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How is diversity training
different from multicultural, cross-cultural, and race relations
training?
Multicultural training focuses on educating people to
understand and appreciate cultural differences. Diversity training,
from the DTUI perspective, focuses on building community rather
than pointing out how people are different. Appreciation of differences
is important, but it is not considered the highest priority competency.
The abilities to make others comfortable and included are most
important, no matter how much you know about their culture.
Cross-cultural training focuses on educating people
to manage themselves in other countries or as a minority in another
cultural group. DTUI provides knowledge and skills to manage cultural
differences that exist in one's own country and in others. Diversity
also includes gender, sexual preference, religion, and other types
of diversity that are not central in cross-cultural training.
Race relations training focuses on educating people
to understand and appreciate racial differences, and helping different
races get along. Race refers to skin color differences in the
United States while Europeans tend to include nationality in their
definition. American race relations trainers often assume that
White American privilege is a central problem in addressing racism.
Diversity training includes race relations while addresses the
general problem of dealing with people who are different. Institutional
barriers are considered without placing blame on individuals.
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What does the diversity
trainer do for the typical client?
The diversity trainer focuses on where the client needs them
the most. Progressive organizations, such as the technology giant,
Qualcomm, the FCC, and the city of San Diego, value employee differences.
Diversity training is extensive in such organizations. The City
of San Diego has its own diversity office from which expert diversity
trainers. Even the city's police officers receive extensive training
in preparation for working in the diverse community. Committed
organizations require intensive training, ranging from a minimum
3-day workshop to 1-week with follow-up sessions. These companies
are increasing as evidence by the increased number of management
level diversity courses offered.
Companies competing in the international marketplace are most
likely to require sojourner training for employees relocating
to a foreign country. It became apparent early in global marketing
that sending employees with diversity training to manage foreign
companies increases their effectiveness. Adjustment problems were
also evident in the employee's spouse and children. Diversity
trainers can provide training and counseling before employees
travel and to help them readjust upon return.
Other organizations offer training because one or more of its
insightful leaders persuade the others to commit to addressing
diversity issues. These organizations tend to offer half-day to
full-day workshops to employees.
Oftentimes, a client brings in a diversity trainer to manage
a crisis. An employee may have filed a harassment complaint against
another employee or an affirmative action lawsuit against the
company is sought. Occasionally, diversity training is required
to meet the terms of a lawsuit settlement. These present the most
challenges training situations for diversity trainers.
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Does diversity
training really work?
Diversity training can be a pleasurable profession when one has
the skills needed to do the work competently. Diversity training
can cause more harm than good to an organization, individual employees,
and to the diversity profession when the trainers are ill-prepared.
Many well-intentioned diversity trainers have left participants
with an angry and bitter taste for such training. Effective diversity
trainers offer participants tools for managing diversity according
to specific behaviors that make trouble for them in everyday interactions.
DTUI provides the knowledge and skills needed to help people help
themselves in sticky intercultural interactions.
Why is there an increase
in the use of diversity trainers?
Diversity trainers are becoming popular for several reasons:
- Changing demographics in the United States has led to increased
workplace diversity. Employers can no longer afford to hire
people of their same race, gender, and nationality. Diversity
trainers help them make good employee selection decisions, promote
productive team work, and develop effective intercultural communication.
- Increased diversity in organizations is creating interpersonal
challenges. Diversity means that people will have different
points of view about how to solve problems and complete tasks.
The differences can lead to misunderstanding as a result. Diversity
trainers often serve as conflict resolution facilitators.
- Organizations wishing to have presence in the growing global
community use diversity training in the strategic plan. Sometimes
this involves having a person who is competent in the area as
an administrator and primary facilitator.
- Affirmative action directors, equal employment officers, and
employee relations officers are becoming a central part of organizational
life. They assist in activities ranging from managing employee
diversity to protecting their company from lawsuits.
- Having diversity specialists makes good business sense in
today's world. The high functioning and advanced organizations
of today value its diversity. It seeks to promote employee diversity
to stay at the forefront of innovation.
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Why would individuals
or companies without diversity-related problems need diversity
trainer expertise?
Americans are not socialized adequately to live and work in multicultural
settings. Where there is employee diversity, diversity-related
problems are either waiting to happen or they exist under the
surface. The increased numbers of harassment and discrimination
multimillion dollar lawsuits settlements attest to this. Many
managers are not prepared to deal with the reality of workplace
diversity. They do not act on employee diversity-related complaints
because they are ill-prepared.
What is DTUI's diversity
training philosophy?
The DTUI philosophy is based on a critical thinking teaching
strategy and a three-component training model. The oldest and
still most powerful teaching approach is Socratic teaching. In
Socratic teaching, the focus is on asking the student insightful
questions to ponder, rather seeking particular answers.
Diversity training competence fits nicely with the method because
skillful diversity work requires critical thinking in formulating
solutions to intercultural challenges. The student is the questioner
and inquisitive learner who is given considerable freedom in learning
under expert guidance.
DTUI trains three competencies: (a) attitudes/awareness, (b)
knowledge, and (c) skills. We assume that trainers need the competencies
to provide high performance diversity training and consultation.
Attitude/awareness refers to insights into personal biases, moral
positions, and how differences affect us. Knowledge refers to
the concepts, skill requirements, and ethics associated with diversity
training. Skills refer to the ability to effectively train and
evaluate performance.
Practicing what one is trying to learn in the act of learning
is central to the DTUI training philosophy. However, novice trainers
have an ethical responsibility to conduct diversity work under
the supervision of an expert. DTUI assumes that diversity training
and consulting competency requires rigorous training. Trainees
complete the written thesis, oral examinations, and the postgraduate
internship to insure they achieve the competencies.
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Who hires a diversity
trainer and why?
Managers, supervisors, social workers, psychotherapists, lawyers,
doctors, salespersons, accountants, CEO's, trainers, business
consultants, and a host of others hire diversity trainers. Diversity
trainers are being hired today as a personal coach by individuals
seeking to: 
- Manage a personal intercultural conflict,
- Manage a conflict between supervisors,
- Develop intercultural competencies.
- Diversity trainers are often hired by an organization to:
- resolve an intercultural conflict,
- prepare employees for foreign country work & repatriation,
- assist in preparation for increased employee diversity,
- provide diversity training for managers and/or employees.
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What happens when a diversity
trainer is hired?
A diversity trainer does what most trainers and consultants do.
They consult to management or offered courses/workshops. In addition,
diversity trainers are sought as coaches to assist individuals
in the development of intercultural skills.
Diversity trainers offer their skills in a variety of ways. Often,
an organization will ask for a proposal to conduct a course or
workshop. Sometimes the proposal will address general intercultural
awareness/attitude training. Often an organization has a particular
intercultural conflict that needs to be addressed. The consultant/trainer
interviews the manager and anyone else with relevant knowledge
to assess the needs.
Sometimes the organization requires evaluation of the workshop
or course, but trainers need to be prepared to provide their own
evaluation form. Providing your own is considered necessary to
evaluate your performance and seek areas needing improvement.
Can a diversity trainer
create more problems that solutions?
Yes, if the trainer is not competent. Most diversity trainers
do not have credentials other than a couple of workshops they
attended and a strong desire to earn a living in the area. A major
source of incompetence results from the trainer's inability to
understand how their own biases create obstacles for effective
training. Usually, major problems are absent in the profession,
even when people are incompetent. However, some people exposed
to diversity training experience adjustment difficulties or heightened
prejudice from poor training outcomes. These problems occur when
the trainer fails to offer opportunities for participants to state
their beliefs and values honestly or treat honestly with disrespect.
DTUI trains the competencies needed to overcome these problems
and helps trainers experience a sense of accomplishment in their
work.
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How long must an individual
or company commit to working with a diversity trainer?
No strict guidelines exist that specify how much commitment an
individual or organization should request or expect from a diversity
trainer. However, some expert diversity trainers will not work
with an organization who will not commit to a workshop or course
that lasts a minimum of four days. Too many organizations are
not willing to pay for more than 2-3 hours for diversity training.
A few are committed to the extent that they develop an in-hour
diversity training group to service the entire company.
What does it cost to hire a diversity trainer?
The cost of hiring a diversity trainer depends on the client's
needs. A diversity trainer hired to conduct a workshop can charge
by the hour or provide a total workshop package price. Those serving
as consultants can charge by the hour or larger periods, such
as day and half-day fees. The diversity trainer serving as an
executive coach may charge by the hour or offer package prices
(e.g., in 8-hour blocks).
Diversity trainer fees are also determined by credentials. Inexperienced
diversity trainers receive low fees compared to those with a reputation.
Professionals with less that an undergraduate education are not
common in the profession. A certified diversity trainer with a
Ph.D. will undoubtedly charge much higher fees than an uncertified
trainer with a bachelors degree. Certification and excellent training
make the bigger difference, no matter the degree level.
Too many clients do not know what to ask for when seeking diversity
expertise. They assume that skin color or commitment to diversity
is sufficient. DTUI offers a credential that specifies diversity
trainer expertise that potential clients cannot ignore.
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TO:
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of Page
Q&A:
Becoming A Diversity Trainer
Q&A:
What is Diversity Training?
Q&A:
A Historical View of Diversity Training?
Q&A:
How Strong is the Demand for Diversity Trainers?
Q&A:
The Diversity Trainer Profession
Q&A:
The DTUI Training Program
