Here are some best practices to look for among providers who have truly engrained the concept of cultural humility in their work:

They offer training and professional development on cultural humility in the form of professional reading, mentorship, membership in equity and diversity special interest groups and conference attendance.
They encourage clients to voice concerns about microaggressions or discomfort during interactions with consultants (with a clear and established channel) and humbly take action to honor each concern that is raised.
They include specific questions about cultural humility on surveys for critical, objective feedback. For example, in follow-up surveys, we include: "My behavior expert was respectful and considerate of my cultural background, and was open to my perspective when giving suggestions/strategies, with 0 being not at all and 10 being very much."
They conduct ongoing quality checks, including sitting in on consultations between consultants and clients with prior consent, and include cultural humility items on performance rating scales.
They encourage the completion of online assessments to uncover implicit biases.
They create coaching tools to directly measure cultural humility.
They establish critical self-reflection and self-management as ongoing, professional improvement goals.

While it might sound counterintuitive for the "expert" to be a learner in a consultative relationship, think for a moment of the connectedness and trust that could be established when each member of the relationship is empowered. While the efficacy of many clinical practices is predicated on a multitude of factors, prioritizing culturally humble behavior in the relationship is a conscious and empathetic way to set all parties up for success.

Instant Insights /

Why cultural humility is key to successful employee benefits

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