One of the best ways to reduce inter-cultural tensions is by mentalization – understanding everyone’s viewpoints, needs and wants. Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, and even going through the process, helps to ease tensions, explained Irit Hovitz Fleishman, MSW, Founder and CEO of Grand Staff, which helps organizations and businesses manage greatly diverse staffs. Irit was the guest lecturer at the quarterly meeting of Jerusalem-based Cultural Competency Coordinators that took place on March 7, 2018, at the JICC.
Learning new tools for cultural competency with Irit Hovitz Fleishman
There were representatives from ALYN, Hadassah (Mount Scopus and Ein Kerem), Sha’are Zedek hospitals; the Jerusalem Center for Mental Health; Leumit and Meuchedet HMO’s; and even the newly-appointed Cultural Competency coordinator for the Yehuda Abarbanel Mental Health Center in Tel Aviv. Each representative was asked to bring a few case studies that required cultural sensitivity. The encounter was dedicated to learning Irit’s unique method of multi-cultural management, as well as learning practical methods by examining the case studies.
Examples included:
- Maintaining volunteers from many cultures
- Sensitivities to status and the boundaries of different positions
- Cultural adaptations of staff events and holiday-time presents
- Dealing effectively with political tensions resulting from outside events
- Managing staff meetings, dietary restrictions (Kashrut, Halal), fasts, holidays (and vacation time)
Many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation, which has been a strategic partner in Cultural Competency since its inception.
