You are supervising a recently hired team member. Although the person is performing his assigned tasks well, you wish he would take more initiative in his role. You feel frustrated that he always waits for your clear direction.
Your organization is hiring. You found a great candidate for the role in terms of skills and experience, but you notice that she avoids eye contact with you during the interview process.
Your manager regularly gives you feedback on your work that feels harsh and overly critical. You’ve begun to feel defensive whenever you enter into a meeting with them. You feel demoralized.
When faced with situations like these, it can be easy to make assumptions about behaviours we observe in others – assumptions that may result in missed opportunities, escalated team conflict, ineffective performance management, or lost resources. Ultimately, misunderstanding culturally-informed behaviours can negatively impact the success of your business.
By 2031, it is estimated that one in three workers will be born outside of Canada. With increasing diversity, it is essential to create culturally inclusive workplaces in order to develop high-performing teams.
For over 40 years, EMCN has been supporting employers and immigrants in navigating the impacts of cultural differences at work in order to maximize the potential of our diverse workforce in Canada.
Join EMCN and keynote speaker Mohamad Fakih, and leading expert on Canadian Workplace Culture Matt Adolphe, for the Creating Culturally Inclusive Workplaces workshop on September 21. You will benefit from real-world examples, interactive discussion, practical tools, and actionable steps that you can immediately begin implementing to more successfully recruit and retain culturally diverse talent in your organization.
Matt Adolphe, B.A., M.A.
Matt is an author, a keynote speaker, and a leading expert on Canadian workplace culture. Also, he is an experienced course facilitator who has developed communication courses for newcomers to Canada and job seekers looking for success in their careers. He facilitates a variety of professional courses in a variety of industries typically focusing on diversity, inclusion, leadership, and communication skills in the workplace. His two books are “Would You Hire You?” and “Canadian Workplace Culture: Mastering the Unspoken Rules.”
Also, Matt holds a B.A. in Indigenous Studies and History from Laurentian University and an M.A. in Communication Management from the University of South Australia. Overall, he has been teaching English, History, Culture, and Communication for 25 years in Korea, Japan, Macao, and Canada. Apart from his professional work, his other activities have included: political organizer, volunteer, career coach, communication/media consultant, actor, writer, radio DJ, studio musician, and speech writer. Also, he became the first TV English News presenter in Macao’s broadcasting history in 2004.
Mohamad Fakih
Arriving in Canada, Mohamad Fakih had $1300 in his pocket. He bought a near bankrupt restaurant and built it into one of North America’s fastest growing Middle Eastern Halal food chains – Paramount Fine Foods, while becoming one of the country’s most respected philanthropists.
When COVID hit, Mohamad needed to ensure both his business and community would continue to thrive. Forbes magazine covered his pivot – launching new brands including Box’d; Canada’s first fully automated ‘safe’ restaurant – with an even larger staff than before to support his team. His Paramount business also donated 10,000’s of meals to food banks, shelters and front line workers.
Mohamad inspires audiences to implement strategies that result in successful teams and businesses while ultimately giving back to the community in effective and sustainable ways, and sharing success with others in order to create lasting change and a new Kinder Capitalism.
About EMCN
Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN) offers holistic supports for all immigrants and refugees. With the right information, resources, and experienced staff to guide them, newcomers shift from a state of surviving to a state of thriving. EMCN is a values-driven organization; our work is rooted in social justice, responsibility, compassion and diversity. EMCN’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for Newcomers and all Canadians. We envision a future where many citizens walk with newcomers to bridge their transition into the community. To achieve this vision, we serve as a key catalyst and leading collaborator in positively shaping the attitudes, behaviours and practices of organizations and individuals to value the diversity that newcomers bring to the community.
