Managing Diversity - Staying Upto Date on Diversity

Staying up to date within the career development profession is something not often taught at university or college — it is something every practitioner has to figure out for themselves. CDPs must stay actively engaged in the learning process as they juggle responsibilities at work and at home. Learning and growing as a CDP is a lifelong process, not something completed once formal studies have finished.

Case study

Claire is a CDP who qualified many years ago. She is seasoned and passionate about developing learners so they can achieve their very best, and she prides herself on staying abreast of developments affecting careers in South Africa. She has noticed how the country has changed over the past twenty years, including the rise in unemployment and the psychosocial challenges of poverty that people continue to endure — challenges that shape the landscape learners must navigate as they develop themselves in an uncertain environment. Claire has also noticed that racial intolerance remains widespread in South Africa, despite efforts to build an integrated society. She sometimes catches herself judging people and quickly corrects her thinking. Claire understands there is no room for judgement, and she is always auditing herself when it comes to managing diversity.

Auditing professional competency in managing diversity

Competency in diversity management is determined by a CDP's ability to approach career support through the lens of the client's world. This means that a practitioner's own cultural values or biases must never take priority over the client's. It is critical to the profession that CDPs constantly audit themselves in relation to diversity issues.

Career practitioners must acknowledge their own cultural values and biases. A CDP must take cognisance of any biases they hold, or any cultural values that could limit their practice. For a practitioner to expand their skills, they need to acknowledge their own heritage and the impact that oppression, racism and stereotyping have had on them. CDPs need to enquire into other cultures and practices in order to understand them and grow.

Understanding the client's worldview

Competent CDPs understand and are aware that a client's culture and race influence their personality, decision-making and vocational choices. CDPs must understand and appreciate that a client's worldview may differ from their own. To become better at managing diversity, practitioners must be aware of their emotional reactions to different ethnic groups and have knowledge of the populations they work with. Practitioners should seek the assistance of a mentor or supervisor when emotional reactions to clients interfere with their practice.

Preparing culturally appropriate intervention strategies

To build competence in managing diversity, practitioners afford clients positive regard and respect for their religious views, values, practices and beliefs. Practitioners must seek to understand cultural family dynamics, hierarchies or discriminatory practices that might affect the client. Practitioners must strive to communicate in ways that transcend race, ethnicity and prejudice. It is essential to the profession and to practice that practitioners "do no harm", either directly or indirectly, in their dealings with clients. It is not always easy to judge what is culturally appropriate unless practitioners understand the culture and norms of their clients.

There are a few additional ways to stay up to date, such as reading on the subject, joining relevant organisations, and undertaking Continuing Professional Development (CPD) — though this is not an exhaustive list.

Improving your micro-skills

Take a refresher course on micro-skills, which include negotiating, paraphrasing and summarising, attending behaviour, reflection of meaning, and client observation. These skills are essential and are applied constantly throughout the career support process to build rapport with clients, so taking a refresher course is a good idea.

Committing to continuous learning

CDPs must commit to ongoing professional development to enhance their service delivery, which means remaining open to learning. This can be achieved by attending workshops, courses and conferences, and through other learning pathways, including online learning.

Improving personal and professional effectiveness

Making an active effort to increase your effectiveness can help CDPs become more organised in their daily tasks. Effectiveness strategies that can be implemented include better time management, increased emotional resilience and revised goal-setting.

Adjusting to each client

When working with clients from diverse backgrounds, it is important to remain flexible and responsive. Each client has a different mindset and emotional state, so the practitioner must adjust their approach accordingly. A client's behaviour can sometimes become challenging if they do not wish to be in a session. Practitioners must try to understand the client so that their own goals and desired outcomes for the session align with those of the client.

Considering volunteering

Practitioners should consider volunteering with a community organisation or not-for-profit. This allows them to apply their skills and knowledge to a wider audience, and builds new skills for engaging with a broader range of diversity than they might normally encounter in day-to-day practice. Remember that diversity is not limited to ethnicity, religion or language — it also includes socioeconomic class. Stepping outside your comfort zone is a valuable way to learn about diversity while learning about wider societal issues.