Reflecting on diversity

There are many different models which can be used to help with the process of identifying and reflecting upon your own thinking. Reflecting means thinking about experiences and points of view, learning from them and applying them to new experiences and actions.. Reflection means using a growth mindset and thinking about what and how to change for the future.

The reflective model we will use for this unit is the Gibbs Model. This model includes six steps which can be used for situations that you might experience in a community services workplace. It is ideal for using in complex or challenging situations and where there is time available to reflect, consider and record thinking and ideas.

Gibbs Reflection Model

The Gibbs model encourages reflective practice by first describing an event or situation, then recording the feelings and emotions that are associated with the event. The next step is to evaluate the situation or experience itself. Think about what happened and which aspects were positive and negative. This stage is more effective if you remember to use a growth mindset approach and remind yourself that things can change over time,. Write down the positives and the negatives. The next stage is to analyse the experience and think about what could happen now. The next step is the conclusion, where you think about what you could do differently. Lastly, there is an action plan stage to help plan actions for next time.

Reflection diaries

Reflection diaries help you consider your own point of view and responses in situations at work. Reflection diaries you are great for recording your own thinking and make sense of your feelings, particularly at times where there is a significant challenge or problem that occurs. Reflection diaries are used in many different professions and are considered an effective way of learning from previous experiences, and becoming a more effective practitioner in the future.

Some useful approaches to using a reflection diary include:

• Set aside time once or twice a week to write in your diary
• Include words related to feelings and emotions
• Use the Gibbs Model to help you think through all the stages of reflection
• Read your own writing after you have written it
• Spend time thinking about what you have learnt as a result

Remember to respect the privacy and confidentiality of clients and families if you use a reflection diary. Do not include real names or other details. Keep your reflection diary in a secure place.

Sharing your perspectives

Some organisations run guided reflection sessions in their workplace. During these sessions, participants are encouraged to bring their reflections to share with others. This process is guided by a facilitator who ensures there is a clear set of rules and community agreement about what is to be shared and how. Confidentiality must be respected and there should be clear understandings about the use of identifying features such as names, addresses or situations which might breach client or worker rights.

A guided reflection session might happen if there has been a significant problem or crisis at your work. It can help people to talk about what has happened and work out how to move forwards.

Perspective means the way we view situations and how we develop our point of view. Social and cultural perspectives are the point of view that people hold which is based on their social and cultural background. Think about your own current social and cultural perspectives. What do you know about the factors that have led to you holding the views and ideals that you do? Have you been strongly influenced by a particular perspective or way of thinking? How might your perspective affect the way you speak to a client or family member? Thinking about your perspective helps you respond more effectively when you work with clients and families.

Family and cultural background can affect how we perceive situations, and the way we respond to them. They can also influence the way we interact with other people. Remember that others, too, will be influenced by their own family and cultural background. Here are some things that are affected by culture and family:

There are many aspects of interaction with others that can be affected by our own cultural and familial experiences. Over time, these influences can affect not only the way we interact with others, but also the ways of working that occur in our workplace.

Example

Ravi grew up in a household where he was raised by his mother and there was no male role model in his life. His own cultural background is a very traditional, patriarchal one, where there is usually strong leadership within the family by the eldest male, who is generally seen to be the main decision maker. In Ravi’s case, he has been influenced by the decision making and leadership role being taken primarily by his mother. His views and values on the role of men and women in households and workplaces has been influenced by the effect of his dual experiences.

The influence of family

Consider your own family. How strongly do they influence your own way of thinking? Many people like to describe themselves as independent thinkers, but when they really think it through, they realise how strongly influenced they can be by their family. Sometimes family can have a significant effect on your own relationships, as well as on the perception you have of other people and the ways you interact across society. The influence of family and culture can have a profound effect on what you consider to be important in life, as well as what you think and how you respond to situations.

Your own family can affect the way you interact with clients too. You might value particular ways of thinking and interacting and assume that every family is similar to your own.

The influence of culture

Your own cultural background can influence the way you think, feel and respond to situations. There will be a variety of community attitudes, language, policies and structures related to your own culture which can make a difference to your perceptions and responses.

Culture includes:

• Attitudes
• Language
• Policies and structures

Community attitudes include acceptance or rejection of particular ideas or activities, and the things which are considered as important.

Language refers to the usual spoken or written language of the majority of people who share your cultural background; there may be more than one language which is commonly used. For example, people who are from a Lebanese background may speak both Arabic and French in addition to speaking English.

Policies and structures refer to the formal and informal arrangements which are widely accepted within your own culture, and the ways that they determine how individuals behave and respond. For example, in some cultures the concept of an arranged marriage is still considered usual, while in other cultures it may be seen as completely unacceptable.

Some people already know a great deal about their own culture, as well as the culture of other people in their community. Other people have very limited knowledge of culture. Just because someone has a particular cultural background does not always mean they hold extensive knowledge about their own culture. Many people in Australia have grown up not knowing a lot about their own culture and background.

Reflection can help us in the workplace and in situations where we are interacting with people who may have very different familial and cultural backgrounds to our own. Reflection can help you with:

• Identifying limitations of self and social awareness
• Working with limitations
• Working inclusively
• Working effectively with others
• Identifying ways to improve social and self awareness
• Taking action to improve social and self awareness

Identifying limitations

No one is perfect and it is important to remember that everyone has limits.

What can limitations affect?

The first step is to understand that factors which limit our self- and social-awareness can be damaging to our effectiveness at work. Limitations can make it more difficult to:

• Work well with a range of clients and families
• Resolve misunderstandings
• Address communication barriers
• Provide effective training and support
• Work within Australian diversity laws
• Respond appropriately to situations of discrimination and bias
• Avoid inappropriate or derogatory language
• Build an effective, diverse and inclusive workplace
• Take action if you see or hear discrimination at work

As a community services worker, you can think about your own limits and how they affect your daily work activities. Recognise when there is something you don’t know about and take steps to learn more. Find out what you can do to be pro-active in dealing with discrimination and addressing disadvantage in the community.

Share your checklist answers with another person in your class and compare your ideas and points of view. Where were you similar and where were you different? How might your limitations affect your daily work activities in community services?

Working with own limitations

If you can identify areas where you have limits, you are better able to address them. Look back at the checklist you have just completed. Were there any areas where you struggle or have limits based on your own skills and knowledge? Highlight two of these areas then write some clear goals to help you work more effectively in a community services area that interests you. For example, you might think how your own lack of knowledge of Torres Strait Islander cultural practices might affect your ability to work with a community organisation or local government agency in the Torres Strait.

Working inclusively

It is easy to agree that working in an inclusive way is important and that we should always do this in a workplace. It is far harder to put deliberate, planned strategies in place to ensure that inclusive work practices happen each day, in all aspects of workplace operations.

There are many direct and indirect forms of discrimination and bias which occur in a workplace and taking steps to identify and address these on a personal level is a great first step to take. Think about your own biases, preferences and tendencies when it comes to working with people who are from diverse backgrounds. Consider your own knowledge and skills and how comfortable and experienced you are in working effectively across a range of groups of people.

Plan some specific ways that you can ensure you are working inclusively in your day to day activities, whether you are in a leadership position or reporting to more senior staff.

Here are some ideas to make sure you are working inclusively:

Working effectively with others

Most workplaces include teams that exist across the organisation and many people are members of more than one team. Some teams are very large while others are much smaller. Good communication is vital to the success of all teams.

It is important that all team members feel they have a voice. In a diverse work team, people communicate with each other and share the workload. They talk to each other about:

• The daily tasks
• The goals of the team
• Problems that occur
• Solutions to problems

Good teams work well together and understand that everyone brings something different and important to the team as a whole.

Strategies that help teams work together effectively include:

• Asking for and offering help to others
• Understanding that people use verbal and non verbal communication differently
• Respecting differences in body language, position, tone and style of communication
• Utilising the strengths that come along with a diverse team
• Using professional interpreting and translating services
• Using communication technology
• Asking other team members what helps them achieve their best

Case Study

Jonti is attending a youth support worker team meeting for the first time. She is a quietly spoken young woman who has just finished her training and has begun working full time in recent weeks. During the meeting, she shares an opinion about a new program flyer and social media campaign about youth mental health. She suggests that they change the background colour so the text can be read more easily by a reader who has a vision impairment or dyslexia. Another worker, Jim, loudly dismisses her suggestion and tells her there is little enough time in their meetings without catering to the needs of people who can’t even read. Jonti turns red and looks down at her hands and does not speak again for the rest of the meeting. The meeting continues and no one says anything about Jim’s attitude or Jonti’s suggestion.

Identify and take action to improve personal and social-awareness

Everyone at work has a role to play in taking action to improve their workplace.

The table below shows some of the aspects of diversity which occur in a community services workplace. Think about how you would rate your own awareness and what you could do to improve:

Case Study

Rowena works for a disability support program in Queensland and knows that many people in her community are new arrivals in Australia and speak a language other than English as their preferred language.,. Rowena feels poorly equipped to work with people with disability who are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background and knows that her knowledge and experience is very limited. Rowena asks her team leader if she can attend a training event to learn more about working with people who have a disability and are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. Rowena attends the training and learns a great deal about her unconscious bias and strategies she can use to better support her clients and their families.

Now it's your turn

1. Why do you think reflecting on your work performance is important?
2. What does unconscious bias mean to you?
3. Spend some time reading through Gibbs Reflective Model and start your own reflection journal!

In summary, this topic on reflecting on diversity has emphasized the importance of personal reflection in understanding our own views, values, and perspectives regarding diversity. By engaging in reflective practices, we gain insight into how our beliefs and experiences shape our responses in workplace situations.

Reflection is a valuable tool in the community services workplace, allowing us to examine what we value and consider important. It is not merely a passive process but rather an opportunity for action and follow-up, enabling us to apply the lessons learned.

We have explored how individuals' responses are influenced by their own thinking processes, prior experiences, and the broader views and values of the community. Factors such as culture, community, friends, and family play a significant role in shaping our thoughts and reactions.

Throughout the unit, we have examined reflection models and their effective utilization. By employing these models, we can delve deeper into our own perspectives, challenge assumptions, and foster a more inclusive mindset. This unit has empowered us to recognize the impact of our personal perspectives and strive for greater awareness and understanding of diversity in the workplace.

Engaging in personal reflection and employing effective reflection models can enhance our ability to navigate diverse situations with sensitivity and respect. Let us carry forward the lessons learned in this topic and continue to engage in reflective practices that promote inclusivity and cultural competence in our community services work.