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Typical diversity programs often tell participants what to think and what not to say.
Far too often people leave feeling upset, afraid and convinced that the best policy is to repeat what they are told and hide their true beliefs.
Memphis-based Linda S. Wallace Communications offers a unique approach that meets individuals where they are and offers tools to promote self-guided learning. Participants use cultural audits to help assess their strengths and weaknesses, audit their pace of progress and manage their cultural shades.
In the 21st century, forward-thinking corporations, schools and nonprofits need to create safe spaces where individuals can gather to untangle multi-layered diversity issues, hold meaningful dialogs and enhance their ability to think their way through sticky situations.
Knowledge-Based Solutions
Linda S. Wallace, a professional writer and highly experienced organizational trainer, specializes in handling difficult and complex multicultural communications.
A former newspaper journalist, she currently facilitates and leads public and private workshops that promote the 3 “C's" of cultural competency: connection, communication and collaboration.
Her Memphis-based, full-service communications firm offers a range of training and communication services including:
Internal and external communications strategies:
Strategic messaging that is rich in vision and purpose and speaks to multiple audiences.
Professional writing services: Impactful report writing, thought-provoking speech writing, opinion pieces and event scripts that incorporate the warm textures of diversity and open pathways to listening and learning.
Public relations and marketing: Dynamic multicultural outreach campaigns and communication strategies that connect organizations with ethnic markets and lay a foundation for partnerships and collaboration.
Diversity & Cultural Transformation: A variety of workshops and customized materials are available for beginning and advanced learners. Participants engage in inquiry-based learning so the cultural journey can continue even after the workshop ends. The workshops cover belief systems, intercultural communications, cultural shades (biases), inclusive practices and policies and evidence-based decision-making.
Research: Newsletters and publications that summarize the evolving body of research involving diversity, cultural competence, multicultural communications and adult learning.
Ms. Wallace, a blogger who writes about Cultural IQ, is a national presenter on cultural competency. Recent events include the Conference for Unity and Hope (Memphis, Tenn.); Yom Limmud, Jewish Day of Learning in Houston, TX.; National Liberty Museum Teaching Training; and Diversity Day speaker for the Naval Exchange Service Command in Virginia BeachLinda S. Wallace, a professional writer and highly experienced organizational trainer, specializes in handling difficult and complex multicultural communications.
Popular workshop topics include:
Classroom Management / Can I Say That
Managing your class is like putting together a puzzle. You need all the parts to fit together to help your students succeed. What preparations do highly effective teachers make to assure the smooth running of their classrooms? What are the components of a well-managed classroom? A veteran educator/facilitator will provide practical tools to manage the class and these differences. Discover how to spark curiosity, boost confidence, avoid arguments and benefit from our increasingly smaller world. Both new and experienced teachers will benefit from a proactive approach to managing their classrooms.
What Color Are Your Shades?
This cultural competency workshop for beginners fosters the four basic C's of cultural competence: cultivate, connect, communicate and collaborate. Using a gentle language that opens ears to listening, hearts to feeling and mouths to talking, participants engage in hands-on learning activities that allow them to identify the cultural shades they often bring to work with them. They then explore how those lenses - aka biases - can affect their ability to interact with colleagues and the public. Difficult workplace issues are framed in a way that minimizes tensions and maximizes opportunities for discovery and self-examination. With a new cultural competency tool kit in hand, workers and managers are better positioned to unleash the power of diversity and foster inclusive, highly productive workplaces.
How to Train Your Dragon: Want to learn how to think like a newspaper reader? Every day, millions of people voice opinions, complaints and ideas on their favorite media Web sites. Managing a community of difference requires skill, patience and the right tools. Linda S. Wallace, author of Cultural IQ, has spent 10 years interviewing and talking with some of the most vocal online opinion makers. Her high-performance tool box of culturally competent techniques help journalists to minimize online tensions, foster understanding, increase organizational credibility, broaden reader demographics and allow a wide range of beliefs to be fully debated.
The workshop covers:
• Cultural shades and filters
• Gender- and race-neutral writing techniques
• Framing stories with multicultural lenses
• Impactful communication in diverse communities
• Problem-solving techniques
