Breaking Cultural Barriers: Unleashing the Power of Diversity with Dr. Sarah-Soonling Blackburn

After we finished recording, I told Sarah she is one of the most humble yet smartest people I know. Dr. Sarah-Soonling Blackburn has a PhD and decades of experience teaching and coaching teachers. Now, she brings this conversation about her background, her unique life story and experience with a mom who is Asian, a dad who is white American, and the intersection of those worlds. In her upbringing, she lived and traveled around the world. The cultural differences that she watched and experienced gave her an opportunity to see the world, relationships, and people for who they are. She grew to celebrate each person, and to elevate their unique, distinct differences. It's not a win-loss, zero-sum game. There's an opportunity for all of us to truly hear the stories of the people around us. And that's what we're going to talk about today with Dr. Sarah-Soonling Blackburn. Show Outline 1:14 - Understanding Cultural Differences2:41 - Recognizing Value Judgments8:23 - Effective Communication in Diverse Settings9:59 - The importance of proactive thinking and equitable voices12:59 - Recognizing the need to break our brains for adaptation18:05 - Recognizing and embracing cultural differences20:37 - The importance of diversity for business success21:30 - Creating a culture of trust and healthy conflict22:11 - Navigating cultural differences in the deep south30:51 - The importance of being proud of oneself31:55 - The power of storytelling for children39:32 - Recognizing and challenging value judgments Quotes from the Show 38:52 - "I wish I had learned that every time you really think you're hitting a wall is when something truly transformative can happen if you're willing to let it."6:11 - "That feeling is often a good cue that there's some kind of judgmental thought going along." Connect with Dr. Blackburn SarahSoonling.comLinkedIn Episode 57 - Full Transcript Coming soon!