Carbondale Reporter

Comfort zones, community connection and civility were front and center at a recent two-hour cultural competency workshop conducted by Carbondale resident and ISU Professor Randy Burnside for all city employees.

Loosely defined as the ability to appreciate and interpret individuals from other cultures accurately, cultural competence consists of four components: developing awareness of one's own cultural world view, reviewing one’s attitude toward cultural differences, gaining knowledge of different cultural practices and world views, and developing cross-cultural skills.

During the session, Burnside outlined five key points: acknowledging and overcoming biases, reducing isolation from less-familiar aspects or areas, stepping out of one’s comfort zone, striving for community connection, and remembering the importance of civility in the workplace and how that translates into the surrounding community.

“An overwhelming majority of the city workers were receptive to the training, and it was good to be able to train people in the community in which I reside because there is a personal connection to bring about change,” Burnside said about the workshop event.

City Manager Gary Williams, who was pleased with the results, anticipates more training in Carbondale’s future.

“The city is committed to providing all employees with the tools and training to better understand and appreciate our differences,” Williams said. “We will continue to provide this type of training to ensure that our employees better understand the customers that we serve.”