Being culturally sensitive can help you be a better coworker, classmate, and friend. Anyone who is willing can learn to exhibit cultural sensitivity. It’s as simple as following these five steps:

Value and respect diversity. Take an honest look at your attitudes and beliefs—is there ethnocentrism there? What about stereotypes? If you want to be culturally sensitive, these negative attitudes must be erased. When you encounter a person who is different from you, instead of viewing any differences as problems, value his/her unique perspective and consider it a benefit and a valuable resource. Perhaps s/he can help you learn a new language, become your mentor, or help you brainstorm for new ideas and solutions. And, remember that this goes both ways—what can you offer him/her?

Educate yourself. Fear and ignorance can cause cultural insensitivity, but you can overcome them if you commit to learning more about other people and cultures. One of the best and simplest ways to do so is to just ask questions and listen. Ask your new coworker what he likes best about his home country. Ask your friend who is living with cerebral palsy about the challenges she faces in her daily life. People will respect you if you show genuine interest in them without appearing “nosy.” Other ways that you can educate yourself include:
- Attending a diversity training class or workshop
- Reading about different cultures
- Watching movies from or documentaries about different countries and cultures
- Attending cultural events or festivals
- Traveling abroad

Build friendships. Having a diverse group of friends can greatly enrich your life. Building friendships is often as easy as just demonstrating kindness to a person you see every day at school or work. You don’t have to change who you are to become friends with someone who is different from you—remember to be yourself. Look for common ground between the two of you—it could be a love for the same band, a shared interest in art, or similar taste in fashion.

Be flexible and patient. Being culturally sensitive is a lifelong process, not a goal you achieve once and then you’re finished. You may make mistakes along the way, but don’t be too hard on yourself—no one is perfect. If you accidentally offend someone, don’t get defensive—own up to your mistake, apologize, let the person know you’ve learned something from it, and do your best to make sure it doesn’t happen again. S/He’ll appreciate your sincerity. Flexibility is important, too. You may have to adjust to accommodate another person from time to time. If someone on your committee is Jewish and is observing a religious holiday next week, you can reschedule that meeting until the next day.

Communicate, communicate, communicate! Remember that miscommunications are the main cause of cultural conflicts. By focusing on communicating clearly, you can help solve many problems. There are many cultural barriers that can impede good communication, but you must continue identifying them and working to overcome them. Your willingness to try is an indicator of your cultural sensitivity. If there’s something you don’t understand about another person’s culture, ask him/her! You’ll be surprised how willing people are to share with you. When you commit to being culturally sensitive, you and everyone around you will benefit.