Image
image
image
image


Services:


Building Organizational Capacity for Lasting Change
Einstein once said, “The only real constant is change.”  In other words, the capacity to be flexible and change as needed is crucial to individual professional development and organizational effectiveness in our rapidly changing world.  There are profound differences in the types of changes that are made in organizations. Some are top-down and some are imposed from outside the organization.  Others are carefully planned and executed to become a part of the culture of the organization.   Transitioning to a culture of change for the organization, as well as building future leadership capacity to do the same is our specialty.  We offer our clients powerful resources and a blueprint for success.  Below is a list of services we offer. Please contact us for more info.




  • Cultural competence assessments using the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)
  • Diversity and inclusion programs
  • Cultural competence programs
  • Organizational assessments
  • Organizational culture assessments
  • Strategic Planning
  • Leadership assessments
  • Executive development programs
  • Leadership and management programs
  • Value based decision-making programs
  • Intercultural development programs
  • Conflict resolution programs
  • Effective communication skills programs
  • Recruitment programs
  • Workplace safety programs

 

 

 

Building Safety, Excellence and Teamwork Through Intercultural Development

In the private sector, misunderstandings and miscommunications cost money and reputations; in emergency services, they can also cost lives. Many individuals and organizations may not be aware of discriminatory language, practices or programs that may be utilized within the organization and how stereotypes and interpersonal styles can affect our perceptions. In order to achieve optimal citizen and firefighter safety, organizational excellence and effective teamwork, we need to relate effectively to the needs of all members of our organization and the community. Providing intercultural development strategic initiatives is foundational to addressing these issues.

In order to build organizational effectiveness and develop the leadership necessary to sustain intercultural development, it is important to communicate well with and understand the needs of colleagues and customers from different cultural backgrounds including, but not limited to age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation.  “Diversity describes the make-up of a group.  Inclusion describes which individuals are allowed to participate and are enabled to contribute fully in the group .”  Diversity and sensitivity training is insufficient to address deeply embedded organizational cultural traditions and social mores that may intentionally or unintentionally prevent support for diversity and inclusion.  Ongoing strategic change initiatives are necessary that develop intercultural human relations and interpersonal skills, as well as revising multiple organizational systems to support and sustain the changes needed. 

Assessing individual and organizational capacity for intercultural development is the first step in understanding the type of strategic initiatives and interventions that are required for each individual and/or organization.  The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is an excellent assessment tool for this purpose.

Strategic planning, training, coaching and other types of professional development are more effective with the use of the IDI because the change initiatives can meet the organizational members at their current level of developmental readiness and understanding.  Without the assessment, more damage can actually be done with diversity training or culture change goals because they use an approach the group is not yet ready to process and backlash occurs.

With the IDI, intercultural development can be accurately assessed. This enables determining the appropriate developmental approach and interventions for individuals and organizations to achieve the desired outcomes.  Below is additional information about the IDI assessment tool, as well as Debra Jarvis, or return to Services.

About the Intercultural Developmental Inventory Assessment Tool
Based on the Bennett/Hammer Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS)

Dr. Hammer's Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) “is a statistically reliable, cross-culturally valid measure of intercultural competence adapted from the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS). The IDI can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including:

  • Individual and/or organizational intercultural competence assessment to provide information for coaching/counseling situations
  • Organizational-wide needs assessment for strategic planning and training design – especially related to leadership, diversity and cultural or intercultural competence
  • Program evaluation to assess the effectiveness of various interventions
  • Research

The IDI is a 50-item, theory-based instrument that can be taken either in paper and pencil form or online.  The instrument is easy to complete and it can generate an in-depth graphic profile of an individual's or groups' predominant level of intercultural competence along with a detailed textual interpretation of that level of intercultural development and associated transitional issues.

The IDI is currently in twelve languages (Bahasa, Indonesian, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Korean, French, Japanese and Chinese). Translations from the English-language version were completed using rigorous ‘back translation’ scientific protocols to insure both linguistic and conceptual equivalency.”


For purposes of this information, the words ‘intercultural’ and ‘cultural’ are interchangeable and inclusive of all aspects of human difference.  The word ‘intercultural development’ used here is synonymous with developing cultural competence or intercultural competence.

Public Personnel Management Vol. 27 #2 1998

 Dr. Mitch Hammer, author of IDI 

Return to Services menu

 




image


image
image