Bridging Differences Module

1. Bridging Differences Module Building leadership bridges in the context of global leadership and diversity 1.0—MDT1103 © 2003 Center for Creative Leadership. All Rights Reserved.

2. 222 In an increasingly interdependent and diverse world a major leadership challenge is the need for shared direction, alignment, and commitment across groups of people with very different histories, perspectives, values, and cultures.

3. 150 Within this context, CCL’s core philosophy around self-awarenessincludes and transcends leadership styles, values, & behaviors to also include an understanding of one’s social identity - our membership in social groups based on differences in gender, religion, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social economic status, nationality, and beyond.

4. 038 To address this need, the Bridging Differences module provides a series of interactive activities in a secure, learning environment to allow participants to build new awareness necessary to understanding the multiple identities of self and other and to build bridges and find common ground across those differences.

5. 143 The module is organized into 3 sections. It is designed for a heterogeneous, mixed identity audience. Section I asks participants to explore the nature of complex challenges associated with globalization and diversity.

6. 136 Section II invites participants to complete a map of their Multiple Identities and to reflect upon what aspects of their identity help them to build bridges and find common ground in the face of their organization’s complex challenges.

7. 146 Finally, Section III is based on the belief that although we, in our leadership roles, have the intention of building bridges and strengthening our common ground we sometimes find things getting in our way.

8. 010 In this final section, participants use a CCL innovation called Visual Explorer to create metaphors and images to illustrate those times in which we fall short of our higher intentions and we are not able to get to our destination and we feel stuck.

9. 158 The module concludes by debriefing the participants’ experience with dialogue through imagery and asks participants to identity an insight they have gained and an action step they can take to bridge differences in either their professional or personal lives.

10. 152 Depending on client context and need additional content available includes self-assessments or a section on role playing the dialogue techniques of active listening, reflecting content, reflecting feelings, asking clarifying questions, and positive assertion.

11. 167 Further, while the module was developed initially to address the challenges of global leadership and diversity it can be adapted to address a number of leadership challenges associated with the complexity of spanning social, organizational, and societal boundaries.

12. 051 Thank you for your interest.

13. For more information contact: Lad@leaders.ccl.org 1.0—MDT1103 © 2003 Center for Creative Leadership. All Rights Reserved.