Breaking Barriers Building Bridges: - ERI Library - Northern Arizona ...

28Moving to the point of “mutual resonance” may involvenegotiation between the sub-cultures involved in the collaborativeprocess. However, before sitting down to negotiate it is importantto ask several questions:fffffffffWhat does your culture/sub-culture have to offer?What is your culture’s basic philosophy and how might itprovide support for the process?What are your culture’s myths/stories/narratives and howcould they be applied to push the process forward and/or toprovide insights during difficult situations?What are your culture’s structural and workforce capacity,and how might these assets be used to advance the goals ofthe collaborative?What facilities or equipment can your culture provide toadvance the process?What are the philosophies, backgrounds, and experiences ofother cultures in the process?What positive attributes do the other cultures have to offer?Who can help you understand the perspectives of the othercultures in the process; what possible social bridges exist tounderstanding other cultures?What are the cultural barriers that will have to be bridgedin order to reach a “mutual resonance” or zone of agreement?Working with various cultural (or sub-cultural)perspectives requires good information, insight, and purposefulcommunication. When discussing issues, pay close attention tothe cultural perspectives you hear, then frame and reframe yourquestions and discussion to get through whatever barriers tocommunication and understanding may exist. Cultural differencesmay remain, but by attempting to honestly discover culturalperspectives is the first step toward collaboration.