How To Do Better: One on One Mentoring
One on One Mentoring is a way to help people know what to do when confronted with racism or when they witness it.
Cultural blind spots are a natural part of being human, but we can’t let that stop us from learning about each other, understanding each other and growing together as a community.
To reduce cultural blind spots and build community, we need to develop conversational competence regarding cultural, racial differences and biases.
We also want people to embrace curiosity and empathy for people unlike themselves so they can develop conversations that build bridges instead of barriers between people.
In the sessions for this package,
we will cover the following:
Session 1
Go over the completed personal inventory with them.
In this session, we’ll go over the completed inventory the client received before our first meeting. It will serve as a springboard for discussion about people’s strengths and weaknesses. We’ll also discuss what areas of improvement they want to focus on during their time at ATLA.
Session 2
When you’re working with a group of people who have all had different life experiences, it’s important to help them engage with each other’s perspectives critically.
So in this session, we’ll be discussing how to do better.
- Ask about the group they have the race or ethnicity about which they noted having the least understanding.
- Ask what they’ve heard about them.
- Help the person engage with the things they heard critically.
- Challenge them to learn more.
Minding the gap
- How comfortable do you feel talking about race?
- How comfortable do you want to be?
- What are the barriers?
Session 3
The process of researching a group you know least about can be a little daunting, but it’s also an essential part of the DEI training process. The session contains the following processes:
- Ask the person what they learned about the group they knew least about.
- How did the process of researching make them feel?
- Has what they’ve learned had any effect on how the person views the group?
We will also talk about, Understanding Racism and How To Manage Bias.
Understanding racism is the first step in working to eliminate it. In this session, we’ll discuss what racism is, where it comes from, the ways in which bias can creep into your decisions and actions, etc–and what you can do about it.
We will also discuss the ways in which systemic racism -amongst other things- is embedded in our society and culture. We will explore how it manifests itself in our daily lives, as well as how it affects our work as leaders.
Session 4
Guidance in reframing your thinking when it comes to marginalized groups
In this session, you’ll also learn how to shift your language when talking about marginalized identities to the degree you deem appropriate. You’ll also be guided in framing your interactions with people who belong to marginalized groups in a way that is respectful and empowering for them.
This is an important part of the training because it will help you understand how to approach others in a way that doesn’t make them feel inferior or less than human. It’s important for leaders to be able to communicate effectively with all types of people–and that means not making assumptions about what they can or cannot do based on their identity.
Session 5
Guidance on deciding what kind of allyship you’re available for and how you will grow into that role.
As you learn and grow your leadership, it’s important to remember that your allyship is a journey. We’ll discuss how to decide what kind of allyship is right for you and how to work with others in your organization to make sure everyone has an equal voice in the decision-making process.
Session 6
Teaching you the processes I’ve developed for smoothing intercultural communication
You’ve come a long way, but you’re not there yet.
In this session, you’ll learn how to get from where you are now to where you want to be in the future. You’ll learn the processes we’ve developed for smoothing intercultural communication, the strategies we use in my own interactions.
Are you ready for ATLA to help?
At ATLA we work with leaders and individuals alike on how to do better when confronted with racially problematic comments or behavior.
To some extent, leaders use DEI to firewall themselves off from having difficult conversations about race. Mostly because they don’t know how or where to have them themselves. Sometimes it’s just a matter of taking a step back and thinking about the situation from another person’s perspective. Other times, it requires an intentional effort to look at our own biases and try to correct them.
Either way, we believe that personal growth is what makes us great leaders.