What is Relating Across Difference?
Relating Across Difference is a coaching program that offers a relational approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Participants learn to build relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect across professional and social identity differences as they lead organizational change and performance improvement. Participants are supported by workshops and ongoing coaching from RAD instructors, including Wale Olaleye, PhD, MA, MBA, BPharm, Anthony Suchman, MD, MA, and Jody Hoffer Gittell, PhD.
RAD is a relational approach to DEI that
- Develops relationships based on shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect across both professional differences (e.g., nurse, doctor, medical assistant, pharmacist, patient care assistant, administrator) and personal differences (e.g., race, gender, class, political views, immigration status, age) thereby reinforcing interprofessional practice training and diversity, equity and inclusion training.
- Uses relational coordination as a validated model for coordinating interdependent work.
- Uses a coaching model to help participants build relationships across difference as part of their organizational change and performance improvement work.
- Was developed and tested in partnership with Cleveland Clinic/Case Western Reserve University, Massachusetts General Brigham, and The RELATE Lab at Oregon Health Science University.
- Is based at Brandeis University's Institute on Healthcare Systems, supported by the Josiah Macy Foundation, the Consortium for Curriculum Development, and the Relational Coordination Collaborative.
Expected results
We expect that participants will experience higher levels of comfort with professional and personal differences than they were prior to participation. As a result, they will experience higher levels of relational coordination, psychological safety, job satisfaction, work engagement, reduced burnout and increased intent to stay. We expect that participants will be more successful in achieving desired performance outcomes than they were prior to participation.
RAD Toolbox
To help coaches and their organizations to disseminate the work, the RAD Toolbox includes 1) frameworks, 2) communication skills and tools, and 3) visualization and assessment tools. This RAD Toolbox is publicly accessible through the Relational Coordination Collaborative.