI profile results—can result in movement along the developmental continuum of one or more orientations (e.g., from Minimization to Acceptance and to Adaptation). These efforts can include a wide variety of activities. Below is a list of ten key learning opportunities to consider for your Intercultural Development Plan. Throughout this IDP, look for ways to incorporate some of the suggestions given into one or more of these ten powerful learning arenas.

Ten Key Intercultural Learning Opportunities

Which of these ten learning opportunities can you do to accomplish your intercultural goals and address your intercultural stress points? Below is a description of these ten learning opportunities to consider as you create your Intercultural Development Plan.

Making A Commitment

Training Programs

Workplace Activities Educational

Classes Theatre, Film &

Arts

Personal Interactions

Intercultural Journal Books

Travel Coaching Site

Visits


Training programs: Are there training programs offered by your organization, educational institution or community that focuses on intercultural relations? These programs may include e-learning training on cultural patterns, websites that present solid information on cultural differences, and various programs that review both culture general patterns of difference as well as culture specific dimensions.

Workplace activities: Are there workplace committees and groups in which you can participate to build your intercultural skills? This can include participating in your organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts, joining various affiliation/affinity/employee resource groups, volunteering on diversity or inclusion committees, and taking on additional work-related responsibilities that involve cultural bridging.

Theatre, Film & Arts: Are you able to attend cross-cultural movies, plays and other artistic exhibits and performances? Use the opportunity to attend cross-cultural theatre/film/art events to increase your own cultural self-awareness as well as learn about the cultural perspective found in the theater/film/art work. Such events often hold post event discussions that allow you to explore the concepts presented with others who share your interest.

Educational classes: Are there classes at your community college or university that focus on cross-cultural communication and cross-cultural relations? Other useful courses include ethnic and gender studies classes.

Personal interactions: Could you engage in intentional work-related, personal, social, or community interactions with people from different cultures? This could focus on cross-cultural communication with others in ways that provide insights into how people from other cultures experience the world and more specifically, how their experiences are similar and/or different from your own.

Intercultural journal: Could you keep an intercultural journal in which you reflect on cultural differences and commonalities you observe in your daily interactions with people from other cultural groups? In what ways do these individuals perceive, value and act that is similar to or different from your own group? You might consider focusing your intercultural journal on “critical incidents”—that is, situations you have observed or been a part of in which cultural differences arose and you and/or others needed to understand those differences and then respond appropriately. You can structure this journal in terms of: who was involved, what happened, what you think were the cultural differences present, how people responded, and the outcome.

Training Programs

Theatre, Film &

Arts

Workplace Activities

Educational Classes

Personal Interactions

Intercultural Journal


Books: Are there books you would like to read that specifically describe and explain patterns of cultural difference and similarity? Many of these books can be obtained from www.interculturalpress.com. Select books that relate to past, current or future cross-cultural settings you have or will have some experience. These settings can be domestic (within your own country) or international (cultural groups you may be working with who are outside your own country). There are also many novels and fiction books that can provide insights into the history and cultural norms of culturally diverse groups.

Travel: Are there cross-cultural travel opportunities on the horizon where you can systematically observe and engage cultural diversity? When visiting or traveling for shorter periods of time in other cultures, make efforts to experience how people from that cultural community interact, make decisions, share information, and treat “visitors”.

Intercultural coaching: Is there an opportunity to contract for IDI Guided Development® coaching? This kind of one-on-one engagement should be done with an IDI Qualified Administrator who also has experience and training in workplace coaching. Reviewing your IDP with a coach can be helpful to your own development.

Site visits: Are there specific cultural/ethnic site visits that can increase your knowledge about diverse cultural experiences? Visit, for instance various museums and centers in which diverse cultural group experiences are represented. Many countries have National Museums of Art and Culture, within the U.S. you might visit the National Civil Rights Museum or Ellis Island. Make additional efforts to engage a Docent or someone who can be share their expertise with you in order for you to gain a deeper understanding of your site visit.

Remember, however, it is not simply participating in activities or attending cultural events that is important; rather, it is the intentional reflection on the cultural patterns of commonality and difference that make up these activities/events that will contribute to your intercultural competence development. You should plan to spend approximately thirty to fifty hours of concentrated effort at building intercultural competence to achieve a gain of one full orientation (or more) along the Intercultural Development Continuum. While this thirty to fifty hour recommendation is not rigid, it nevertheless provides a guideline for you to determine the time frame you should plan to dedicate to your Intercultural Development Plan. It is recommended that working on your Intercultural Development Plan should take place over approximately three to nine months, with participation in training or some coaching interaction that can range from weekly interaction to once-a-month programs or dialogues. To initiate this process, the information in this Intercultural Development Plan is an important first step.

Books

Travel

Coaching

Site Visits


The following five-step process will help guide you through your Intercultural Development Plan (IDP):

Review your IDI Individual Profile results

Describe your intercultural background in terms of your IDI Profile results

Analyze developmental goals and progress indicators

Identify those intercultural stress points that are barriers to your goal attainment

Create your Intercultural Development Plan (IDP) Each of these five steps is explained in greater detail in the following sections with sample activities for each step.

Developing intercultural competence is a core capability in the 21st century and involves cultural self-awareness, understanding the experiences of people from diverse communities, and the capability to adapt one’s mindset and behavior to bridge across differences.

Mitchell R. Hammer, 2011


As a first step, review the results from your individual IDI profile. Take some time to answer the following questions. Some of these questions you may have already discussed with an IDI Qualified Administrator; if so, then you can move more quickly through these questions. 1 . 1 What are your overall Developmental Orientation and Perceived

Orientation? Check your orientation in each column.

Developmental Orientation Perceived Orientation

1 .2 Is there an Orientation Gap between your Developmental

Orientation and your Perceived Orientation indicated in your IDI profi le? What does this mean in terms of your own sense of how capable you are in shifting cultural perspective and appropriately adapting behavior around cultural differences and commonalit ies?

1 .3 Do you have any Trail ing Orientations? If so, what are they? What

impact do you feel these Trail ing Orientations have in terms of “holding you back” from more effectively dealing with cultural differences and commonalit ies?

1 .4 What is your Leading Orientation? As you design your Intercultural

Development Plan, your Developmental Orientation and your Leading Orientation are the Orientations on which your development planning should focus.

r Denial r Polarization

(Defense/Reversal) r Minimization r Acceptance r Adaptation

r Denial r Polarization

(Defense/Reversal) r Minimization r Acceptance r Adaptation

Preparing an Intercultural Development Plan: Step 1—Review Your IDI Individual Profile Results


Surprisingly, people often have not thought much about the experiences they have had—or not had—around cultural differences and commonalities. For some of us, we may have had quite varied and extensive living and working experiences in different countries yet have not reflected much on those experiences. For others of us, we may think we have had little “cross-cultural” experience when in fact we may have had significant cultural influences on how we live our lives and the goals we set for our work teams and ourselves.

2.1 Take a moment to reflect on your experiences with culturally diverse groups.

§ When did you first become aware of cultural groups that were different from your own? § What kinds of experiences have you had with people from different cultural

communities? § What has been challenging and what has been rewarding in interacting with people from

different cultures?

2.2 Listed below are 12 primary dimensions of diversity. Put a check mark by the three diversity dimensions that have most influenced your views of cultural commonalit ies and differences?

Diversity Dimension Check (✓) your Top Three

Diversity Dimensions

Gender Nationality Race/Ethnicity Age Family background Abilities/disabilities Religion Educational background Home/geographic “roots” Sexual orientation Socio-economic status Work experience

Preparing an Intercultural Development Plan: Step 2—Your Intercultural Background & IDI Profile Results


2.3 How have your top three diversity dimensions influenced (1) your perspective toward cultural similarit ies and differences, and (2) your work practices? If this is difficult, you may wish to return to this question later in the process.

2.4 In what ways might your experiences with people from your own nationality/ethnic group and with people from different countries and ethnicit ies have influenced:

§ Your perceptions about what you find challenging in working with people from

difference cultures? § Your Developmental Orientation identified in your IDI individual profile?


The third step is to identify key goals and progress indicators important to you. These goals should focus on what you would like to achieve when cultural differences and commonalities are present and need to be successfully navigated. The progress indicators are how you will know you are achieving your goals. Review your responses to the contexting questions in your individual IDI profile in identifying your goals. 3.1 Identify 3-5 goals and their progress indicators that you are wil l ing

to commit to achieving in the immediate future. Make sure these goals are important to you and are directly related to increasing your abil ity to effectively navigate cross-cultural differences and commonalit ies.

Write out each goal and progress indicator in the following format:

I would like to . . . . I will know I have made progress on this goal when . . . .

Here are two examples of different goal/progress indicator statements:

Goal #1: I would like to more deeply understand how my own cultural community has influenced some of my core beliefs and values. Progress Indicator #1: I will know I have made progress on this goal when I can better explain my own views and values in cultural terms to people from my own cultural community and to people from diverse groups. Goal #2: I would like to increase my leadership in my organization around diversity and inclusion efforts. Progress Indicator #2: I will know I have made progress on this goal when I volunteer and become a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, when I insure each of our monthly work meetings includes an agenda item related to our team’s progress in meeting diversity and inclusion goals, and when I engage in conversations about cultural differences with people from my own cultural group and other cultural communities.

Preparing an Intercultural Development Plan: Step 3—Analyze Developmental Goals & Progress Indicators


The next step is to identify those work-related, personal, social or community challenges or situations you are facing or will be facing in which cultural differences and commonalities “make a difference”. These challenges or situations should be related to your goals to be more interculturally successful that you identified in step 3. One way to think about these situations is to think of them as intercultural stress points where you are challenged to be more effective around cultural differences. For example, some people find situations in the workplace that revolves around how to handle disagreements or conflicts when the other party is from a cultural community different from their own to be challenging. Another situation might involve how to more effectively interview diverse talent for your organization. A third situation may involve how to more effectively manage classroom learning when students are from multiple cultural backgrounds. As you think about these situations, you might find it useful to refer back to your responses to the contexting questions in your individual IDI profile. 4.1 Identify 3-5 intercultural stress points that you find challenging in

effectively responding to cultural differences. These intercultural stress points should describe situations you face that you believe interfere with your effectively accomplishing the goals you identified earl ier in Step 3 of this IDP.

4.2 How do these stress points act as barriers to you being as effective

as you’d l ike to be? Consider factors over which you have some control and the removal of which would enhance your capabil ity in navigating cultural differences and commonalit ies.

Preparing an Intercultural Development Plan: Step 4—Identify Intercultural Stress Points


This section highlights questions, activities, and opportunities for intercultural development related to your specific Developmental Orientation and Leading Orientation. Not every suggestion may be useful to you. Review the various suggestions and select those you feel would be most beneficial to increasing your understanding of cultural differences and commonalities and helping you more effectively adapt to observed differences. The first set of suggestions is related to your primary Developmental Orientation while the second set of suggestions focuses on your Leading Orientation. You should review these suggestions in the order presented, first working through suggestions related to your Developmental Orientation and then moving to activities related to your Leading Orientation. The suggestions are organized into three main developmental categories:

This symbol refers to a learning suggestion that involves reflection on past, current or future perceptions, values, and behaviors.

! This symbol identifies a topic that is suited for writing your thoughts and observations in

an intercultural journal.

This symbol refers to an activity in which you do something that is beneficial in building your intercultural competence.

When selecting some of the suggestions provided, we encourage you to select those recommendations that you feel would be most helpful and applicable to you, your goals and the situations (intercultural stress points) you identified earlier in the developmental plan. This will best support your intercultural competence development. Your IDI® development journey is now underway. Aldous Huxley, after he returned from his first overseas exploration, said:

Preparing an Intercultural Development Plan: Step 5—Create Your Intercultural Development Plan

So the journey is over and I am back again, richer by much experience and poorer by many exploded convictions, many perished certainties . . . I set out on my travels knowing or thinking I knew, how [people] should live, how be governed, how educated, what they should believe. I had my views on every activity of life. Now, on my return, I find myself without any of these pleasing certainties . . . When one is traveling, convictions are mislaid as easily as spectacles, but unlike spectacles, they are not easily replaced.

Quoted in J. Wurzel, 2004, Toward Multiculturalism, p. 7


Definition: An orientation that is capable of shifting cultural perspective and changing behavior in culturally appropriate and authentic ways. Strength: You have a deep understanding of at least one other culture and are comfortable bridging cultural differences. Developmental Opportunity: Your developmental opportunity is to continue to build on your knowledge of cultural differences and to further develop skills for adapting to these differences. It is beneficial for you to develop cultural mediation and advocacy strategies so that you will be able to more effectively assist others in your community and organization who do not have the experience and skills to bridge cultural differences on their own. Learning more deeply about cultural patterns of difference is a lifelong process. Therefore, you task is to further deepen your Acceptance (understanding) mindset and to incorporate adaptive strategies when interacting across cultural diversity. Suggestions for An Adaptation Orientation:

Continue to learn about others by increasing your interactions with other cultural groups so you can gain further knowledge, skills and comfort in adapting. In these situations, in contrast to your earlier work in building an Acceptance mindset, focus more attention on developing perspective shifting and behavioral skills for bridging across cultural differences. Examples include:

Everyday encounters with people (where you shop, in your social networks, your

professional networks and at your workplace). Look for ways to authentically engage others in ways that are adaptive for you.

Professional development (join diversity, multicultural, international networks

within your regional and local organizations). Look for ways to authentically bridge across cultural differences.

Academic and cultural presentations (attend formal presentations where you can

gain in-depth knowledge and engage in dialogue with others who have similar interests and questions). When dialoguing, look for opportunities to stretch your behavioral repertoire.

Ask for input from trusted colleagues and friends from outside your cultural group

to share their experiences of common ways they are misunderstood, what assists them in feeling accepted in their communities and what strategies are successful for them in adapting across cultural differences.

ADAPTATION


Identify one or more individuals in your organization whom you have seen

interacting successfully across cultures. Ask this person to mentor you and to share strategies and opportunities to dialogue with you. Focus on how you can better “make sense” of situations from that person’s cultural perspective and what behavioral adaptations are appropriate.

Consider opportunities for more training in intercultural competence (courses,

workshops, readings) to learn tangible ways cultures can differ, culture specific information, and successful models of individual and organizational adaptation.

Review M.R. Hammer’s Intercultural Conflict Style (ICS) model and assessment

inventory at: www.icsinventory.com.

Engage in targeted contrast culture readings, including books and articles that provide a comparative analysis of culture general frameworks (e.g. individualism vs. collectivism) as well as novels written by authors from or set in cultures different from your own. Review materials on culture general and culture specific patterns of cultural difference by visiting www.interculturalpress.com. Lists of novels can be found at websites such as http://nceawidereading.wikispaces.com. Make a concerted effort to truly shift cultural perspective and to engage in adaptive behaviors based on these cultural frameworks.

Read newspapers and magazines online from other countries or cultural

communities. Pay attention to how writers from diverse cultures may report a major, global event from a different perspective than writers from your own cultural group. This can highlight differences that you may not have thought about previously.

Select a culture in your community with which you are less comfortable and

about which you have less knowledge.

Apply your skills in observing, reflecting, and understanding different cultural values and behaviors of the culture you selected.

Find ways to get involved with various cultural groups and organizations (e.g.,

refugee resettlement organizations or Sister-City organizations in your local community). Consider ways to engage with them as a peer as well as from an outside expert position if appropriate.

Encourage your organization to put resources into developing cultural

competencies of all stakeholders.

Continue to draw upon a broad network of culturally diverse individuals to inform you in your roles in your organization and community. Identify areas in which you need to expand your network.


Form a small group of motivated individuals to collaborate on diversity, inclusion and intercultural competence advocacy strategies. Where does your workplace need to focus first and how can you help them develop a plan?

Acknowledge to yourself that your expertise and knowledge of one or more cultural

groups can sometimes lead to fatigue and allow yourself opportunities for on-going support from the small group you formed.

Check whether others may see you in ways that discount your experiences across

cultures. What can you do to build better relations with others who may not share the same adaptation orientation as you?

Acknowledge to yourself that your expertise and knowledge of one or more cultural

groups may be useful to others, but only if you can share your resources in ways that value the other person’s viewpoint and experience.

Do you have difficulty remaining in one organization or geographical place

because you become frustrated that the people or the organizations are not as far along the developmental continuum as you think they should be?

Recognize that your desire to “exit” organizations or places may be due to your

own frustration and/or inability to bridge across different developmental orientations.

Reflect on whether some of the difficulties or frustrations you may have in helping

individuals and organizations become more interculturally competent could be due to your lack of awareness and understanding that not all people share your Adaptation mindset? That is, individuals with a Denial, Polarization, Minimization or Acceptance orientation make sense of cultural differences and commonalities in ways consistent with their developmental orientation—not in ways consistent with an Adaptation mindset.

What can you do to bridge across different developmental orientations so that your

cross-cultural effectiveness is increased?

Find positive strategies to engage others around intercultural learning and development in ways that do not make your own views and experiences the center of attention.


Summary questions for reflection

What new information was most meaningful to you after completing these activities?

Could this new information have changed a situation you experienced in the past?

How would this situation have changed?

How can this new information change your perceptions, interpretations, judgments, reactions and/or behaviors in the future?

I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides or my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.

Mahatma Gandhi


Definition: A sense of disconnection or detachment from a primary cultural group. Cultural Disengagement is not an orientation on the Intercultural Development Continuum, as it does not relate to intercultural competence. However, consideration of a Cultural Disengagement score that is “not resolved” suggests some lack of involvement in a primary cultural community. Strength: Cultural Disengagement when resolved means that you feel involved and connected to your cultural community. This can provide a sense of attachment towards a group important to you. Developmental Opportunity Cultural Disengagement when it is not fully resolved may be experienced as a feeling of separation from a cultural community that is (or was) important to you. You may want to consider how to become more fully engaged within a cultural community important to you. Suggestions for Cultural Disengagement:

Review the suggestions below ONLY if your Individual IDI Profi le indicates you are not resolved on Cultural Disengagement. If your IDI profi le indicates resolved, then this section does not need to be completed.

If you are not resolved in Cultural Disengagement:

! Identify the ways you feel disconnected from your primary cultural group. For

example, is this sense of alienation more political, more social, or something else?

! Reflect on why you perceive yourself as disconnected from your cultural group?

! Do you want to do anything about this sense of detachment? Do you want to re-establish deeper connections with people from your primary community?

! Are you in search of a “blended” sense of cultural connection between two

different cultural groups?

! If so, what does this mean in terms of your involvement and sense of connection to these different cultural communities?

CULTURAL DISENGAGEMENT


Documents

Research Paper: Using the Intercultural Development Inventory in Coaching