55–70 minutes (5–10 minutes for individual work; 20 minutes for small-group discussions; 10–20 minutes for small-group reports; 20 minutes for debriefing)
General L P, D, M
1. To identify personal role models
2. To describe behaviors of role models
3. To explore the values that role model behaviors symbolize
• Paper and pencil for each participant
1. Ask each participant to identify 3–5 of his or her personal role models and a few adjectives describing each one. These role models may come from any time in history, any walk of life. They may be fictional or nonfictional. (Note: It may be helpful for the trainer to provide some personal examples.)
2. Place participants into groups of 3–5 people and ask them to share their lists of names and accompanying adjectives, writing them down as they go. After each person has shared his or her names and adjectives, ask the group to discuss the cultural values that may be reflected by those adjectives. Ask each group to choose 2–3 role models to share with the large group.
3. Reconvene the larger group and ask each small group to share the role models they discussed and the behaviors and values they used to describe their role models.
1. What happened? Why? Did people in your small group have some of the same role models? The same behaviors or values? What do you think that tells us about culture? How easy or difficult was it for your small group to identify which two or three role models to present to the larger group? Why?
2. How did you feel as you were identifying your role models? As you shared them with others? As you listened to others’ choices?
3. What values made this activity difficult or easy? What national values are represented in the role models you identified? Were there more people of any one group identified, for example, gender, race/ethnicity, occupation? What cultural or personal values might explain this?
4. What did you learn? Did the discussion give you any new ways to think about role models? Based on this discussion, who might you be a role model for?
5. How could you apply information from this experience to your everyday life?
1. Individual role models are based on both personal and cultural values.
2. Individuals from the same culture will often have similar role models.
3. Describing role models can be a rich, nonthreatening source for understanding behavior that is valued within a culture.
© Executive Diversity Services, Inc., Seattle, Washington, 1999.