Methodology - Nina Madaffari

Back in the days when DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) was not yet such a popular acronym…

…I was delivering courses to build intercultural skills. Thanks to the studies of pioneers like Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars on cultural dimensions and more modern contributions from Richard D. Lewis and others of this caliber, I trained intercultural skills in an Italian landscape that was becoming global faster than ever - too fast for comfort and too fast to even realize that specific skills were needed.

Intercultural development has always been a game changer.

Intercultural skills have become a “must have” for any leader. If you aren’t already working in a global context, the possibility of being exposed, to some degree, to an intercultural or diversity issue is just around the corner, no matter how small your business is or how confined your sector is.

Not only can more openness to diverse contexts become handy for foreign relations, it can offer many other benefits: from strengthening company culture, to dealing with any type of diversity, to becoming more aware of your behaviours or simply becoming more, open, empathetic or curious and, of course, far less resistant to change.

Many assessment tools now measure cultural intelligence and I have since been offering Intercultural Coaching to develop Culture Quotient (CQ) capabilities: knowledge and understanding, confidence and motivation, adaptability and self awareness and strategy.

A higher culture quotient is a key asset
for any manager, leader and business owner.

From DM (Diversity Management) to D&I (Diversity and Inclusion) to DEI (which incorporates Equity), to the latest buzz word DEIB (which incorporates belonging), companies are looking for ways to improve.

But the bottom line is that the focus is on the “differences” and this clashes with a positive approach that is so essential to my work and to ensure success for my clients. Differences separate. They evoke resistance, generate stress and provoke forced adaptation. Research in neurosciences and positive psychology show how different parts of your brain activate when positive thoughts reign. So some ten years ago, I embraced the challenge “to ensure positivity when overcoming differences” and that’s how my approach to Uniqueness Management © was born.

Although not surprisingly, people accustomed to diverse contexts are very positive and welcoming towards diversity. I, for one, am actually attracted to and by diversity, especially cultural diversity. I search for it, get excited and embrace it. I see the richness and bring home the value of the new discoveries.

What some people see as “different” and stressful, an obstacle to overcome or a major change to adapt to, others see as a discovery of something “unique” and new, that enlightens them and stimulates innovation or creativity. And funny enough, these are the same effects that positive thoughts have on your brain.

Whereas a standard approach to diversity starts with the “differences and how to adapt to them” (a high risk for a negative starting point), Uniqueness Management © shifts immediately to the search for unique and special values (a more positive thinking approach).

The Uniqueness Management © methodology starts here and transcends in any service I deliver. And I can guarantee that this approach will bring positivity to you, your team, your company and your world.