Cultural Competence to Cultural Humility

Fresh Ideas from Us

Are you familiar with the concept of cultural humility? 

In our work, we’re always trying to support each other and our clients in becoming the best possible versions of ourselves: raising our personal and collective consciousness, connectedness to humanity, and—ultimately— our tangible and long-term shared success. 

One way to do that is by considering which skill sets can be most powerful in supporting the evolution of our clients and their teams. Pushing our thinking and habits toward cultural humility is an important piece of this puzzle.

Most references you’ll find to this term are in healthcare and other social services, but the practice can and should be applied in all realms of life and work. Boston Medical Center offers one definition of cultural humility as, “a dynamic and lifelong process focusing on self-reflection and personal critique, acknowledging one’s own biases. It recognizes the shifting nature of intersecting identities and encourages ongoing curiosity rather than an endpoint.”

Why does it matter on your team?

An important component of cultural humility is the focus on the individual not only learning about other cultures, but starting first with a deeper examination of their personal beliefs and cultural identities and how they impact our interactions with those around us. At Liberation Labs, we sometimes refer to these as, “perceptual filters.” We often start our education and training work with clients with the foundational practice of developing awareness of our personal perceptual filters.

Watch this video to learn more about how perceptual filters can impact communication.

Quote from Somebody Else

“It is not inclusion if you invite people into a space you are unwilling to change.” — Dr. Muna Abdi

Probing Question

How might you begin to bring deeper cultural humility to your work and team this month?