From the course: Communicating about Culturally Sensitive Issues

Recognizing feelings around culturally sensitive communication

From the course: Communicating about Culturally Sensitive Issues

Recognizing feelings around culturally sensitive communication

“

- Have you ever felt fear before or during a culturally sensitive conversation? You're not alone. It's natural to feel fear, but that feeling can hold you back. Understanding your fear is the first step to overcoming anxiety and developing the confidence to have these discussions in a productive way. What scares you in a conversation may be different from what scares me. So let me tell you the story of a colleague named Kim. Kim was a proud ally for racial equity until a casual conversation with a diverse group of friends shook her confidence. She shared her perspective on a news headline that dealt with race in America. The conversation took a negative turn, and she and one of the friends haven't spoken since. Now, we can all think of times where we've either been involved in or observed conversations that went poorly. It can make future conversations intimidating. I'm going to tell you something that you're not going to want to hear. You're going to make mistakes. Now, I'm going to say something that I don't want to hear. I'm still going to make mistakes. For example, at a speaking event, I accidentally used a non-inclusive term during a presentation titled "How to Have Inclusive Conversations." It was embarrassing, and I apologized, and the presentation ended well. We're all human, but the biggest mistake you can make is avoiding these conversations. What does more damage in a relationship? Trying your best than making a mistake or not trying at all? Here's the thing. Offense is an unavoidable part of any human interaction. In fact, if you're not making any mistakes, it's probably a sign that you're not spending enough time with people who are different from you. To be clear, I am not advocating for you to go out and be reckless and offend everybody. I'm saying that you need to not let the fear of mistakes stop you from having these difficult conversations. Maya Angelou said, "Do your best until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better." I would take it a step further. When you know better, do better, and forgive yourself when you fall short. If you're a person who's willing to take a course like this, you're likely already approaching these conversations with a baseline level of respect for the other person. That alone will lead you to make fewer mistakes.

Contents