COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY GUIDE
Hospitality Supervisor (HSC)
To help you successfully pass this portion of your comprehensive exam, we encourage you to use this
study guide as a review based on what you learned during the HSC course. This guide is organized into
the following topics to help you properly prepare.
Module Topic and Objectives
Throughout this guide you will find each module topic and the module objectives. We encourage you to
review them to help familiarize yourself with core content that was provided in each. Review modules
include:
• HSC Orientation (not included)
• Module 1 21st Century Supervisor
• Module 2 Developing Soft Skills Part 2
• Module 3 Effective Communication Part 1
• Module 4 Art of Asking Effective Questions
• Module 5 Orientation and Training
• Module 6 Motivating Your Team
• Module 7 Staffing and Scheduling
• Module 8 Conflict and Resolution
• Module 9 Coaching for Success
• Module 10 Supervising in a Multicultural Workplace
Key Module Content
AHA World Campus has selected key content from each module that is imperative for you to review in
order to successfully pass this portion of the exam. You are asked to read, review and reflect.
Sample Module Questions
You will be able to read and view the answers of key questions to help you prepare for the review quiz for
this course.
Course Review Quiz
You will be asked to click on the quiz tab and complete the review quiz. You can take this quiz as many
times you wish to help you successfully review for the comprehensive exam.
Let’s Begin!
HSC Orientation
Information from HSC Orientation will not be covered on the comprehensive exam.
MODULE 1 21st Century Supervisor
Module Objectives
• Understand the difference between soft skills and hard skills and how combined they create
the formula for the 21st Century leadership style.
• State the main role of a supervisor in the hospitality industry.
• List the difference between a traditional supervisor and an “a ha!” supervisor.
• Discuss the 4 main reasons why people quit people.
Key Module Content
Supervisors are the key to the success of any organization. A great supervisor needs “soft skills to improve
people and “hard” skills to improve systems. In today’s business, the supervisor is the “main link”
between the company’s goals and the people who must accomplish those goals. They facilitate the process
that keeps the business operating. Many of the supervisor’s daily decisions affect profits, attitudes and
morale.
In general, to supervise means to watch over, to guide and to lead. Supervisors watch over the work of
their team to make sure it meets the requirements of the hospitality operation. They offer guidance for
meeting day-to-day goals. And they provide leadership in difficult times. So, the key to success is to be
able to identify both the hard issues and soft issues and use the right skills to approach these issues.
Think about the following formula:
Hard issues + soft skills = Low productivity
Hard issues + hard skills= High productivity
Soft issues + hard skills = Low unproductivity
Soft issues + soft skills = High productivity
AHA refers to this new 21st century style of leadership as the “a ha!” Supervisor. Or in our industry, the
supervisor with the “Amazing Hospitality Attitude” to deliver the perfect combination of both hard and
soft skills.
The “a ha!” Supervisor demonstrates a bottom up approach to management where they balance their
focus on both the soft and hard skills and knows the actual cause of most problems in the work place is
often the soft issues and not the hard issues.
The “a ha” supervisor inspires the Amazing Hospitality Attitude and understands how their own actions
and behavior will impact the performance of their team.
The “a ha! supervisor knows that dealing with the true cause of the issues in the workplace often involves
creating a positive environment and fostering self-esteem and teamwork among their employees. They
know their employee’s performance (a hard issue) is directly related to his /her attitude - a soft issue.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
An ideal supervisor needs ______ skills to effectively coach and improve people, and _____ skills, to
improve systems.
A. Technical skills; soft skills
B. Soft skills, Conceptual skills
C. Hard skills, soft skills
D. Soft skills, hard skills
In today’s workplace, who is the main link between the company’s goals and people who must accomplish
those goals?
A. Employees
B. Customers
C. Vendors
D. Supervisors
Which of the following statements does not reflect an “a ha!” Supervisor?
A. An “a ha!’ supervisor coaches and improves his people.
B. An “a ha!” supervisor says, “let’s go”, instead of “Go.”
C. An “a ha!’ supervisor inspires enthusiasm, rather than instill fear.
D. An “a ha!’ supervisor says, “I instead of “We.”
MODULE 2 Developing the Essential Soft Skills
Module Objectives
• Define soft skills.
• Identify the 5 essential soft skill traits shared by all effective “a ha!” supervisors in today’s
multicultural workplace.
• Discuss the importance of developing soft skills to become an effective hospitality supervisor.
• Describe, using specific examples, how you can apply each of the soft skills in dealing with your
employees and coworkers.
Key Module Content
Soft skills are the personal character traits or qualities each of us has. They make up who we are, generally
encompassing our attitudes, habits and how we interact with other people. These qualities include: your
work ethic, your attitude, your communication skills and your emotional intelligence.
In this module, you were introduced to essential soft skill traits that are shard by all effective supervisors
around the world. To help you prepare, each of these traits are listed below with brief notes to help you
study.
Character
Character is a set of qualities or values that shape our thoughts, actions, reactions and feelings. Character
is our personal motivation to do what is right, both inside and out. Supervisors are effective because of
who they are on the inside – in the qualities that make them up as people. Click on the next slide to read
on your own the characteristics of a supervisor with strong character.
Supervisors with strong character:
Show compassion for their employees
Are honest and fair
Display self-discipline in the workplace
Show respect to others
Show courage in standing up for their beliefs
Have a strong sense of responsibility to their team
Maintain Self Respect
Honesty
In leadership and management surveys throughout centuries, honesty has been selected more often than
any other soft skill characteristic as the single most important trait that employees look for in their
supervisor or manager. A well-known saying in management is - If people don’t believe in the messenger
– they won’t believe the message.
Attitude
One of the biggest challenges facing supervisors today is dealing with difficult people—those who have
negative attitudes. It is important to understand that an employee with a negative attitude has the same
power to influence their co-workers as an employee with a positive attitude. Positive attitudes in the
workplace can:
• Improve communication
• Increase teamwork and morale
• Achieve higher productivity
Competence
People want to work for supervisors who they feel can handle the job and who can inspire confidence
while bringing out the best in them. Employees need to feel their supervisor is competent to guide them
towards the organizations goals. If your co- workers view you as competent, they are more likely to
respect you and work well with you.
When supervisors are incompetent they drain employee’s energy as the focus is no longer on the
organizations goals but the behavior of the supervisor. If an employee working for an incompetent
supervisor has a high degree of skill, he or she will continually worry about the supervisor getting in the
way and making their job more difficult.
With incompetent supervisors, productivity declines, moral suffers and keeping a positive atmosphere
becomes impossible. An incompetent supervisor will not lead or retain competent people for very long.
There is a surefire way to be perceived as competent in the workplace: Be competent!
Being competent doesn’t mean that a supervisor knows how to do everything, but rather that they know
what to do and how to get it done. Even the most brilliant supervisor who tries to do everything on his or
her own is setting themselves up for failure. A good supervisor will know where their strengths and
weaknesses lie and thus know what kind of expertise they will need to ask of their employees.
Security
There is a saying “You cannot give what you do not have.” Just as supervisors without skill cannot impart
skill to others, supervisors without security cannot make their employees feels secure. And for a person to
become an effective supervisor or manager, the kind that employees want to follow, he or she needs to
make their employees feel good about themselves. They take more from people than they give
Insecure people are on a continual quest for validation, acknowledgement and admiration. Because of
that, their focus in on finding security for themselves and not instilling it in their employees. Insecure
supervisors are primarily takers rather than givers and takers do not make very good supervisors. They
continually limit their best people
Insecure supervisors cannot genuinely celebrate their employee’s successes and accomplishments.
Insecure supervisors might even go as far as to take the credit themselves for the best work of their team.
An insecure supervisor hoards power rather than giving power to his employees. And generally, the better
the employees are, the more threatened the insecure supervisor feels and the harder he or she will work to
limit their employee’s success and recognition.
In contrast to the traits above – Secure supervisors are able to believe in others because they believe in
themselves. They aren’t arrogant or boastful as they know their own strengths and weaknesses and
respect themselves. When their employees perform well, they don’t feel threatened. They go out of their
way to bring the best out of their team and build them up rather than tear them down. And when a secure
supervisor’s team succeeds, that brings them great satisfaction as that is the highest compliment they can
receive for their supervisory and management ability.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
In Module 2 of the HSC, we distinguished between the soft skills and the hard skills. Which of the
following is not considered an Essential Soft Skill trait?
A. Productivity
B. Character
C. Attitude
D. Honesty
Supervisors who possess this strong soft skill trait are described as disciplined, shows respect for others,
stand by their beliefs and motivated to do what is right.
A. Character
B. Honesty
C. Competence
D. Security
The quotation: “If people don’t believe in the messenger, they won’t believe the message?” shows the
importance of what soft skill trait?
A. Competency
B. Secure
C. Attitude
D. Honesty
MODULE 3 Effective Communication
Module Objectives
• List ways communication has changed due to travel and technological advances.
• Begin improving your own face to face communications by following the top ten effective
communication principles.
• Understand and discuss the following statement: “Communication is determined not by how well we
say things, but by how well we are understood.”
• Develop your own communication style in order to enhance your leadership and supervisory skills.
Key Module Content
Communication is determined not by how well we say things, but by how well we are
understood. Every message you bring into this world is subject to a cultural interpretation and
meaning of the people who receive it. So, in essence it doesn’t matter what you say, what
matters is what people hear.
To help you remember the key principles for effective communication from this module, take
time to review the following:
Principle #1 is Communicate Authentically. If people don’t believe in the messenger, they won’t
believe the message.
Principal #2 is Empathetic Listening and the best way to describe this is the common phrase:
Seek first to understand then speak to be understood.
Principle #3 is Active Listening. The best leaders are listeners. A Cherokee proverb says, listen to
the whispers and you won’t have to hear the screams.
Principle #4 is Respond Appropriately. Once we learn how to listen, this then requires
providing the other person with an appropriate response.
Principle #5 is Use Language That Is Clear and Concise.
It’s important that you speak clearly, enunciate well and use language that accurately states
what you want to say. Especially in diverse workplaces, it is important to not use jargon, idioms,
specialized language etc that can easily be misunderstood.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
The primary responsibility to achieve effective communication in the workplace rests with
________________.
A. the sender of the message
B. the receiver of the message
C. both the sender and the receiver of the message
D. The communication process used by the sender
Supervisors should master the art of empathetic listening for a more effective communication in the
workplace. Empathetic listening means _______________.
A. listen first and understand how others feel, before you attempt to speak
B. listen so that you will be understood.
C. listen so you know how to respond when it is your turn to speak.
D. listen and allow the other person to say what he wants to say, and speak only when it is your turn
to do so
Effective communication gives emphasis to the need for active listening, thus the saying: “listen to the
whispers and you won’t have to hear the screams”. How would you interpret the meaning of this saying so
that you can be a more effective leader?
A. Good listeners must pay attention to all issues, big or small.
B. We need to listen to what our staff are whispering to us, so we will know what is actually
happening behind our back.
C. We should give more importance to small issues because everything starts small.
D. Leaders should listen and be sensitive to small issues, otherwise, if ignored, they
might become bigger issues and more difficult to handle.
MODULE 4 Art of Asking Effective Questions
Module Objectives
• Start using the ultimate empowerment tool of asking effective questions to enhance your leadership
skills.
• Begin practicing the act of asking effective questions that can energize and build trust among your
team.
• List the common characteristics of effective questions in order to help you become a more effective
communicator and supervisor.
• Discuss and review the essential soft skill traits learned so far in this course.
Key Module Content
In this module you learned ways to create Effective Questions (EQs) as a supervisor. Review the following
to help you be prepared for this portion of the exam.
EQs are open-ended
These questions cannot be answered by a simple “yes” or “no”. Examples include: Ask “What do you like
about your job?” rather than “Do you like your job?” Or “What aspects of the project are going well?”
rather than “Is the project going well?”
EQs focus on the outcome or goal, not what’s in the way of reaching it
For example, we should ask “What do we need to do to improve our work-flow?” rather than “What’s
wrong with our work-flow?”
EQs ask” what” or “how” instead of “why”
“Why” questions often generate resistance. “What” or “how” questions encourage openness and reduce
resistance. You can ask” What else?” many times and interchange with “how else?” to elicit a chain of
different responses. Beware of the “What’s wrong?” type of question, however. A better EQ would be
“What’s working now?” and “What do we want to do better?”
EQs are YOU-oriented
EQs place the focus on the employee answering, they ask “what do you think we should do?” “What is
your opinion?” “How do you feel about doing this in this way?” No wrong answers exist for YOU-oriented
questions, because the answers are true for the person answering. By doing this employer send a message
of acceptance and trust to that person.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
As a supervisor, what should be your goal when asking effective questions?
A. To focus on the problem
B. To focus on the solution to the problem
C. To focus on the person who caused the problem
D. To focus on the problem and the person who caused the problem
Supervisors who do not know the art of asking effective questions in the workplace are more likely to
________________________________.
A. encourage their staff to suggest solutions to problems.
B. make their staff feel insecure and untrusted.
C. develop their staff to think critically.
D. build their staff’s self-esteem.
If you were a supervisor, which of the following questions should you avoid because it will not foster
positive feelings between you and your staff and coworkers?
A. Why is the other group performing better than your group?
B. How were you able to build such a strong team?
C. Why do you think everyone likes to work with you and your team?
D. Is there anything more I can do to assist your team?
MODULE 5 Orientation and Training
Module Objectives
• Define hard skills.
• Understand the importance of orientation and define the difference between general and
specific orientation.
• Give an example of a task and standard list.
• Explain the main purpose of each step of the training process.
Key Module Content
Orientation is important because it introduces new employees to your organization and to their positions.
Orientation creates an employee’s first impression of the staff, the supervisors, the property and the
company. Also, with turnover being the biggest challenge in the hospitality industry, orientation allows
you to make a good first impression and get them excited about beginning their new job with you.
Most employee decisions to stay or leave are often based on their experiences during orientation and
training. The orientation period is especially important since it can help relieve the anxiety many new
employees have. A well-planned and organized orientation will help a new employee get off to a good start
in a new job. This can be achieved by including the following:
• A warm welcome by the general manager, Human Resource Director and department heads.
• Small meet and greet amongst the new employees and department heads.
• A presentation about the organization’s overall goals and mission.
• A review of the company’s guest service program.
• Delivery and thorough review of the employee handbook which will cover the main policies and
procedures.
• Signing of employee documents for payroll, benefits and emergency contact.
• Tour of the property including allowing employees to dine in the restaurant if applicable.
From orientation your new hires become trainees and you as their supervisor become their trainer.
Training is equally if not more important as orientation. While many organizations struggle to find time
to properly train, the more prepared and the more trained your employees are, the better the team,
department and overall property. In the hospitality industry, training encompasses the three S’s –
Standards, Service, and Safety.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
Why is an orientation of new employees regarded as an important activity?
A. It introduces new employees to the organization, its mission, vision and company values.
B. It welcomes new employees as new members of the team
C. New employees are told what to expect, thus relieving their anxiety or fear of the unknown
D. Orientation is important for all the above stated reasons.
What should supervisors remember when training their employees so that they will be able to perform
according to company standards?
A. Encourage and compliment employees, and keep them motivated throughout the
training.
B. Train employees to perform different jobs, and not just limit it to what is in their job description.
C. Employees will better retain what you teach them, when you use a classroom type training.
D. Formal training is always more effective, because employees do not learn much under a relaxed
atmosphere.
MODULE 6 Motivating Your Team
Module Objectives
• Define motivation.
• Begin to have an appreciation for human nature and what motivates your team.
• Define performance and how it relates to motivation.
• List ways to motivate and inspire the “a ha!” Amazing Hospitality Attitude.
Key Module Content
This module introduced you to ways a supervisor can create a positive and inspiring work environment in
order to motivate their employees. Each is listed below with a few notes to help you prepare for this section
of the exam.
Motivate yourself first!
You can’t teach someone to play better chess unless you are a darn good player yourself. If you want to
inspire others you have to be inspiring. One of the truest statements ever made is that enthusiasm is
contagious. (Oh, by the way, the opposite is true as well.) If your employees see that you're enthusiastic
about your job, they are more likely to be enthusiastic about theirs. Enthusiastic employees are motivated
employees.
Understand that leadership is a privilege.
Too many bad bosses look on employee problems as an unwelcome intrusion on their time. They
unconsciously wonder why the employee can’t “fix” the problem on their own. Instead, treat each such
interaction as an opportunity to develop a deeper connection with your employee and revisit the values
you want them to hold to and display.
Recognize that your employees are human.
They are individuals who are driven by fundamental human needs. They want to be happy and feel secure.
While you have to ensure that organizational goals are met, do so in the context of each person’s personal
learning and growth. It’s your challenge to foster this -- it’s also where you should be spending a good
amount of your time.
Don’t use techniques when applauding performance.
Countless methods state giving employees a pat on the back to make them feel good and encourage them
to work harder. Perhaps. But disingenuous praise and congratulations is at some level manipulative and
neither of you will feel good about this. Generate employee loyalty by offering praise because it is a
genuine expression of how you feel -- doing so will help magnify the results many times over. A good
method of how to best use praise is called the TRUE method.
Create a Shared Vision
One of the most valuable benefits of vision is that it acts like a magnet – attracting, challenging and
uniting your team. Hold up a vision of what they are capable of doing and becoming and what, as a result
of their efforts, the company can become. Do it often enough that it becomes a collective vision, not yours
alone. Nobody can accomplish great things alone. To fulfill a big vision, you need a motivated team.
Shared Goals Guided by Core Values
Employees can’t have worthwhile work unless they are working toward a well understood and shared goal
– goals where your employees buy into the goal and are simply not announced. Trust and putting team
members first leads to support for goals. You as the supervisor sets critical goals. Your team sets the rest.
Employees support goals the best when they help create them.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
The saying: “you can take a horse to the water, but you cannot force it to drink” shows the importance of
________________________________.
A. making sure our employees are competent in doing their job.
B. treating our employees like a work horse, so that they will always follow what we say
C. motivating and inspiring our employees so that they will develop an inner drive to
perform without us having to push them to do so
D. understanding the psychology of our staff
As supervisors aim to continuously inspire and motivate their staff, which among the practices below will
be most useful to achieve this?
A. Praising and giving recognition to your staff every time someone does a good job
B. Knowing everyone’s first name and addressing them by their first name
C. Monitoring the performance of the staff and providing support when problems are encountered
along the way.
D. All of the above
MODULE 7 Staffing and Scheduling
Module Objectives
• Understand the importance of staffing and scheduling to overall department productivity.
• Forecast appropriately based on factors that increase and decrease your current staffing needs.
• List ways you can creatively schedule employees based on their employment needs.
• Create your own weekly schedule that will ensure full productivity.
Key Module Content
Did you know that labor is the largest expense your organization has? It’s true! While, a hospitality
organization’s goal is to provide positive guest service and, in turn, make a profit, it has to spend lots of
money on training and paying employees to achieve this goal.
So to get the most out of every dollar , when it comes to staffing and scheduling, supervisors need to able
to do the following:
1. Understand how many positions they need to properly run the department.
2. Forecast appropriately so you don’t have too many or too little employees.
3. Understand the types of employees they have in terms of part time, and full time.
4. Be confident in producing a weekly or biweekly schedule that confirms proper coverage of the
department.
Staffing is having the appropriate number of workers needed in order for the department to function
properly. Obviously, you have to staff before you can schedule. While most of your staffing needs will
come from the Human Resource department, it is important that you know the fixed and variable staffing
positions based on your department.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
A supervisor is preparing the schedule of his team for the following week to ensure that there is enough
manpower to match the volume of work expected. Which of the following information listed below would
not be useful in making a good schedule?
A. There are three catering events scheduled on Wednesday evening
B. A member of the staff is on sick leave for the next 10 days
C. Bad weather is expected on Friday and Saturday and the restaurant is likely to be closed.
D. The supplier of chicken was penalized for not complying with delivery requirements
A big catering function is taking place on Wednesday and the supervisor wants to be sure that he will
have enough people to handle the event. If you were the supervisor, which among the strategies below
would not be a wise thing to do in this case?
A. Hire additional part time employees to complement your present staff.
B. Make all your staff work overtime on Wednesday, and close the restaurant the next
day so everyone can rest after working so hard the previous day.
C. Plan menu items that can be pre-prepared to lessen or to spread the volume of work to be done
during the week.
D. Assign specific tasks to each team member to be done before, during and after the event, to make
sure that the work is evenly distributed and what needs to be done will be done.
MODULE 8 Conflict and Resolution
Module Objectives
• Understand that in order to fully solve problems you must look at the root of the conflict rather than
just the symptoms.
• Approach conflict in the workplace by using the four-step process to solve and “extinguish” the
problem.
• Define the qualities that make an “a ha!” Supervisor into a Velvet Covered Brick when dealing with
conflict.
• Vary your approach to conflict based on the different type of employees and personalities you have on
your team.
Key Module Content
In this module you learned how to resolve conflict like a firefighter. To help you prepare, take note of the
4 key aspects to “putting out a fire” if a workplace problem arises:
When a problem arises you:
1. First maintain the problem from growing or getting out of hand, especially if the problem occurs
in front of guests or in a public space.
2. Second, let the emotions attached to the problem settle or burn down.
3. Third, use your soft skills learned in this course to begin solving or extinguishing the problem.
4. Fourth, follow up to make sure the problem is fully solved with a win-win outcome. Win- Win
doesn’t mean that everybody gets their own way, but it is a mutual compromise that everyone can
agree on.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
Resolving conflicts is likened to the job of a firefighter. The first step in resolving a conflict is to
_______________________________________.
A. contain the problem, and prevent it from going out of hand.
B. get rid of the problem
C. look for a win- win solution
D. let emotions settle down first, before attempting to attach the problem.
In resolving conflicts, a supervisor is likened to a “velvet covered brick”. Which among the descriptions
below does not fit the description of “velvet covered brick” supervisor?
A. Someone who is tough as a brick inside, but tender as a velvet outside.
B. Someone who is soft and friendly but firm.
C. Someone who avoids conflicts and prefers not to be involved
D. Someone who resolves conflicts without sacrificing relationships
Why is it important for a supervisor to know how to handle interpersonal conflicts in the workplace?
A. Because there are different types of personalities in the workplace
B. Because people have different ways of approaching issues and problem
C. Because people operate under different sets of values
D. Because of all the above-mentioned reasons
MODULE 9 Coach for Success
Module Objectives
• Discuss how coaching is directly related to goal setting, feedback and discipline.
• Explain how the process of One Minute Goal Setting will help you set clear expectations.
• Explain how the process of One Minute Praising’s will allow you to catch people doing something
right, or approximately right.
• Explain how the One Minute Reprimand will help you to correct or redirect behavior.
Key Module Content
This module discussed the three secrets of the best selling management books titled: The One Minute
Manager. To help you prepare for this section of your exam, be familiar with the three secrets. These are
listed below.
One Minute Goals Setting: All good performance stars with clear achievable goals. Make sure to agree with
your goals so that you know what good behavior looks like.
One Minute Praising’s: Help your people reach their full potential. Cath them doing something right.
One Minute Reprimands: Reprimand people immediately. Tell people exactly how you feel about what they
did wrong. Pause to help your transition from your feelings to set-up the last and probably the most
important part of a reprimand: reaffirmation. Reaffirm that you think well of them but not of their
performance in this situation. Your intent is to get them back on course, not to try to make them feel badly.
Remind them how much you value them. Realize that when the reprimand is over, it's over.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
One of the secrets of the One Minute Manager is the One Minute Goal Setting, which means, to get the
best possible performance from your staff, _______________________________.
A. teach them how to do their job.
B. let them know what is expected of them and where they should direct their efforts
C. treat them with kindness and respect
D. take care of their needs
To exercise One Minute Praising, a supervisor is expected to _________________.
A. give immediate and sincere praise and appreciation when your staff does a good job
B. praise everything that your staff does and just be quiet when his work does not deserve to be
praised
C. praise your staff openly for everyone to hear as this is more motivating
D. praise only when deserved
MODULE 10 Supervising in a Multicultural Workforce
Module Objectives
• Understand how hospitality and tourism plays an important role in promoting cultural
understanding.
• Develop an appreciation of cultures that breaks down stereotypes and barriers.
• Define an accepting and respectful workplace.
• Explain what it means to celebrate others by leading with an open mind and open heart.
Key Module Content
In this module you learned ways a supervisor can create a positive workplace where each individual is
respected and considered unique and valued. Take time to review these below to help you prepare for this
section of the exam.
Increase your own level of self-awareness first
It is very important that you take the time to become aware of your own cultural conditioning and identify
your own stereotypes and prejudice. Be brave enough to reflect on both the positive and negative aspects
of your own culture and to analyze why you think the way you do. This is a process of questioning things
that you may never have questioned before.
Commit to expanding your knowledge of other cultures
Make it a habit to read about a different country and culture each week, to speak with people from
different countries and find out about their cultural traditions.
Demonstrate and show mutual respect
Showing respect is acknowledgement that your co-workers and customers have value. Each of your
employees is a unique individual, and each of them has much to contribute to their jobs. Learning to
respect your employees you perceive as different goes far in creating a cohesive and productive work
environment.
Learn to interact and connect by using your soft skills
Personal relationships are one of the most insightful clues to your own emotional maturity and your
ability to interact with your co-workers. Personal relationships are not a one way street – not only can you
encourage your employees to share their culture and you share yours, but you can also create more
personal and meaningful relationships by sharing your interests, family outings, inviting coworkers to
sporting events or other community activities.
Keep an open mind
Keep an open mind and strive to be tolerant, understanding and respectful of employees and customers
regardless of their cultural and ethnic backgrounds and beliefs.
Sample Module Questions (answers in bold)
What people do, or how they behave is largely because of their ________________.
A. work experience
B. education
C. family
D. values
There is a tendency for us to judge others based on our own experience, rather than by the other person’s
culture, or roots. When we do this, we are _______________.
A. Interacting
B. Judging
C. stereotyping
D. understanding others
