Humanising inductions

Last week, Angela (not her name), a 14 years old girl, came to visit us as part of an overseas Exchange Programme at our daughter’s school.

We made every attempt to make Angela feel at home. We set her bedroom to the highest standard, prepared a meal of her choice, and switched to another room, so we don’t disturb her through the night. Irma cooked her a Spanish omelette – her favourite food. Because she arrived late in the evening, after a quick meal, we took her to bed.

The young girl has just departed this morning after what I thought was a fun-filled week. Just last night, the anthropologist in me, sat down and asked her, how was your stay?

‘So good’, she said.

By now, I have realised that ‘So good’ from Angela is no different from the famous Irish greeting, ‘I’m grand.’ Michael McKenna

I then asked her what was your most memorable moment and she said, ‘sitting together and talking during dinner.’

Not the Spanish omelette, not the walk to the Castle, not the restful nights but the comforting conversations.

Angela continued. ‘You know, I was very uncomfortable on the first day not knowing what to expect in a foreign land. And I don’t speak good English.’

As she spoke, her voice started to shiver and her eyes became full. She tapped her fingers, twirled her hair, and held tight to the cushion. When she finished speaking, I saw the little girl calm, relaxed and happy like I had never seen since she had arrived.

This experience has left me pondering. We focus so much on familiarising people with machinery, walk-arounds, and checklists and we miss what it means to be a human person.

At the heart of induction lies our ability to give people a sense of belonging as they move from their culture to ours.

We learn from studies in baptism, weddings, birth rites and funerals some of the best examples about how to design induction programmes. Namely:

Managing anxiety: Angela was nervous on her first day as are many people who walk into a new workplace. And she did not hold back her emotions. Many grown-ups will not be so open. Keep the forms aside and engage with the person. Watch their gestures more than their words. People can make up words, but they cannot hide their emotions.

Mediating transition: All change brings uncertainty and fear. Don’t assume what will help people. Ask them. We think that people would appreciate welcome packs, scented candles, or a bottle of wine upon arrival. But often what works best in such situations is a conversation without an agenda.

Unlearning and learning: Every induction form should end with an open question. What three things (or more) surprise you about our culture? Stories of what surprise others about our own culture can transform the induction process into a ritual of learning, unlearning and managing our differences.

Angela, we spent too much energy in preparing Spanish omelette and we underestimated the power of conversations.

Until next time …