Hello and welcome! We’re excited to work with you.
The challenges we address stem from beliefs, assumptions, and convictions that run deep. They are not likely to be resolved in a two or a four-hour seminar. With this in mind, DPC’s workshops and seminars should be thought of as a starting point for open communication, building trust, and welcoming a diversity of perspectives—they are not an endpoint. This page is designed help clients understand some of the ways participants may respond to our approach. We also offer some suggestions for how to continue the work we’ll begin together.
Because of the variety of possible responses to this work, it’s important for clients to be clear with themselves and with participants about the goals—particularly with respect to the kind of workplace or organizational culture that’s desired. DPC can help you with this. Articulating those goals will help keep your organization’s culture on track in the medium and long-term.
Some participants might feel relief after working with us. They might feel comforted by the possibility of an environment where they can express themselves, ask questions, and not worry quite so much about walking on eggshells. They might feel validated in the sense that they’ve been given, for the first time, the tools, language, and framework, to engage on complicated and controversial issues.
Other participants might feel concerned or worried about the implications of welcoming a diversity of perspectives. They might feel concern right off the bat or they might feel enthusiasm at first and then, upon further reflection, have doubts. They might feel conflicted about some of what’s proposed—for instance, that both feelings and intent matter. Or by the suggestion that letting our behavior and our interactions be governed solely by whether someone is offended by something can be incompatible with open communication, viewpoint diversity, and trust.
Real change takes time and commitment
Let’s face it. The kind of change we’re talking about doesn’t come easily. Working with Diverse Perspectives Consulting is the right place to start for cultural shifts, but a single seminar should not be thought of as an endpoint. Building a new climate takes time and conscious effort. This type of open communication is like a muscle that has to be flexed—if left alone, it will atrophy.
You have options when it comes to flexing the muscle we’ll work on. One option is through sustained engagement with DPC. Working with us on a regular basis—a relationship that can take many forms—can help keep you on track as you’re adjusting to your new norms.
While we welcome the opportunity to stay engaged with you in the medium to long-term, we recognize that this isn’t the right choice for everyone. One alternative might be to lead discussion groups on your own—this can be a way of reaffirming values of trust, open communication, and viewpoint diversity. The point is to keep the conversation going.