Intercultural Development Inventory
In fall 2020 the Student Affairs Division, led by the Diversity & Inclusive Excellence Committee, decided to embark on a professional development journey using the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). To date, over 100 folks across the division have participated in the IDI.
- The Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®) is the premier cross-cultural assessment of intercultural competence that is used by thousands of individuals and organizations to build intercultural competence to achieve international and domestic diversity and inclusion goals and outcomes. IDI research in organizations and educational institutions confirms two central findings when using the IDI:
- Interculturally competent behavior occurs at a level supported by the individual’s or group’s underlying orientation as assessed by the IDI.
- Training and leadership development efforts at building intercultural competence are more successful when they are based on the individual’s or group’s underlying developmental orientation as assessed by the IDI.
The IDI is based on the Intercultural Development Continuum that places folks in one of 5 orientations: denial, polarization, minimization, acceptance, or adaptation.
The IDI is an online instrument that takes you through a series of 50 questions designed to gauge an individual’s perceived orientation (where you see yourself on the continuum) and developmental orientation (where the IDI places you on the continuum). The difference between those two measures is your orientation gap or learning opportunity. Most people tend to overestimate themselves and their level of intercultural engagement. However, there is a developmental opportunity in the gap.
Each participant meets with a Qualified Administrator (QA) to receive their individualized Profile Report that tells you the scores and orientation you are in, as well as, an Individual Development Plan (IDP).
The IDP is where the fun starts. Intentionality is the name of the game. You have to intentionally commit to your growth and development to see gains in your intercultural competence and closing your orientation gap. There are ten developmental opportunities that you can leverage to increase your intercultural competence:
Training Programs Workplace Activities Theatre, Film, & Arts
Educational Classes Personal Interactions Intercultural Journal
Travel Intercultural Coaching Site Visits
Books & Articles
Each person should take time to work through the IDP. It is intended to be retrospective and reflective--considering how we have developed into the people that we are now and how we interact with similarities and differences--based on your developmental orientation.
The Student Affairs Division is looking at the long-term use of this assessment to guide our diversity, equity, and inclusion professional development effort over the next 3 years. This a marathon and not a sprint! We are excited about the opportunity to grow and develop together.