Addressing Workplace Polarisation
Diversity Council Australia (DCA) has introduced new cultural intelligence training programmes aimed at improving inclusion and communication within multicultural and multifaith teams. These programmes will launch on 28th April 2026.
Due to rising demand from organisations, these training programmes offer tools to navigate complex cultural and faith-related issues amid global tensions and workplace polarisation. Australia’s workplaces are becoming more culturally and religiously diverse, increasing the need for such initiatives.
Phoebe Mwanza, Head of Education at DCA, remarked, “Workplaces don’t exist in isolation from the world around them. Cultural intelligence gives leaders and employees the tools to have respectful conversations, mediate conflict and create psychologically safe environments where everyone feels respected and can contribute.”
DCA’s programmes equip participants with skills to engage and communicate effectively across intercultural contexts. They offer guidance on managing conflict and facilitating difficult conversations within multicultural and multifaith teams.
Programmes Tailored for Leaders and Employees
The offerings include ‘Leading with Cultural Intelligence’ for leaders and ‘Cultural Intelligence for Multicultural and Multifaith Teams’ for employees. The leaders’ programme is a two-hour session for people managers, team leaders, and senior executives. It provides the necessary mindsets and tools to build culturally responsive teams.
Employees can benefit from a 90-minute session that encourages reflection on their own cultural intelligence and helps develop practical skills for effective communication with diverse colleagues.
Both programmes are available virtually or in person for groups of up to 30 participants. DCA members receive significantly reduced pricing. The flexibility of the programmes allows them to be tailored to the specific needs of different organisations.
Catherine Hunter, CEO of DCA, highlighted the importance of cultural intelligence for fostering inclusion, stating, “Cultural intelligence acknowledges that leaders do not need to be experts in every culture or faith. Instead, they need the confidence, flexibility, curiosity, and ability to learn, ask, listen, adapt, and respond constructively when difference shows up.”
Australia’s increasing workplace diversity presents opportunities for insight, productivity, and innovation. Cultural intelligence training transforms potential conflicts into constructive dialogue.
For more information or to enrol in the programmes, visit the Knowledge Programmes page on DCA’s website.
Last updated: 29 June 2026, 12:18 pm
