Gracious SpaceGracious SpaceCreating A Safe Place for Authentic DialogueCreating A Safe Place for Authentic Dialogue

Amidst Diversity Amidst Diversity

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Rita K. Adeniran, DrNP, RN, CMAC, NEA, BCRita K. Adeniran, DrNP, RN, CMAC, NEA, BCDirector, Diversity and InclusionDirector, Diversity and Inclusion

University of Pennsylvania Health SystemUniversity of Pennsylvania Health SystemRobert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse FellowRobert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow

PA Action Coalition Nursing PA Action Coalition Nursing

Diversity councilDiversity council

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ObjectivesObjectives

Discuss “gracious space” and “confident humility” as effective tools for creating a safe place for authentic dialogue

Describe the principles of gracious space and confident humility as enablers of excellence amidst diversity

Creating a Safe Place Creating a Safe Place ……

The principles of gracious space can help us create an environment where we trust enough to be vulnerable, have the courage to engage in authentic and respectful dialogue and utilize a sense of confident humility to further interpersonal and group understanding

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(Hughes, 2004; Center For Creative Leadership, 2013)

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A spirit and a setting where we ‘invite the stranger’

and we ‘embrace learning in public’.

To invite the stranger means we need diverse perspectives to see the whole picture and gain clarity on the subject

Learning in public means we will “truly listen to a new thought or a conflicting idea and are open to changing our minds.”

(Hughes, 2004)

What is Gracious Space What is Gracious Space (GS)?(GS)?

Why Gracious Space Why Gracious Space (GS)?(GS)?

Contemporary organizations are fast and complex

Need for efficiency has justified and almost eradicated relationships among individuals and groups

Presence of incessant escalation of violence in the political and entertainment media

Existence of polarizing forces that dictate who is included and excluded

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Let’s embrace Gracious Space- a willingness to infuse some gentleness into the rising cruelty of our world

GS principles empower individual to:GS principles empower individual to:

Give opinions without fear of criticism

Have respect for difference in spite of disagreements or conflicts

Hold off judging based on different perspectives or culture

Step back and reflect on assumptions, especially in conflicting situations

Be curious, willing to learn and be influenced

Slow down and truly listen.

GS is useful when there is a GS is useful when there is a need to:need to:

Bring openness and creativity to work

Make decisions with-out all the information

Resolve conflicts, difficult issues and divergent

viewpoints

Utilize more data than can be truly processed to make

decisions

Work with diverse groups towards a common goal

Vulnerable

Voice disagreement

Curious

Compassionate

Inclusive

Confronted by unprecedented change in our country’s healthcare, the need for graciousness could not be clearer or louder. Healthcare providers, staff, organizations and society must respond to the diverse viewpoints and/or polarity with graciousness

(Rita K. Adeniran)

The gracious space environment makes it The gracious space environment makes it possible for people to possible for people to trust trust enough to enough to be:be:

Confident Humility Confident Humility

Confident Humility facilitates learning and “effective interaction ”

Confident Humility is the self-awareness that we all have wisdom and other assets to contribute and always have more to learn from each other regardless of our differences

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Center For Creative Leadership

Operationalizing Confident Operationalizing Confident Humility Humility

Speak your truth

Lean into discomfort and lean into each

other

Commit to Non-closure (Be Open)

Embrace Paradox

Seek intentionality, not perfection

Build and maintain trust

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May require the use of a complexity lens

“You don't see something until you have the right metaphor to let you perceive it”. Thomas Kuhn

Seeing Clearly Amidst Seeing Clearly Amidst DiversityDiversity

“Let's commit to establishing a “safe space for advancing Diversity,

Inclusion and Cultural Competency in PA”

The Gracious Space Philosophy

can support us to create and sustain a safe space to help us advance diversity, inclusivity and cultural

competence in PA and beyond!!!

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Proposing A GS Proposing A GS Philosophy for the PA Philosophy for the PA

Action Coalition Action CoalitionNursing Diversity Nursing Diversity

CouncilCouncil

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