This report just in from anonymous seminar participant whistle blower.
The seminar participants work for various governmental and international organizations that are intolerant of criticism – especially from their employees. They are all middle or high level career management professionals. None wanted to risk his job. Therefore, let me pass on her story.
Dr. Tatsushi Arai arrived to regale us with his academic acumen and professional experience regarding conflict resolution and multicultural communication. We all work in foreign countries (crisis zones, failed states, competing states, natural disasters). We actually perform the work in crisis conditions in countries all over the world. It is not a mere subject of study for us.
What we encountered was a patriarchal bully who routinely insulted women participants with his arrogant, sexist, dismissal of their contributions. He routinely interrupted male participants in a similar fashion of superiority, but not quite as sexist. The difference was obvious. He particularly seemed to have a problem sharing the “workshop” with the participants by defending an authoritarian posture.
Many of us were angry about his behavior and mistreatment of us. We were shocked in particular because of the workshop topic. Since it was the first day, one colleague suggested that it might be an act to prove a topic-relevant point since some professors enjoy such antics (she is such a professor).
We gave him a chance on the following day to tell us that the joke was over, that he clearly demonstrated to us how behavior and perception can negatively charge an otherwise non-competitive and non-threatening professional situation. We would have been upset at the manipulation, but it would have proved the seminar topic’s importance.
However, when neither an exclamation of surprise nor apology materialized, it became apparent that we were facing a cultural issue between a Japanese man in a position of authority, Americans claiming equality, Africans claiming to be heard, and women expecting equality (just to illustrate the clashing stereotypes).
None of us could risk our jobs criticizing such an imposter openly. We chose an individual to report our dismay and dissatisfaction accompanied with a demand for a demeanor change. She was obviously censured and has since encountered problems with her employer because of her criticism. Lesson learned. We remained silent and finished the workshop.
Arai displayed his ignorance, insensitivity and inability to ply his trade within a non-official capacity as a conflict resolution consultant. He forgot that he was in a classic situation where multicultural skills were important. The seminar organizers failed to correct the situation and punished criticism with ostracism. Our organizations wasted their money sending us to this offensive workshop. And, I felt voiceless, powerless, and unrecognized.
It demonstrates that multicultural skills and conflict resolutions strategies receive a lot of attention, but our petty alliances and perceptions maintain their control over most of us. We all still have much to learn – Dr. Arai included.
I was recently asked if I would recommend his workshop. No, not until he attended my course first. The best part of this workshop is that I will have another example of our shared incompetence for my students. Cultural communication and conflict resolution indeed.
source
