Dr. Nita Mosby-Tyler, Owner of The Equity Project, LLC enlightened the group in how to be more inclusive while communicating with different cultures, backgrounds and language barriers.  “The problem is, we hire diversity but then have a culture that rewards conformity.”  Nita explained the difference between competency “ability to understand,” versus responsiveness “ability to learn,” and why this is so important.

Nita presented eight tips for good cross-cultural communication:

1. Speak clearly and slowly
2. Avoid using slang terms or abbreviations
3. Be respectful
4. Always err on the side of professionalism
5. Be understanding
6. Write out any words, numbers or phrases causing a barrier to effective communication
7. Listen and repeat
8. Be conscious of personal space

She ended her presentation with another personal quote “the goal in all of this is not perfection, its excellence.”