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For additional examples of past Cultural Quick Tips please click here.

Paint a New Picture

The human subconscious is a powerful tool that allows us to find patterns, develop a database of knowledge and help make sense of the world. When you meet a new colleague, your subconscious creates a blank mental spot with that person's name on it - a "blank canvas." Immediately, your subconscious begins to "draw" an image of that person. This image changes depending on how a person talks, their education, dress, manners and their initial interaction with you. As you get to know this person, their image in your subconscious becomes more detailed and clear, like a painter who first sketches in pencil, then pen and finally with paint. Once you use paint, it becomes more challenging to change the picture. Unlike paintings, people are not static, so you need to update your mental paintings of people as they change.

This month, give yourself a mental whitewash and start over, so that everyone you meet gets a blank canvas. See what kind of picture they paint when you give them a clean canvas to work with.

To help you create a clean canvas. Ask yourself:

1. Is my "picture" of this person still accurate and relevant?

2. How have I changed over time and thus how might my perceptions of this person be different now?

3. What would I notice about this person if I met them now for the first time?

Rest

During the cold, but beautiful winter season, it may appear as if nothing is happening. However, the plants are preparing for their spring growth. Similar to plants in winter, projects, organizations and people go through different seasons. From time to time, a company or a project may experience a season of winter when "nothing" happens. But while there might be little activity on the surface, ideas beneath are percolating. Sometimes organizations and people just need to time rest, reflect, integrate and adjust to new ideas or team players. This month, be patient with people, projects and organizations as they move at their own speed through their own cycles.

Action steps:

1. If you need a "rest" season, give yourself the break you need.

2. As the year draws to a close, take stock and pride in what you have accomplished working on a diverse team this past year.

Accept Differences

When we interact with people with backgrounds different than ours, we are often confronted with alternate ways of viewing the world. These differences often challenge our own beliefs, and they may give us a reason to examine the world from a different point of view. Many times we tolerate the differences of others, but we don't accept their differences. True acceptance of differences empowers us to create a world that is based on equality and respect. The next time you encounter a difference, question if you are tolerating it or truly accepting it. If you are tolerating it, ask yourself what is keeping you from accepting this difference, and then move towards acceptance, thereby appreciating the richness that the world has to offer.

Believe in New Ideas

A positive attitude towards new ideas can help in all areas of our lives. But when working in a multicultural environment, we have the opportunity to learn new ideas regularly. These new ideas challenge our paradigm - how we frame the world. By believing that new ideas can be exciting, we ensure that we will continue to grow and expand, immersing ourselves in the world that we live in. New ideas not only teach us about other people, but they help us to explore different aspects of ourselves. The next time you encounter an idea from a different culture, try to suspend judgment long enough to ask, "What can I learn from this new idea?" You'll be surprised by what you learn about yourself, the people around you, and the world in which you live.

Cultivate Cultural Curiosity

With so many distinct cultures in the world, cultural curiosity can be a life long adventure. Cultivate your cultural curiosity by asking questions like "I wonder how they do that in.......?" or "What would I do differently if I were........?" or "I wonder what music from.......sounds like?" or "What would I consider beautiful if I were........" or "What does ...........mean to someone from that culture?" Get started today. Ask a similar question and seek the answer from a co-worker, the local library, the internet or your favorite music shop. Exploration will help spark your cultural curiosity and at the very least give you a cultural tidbit to share with friends.

Give Respect to Everyone

When we respect other people, we treat them as we would like to be treated. For people with similar views or cultural backgrounds, respect is often easy. However, when confronted with someone with very different world views, respecting them challenges us in ways that may make us uncomfortable. Acknowledging their perspective does not necessarily mean we need to like or even agree with their point of view, but it is important to accept their view as we have our accepted our own. Being able to acknowledge a different viewpoint is the first step in creating a dialogue between cultures. Offer the respect you would like to receive. When someone challenges your beliefs, remember what Ghandi said: "Be the change you want to see in the world".

Embrace Change

Do you embrace change or fear it? In today's quickly changing workplace, the willingness to embrace change is an increasingly necessary skill. But, what does embracing change look like? Here are a few steps to help embrace our changing world:

• Notice your default internal response when you detect change. Are you afraid when you notice change? If so, ask yourself how this change could be positive.

• If the world is going to change, with or without you, doesn't it make sense to take an active role and help shape the change? Be proactive, not reactive. Become part of change in the world instead of waiting for change to come to you.

• When change occurs - press pause before you respond. Choosing how you respond instead of responding reactively will help improve the quality of your reactions.

The world is changing - and so are we. Embracing change can bring us on unimaginable adventures.

Find Similarities to Celebrate

When we learn about other cultures, we often focus on the obvious differences between us and them because differences are the easiest to see. Finding our similarities or a common humanity can often be difficult, but it helps create the building blocks of friendship and understanding. Using a cultural identity exercise as an example, I find that people around the world share a common commitment to friends and family. Other similarities to consider include a passion for hobbies, sports, career tracks, or religions. The next time you interact with someone of a different culture, focus on a common link. If you have a conflict or misunderstanding with this person, remember your common links and use them to help you resolve your differences.

Gather in New Friends

It is only natural to to seek out friends with similar backgrounds or points of view. But this limits the opportunities you have to look at the world in a different way. Gathering new friends is a fun and easy way to expand your horizons. Look around you to find someone who seems interesting, but who has a different background than you. Ask that person out to lunch and share personal stories. If you are shy, start with saying hello to someone at work who has a common interest with you and build a friendship from there. As your friendship develops, be curious about the other person's world and share yours. This week, reach out to someone new and see where a new bridge of friendship will lead you.

For additional examples of past Cultural Quick Tips please click here.