Communicating Across Diverse Perspectives: Connecting for a Common Goal

Communicating Across Diverse Perspectives: Connecting for a Common Goal

Janet Ohene-Frempong

Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Our closing keynote speaker will address the challenges of moving from “clear” health-related communication to “effective” health-related communication, especially when communicating across diverse populations of people, in rapidly changing times. We have guidelines for communicating clearly. We can make information easy to read, hear, and even understand. But can we also communicate effectively? In other words, can we do so without boring, alienating, and even offending people? Hopefully, we try. But it’s becoming increasingly apparent that it is sometimes easier to hope for than to actually achieve. Perceived microaggressions, along with rapidly shifting norms for what is acceptable terminology, can make “walking the talk” of promoting social justice and health equity feel like walking on eggshells.

Explore the steps we can take to minimize unintended biases and perceived microaggressions that undermine our communications about health and wellbeing. Explore, as well, the strategic value of uniting against a common foe – the intentional macro-aggressions that undermine efforts to support health equity, honor diversity, and work for the social inclusion.  By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the difference between communicating clearly and communicating effectively.
• Identify 3 steps we can take to address and minimize unintended biases and perceived microaggressions in our health communications
• Identify one step we can take to unite against the violent macro-aggressions that threaten our health, our safety, and our very lives.