Cultural Awareness Training Melbourne

Cultivating Connection & Belonging…

We share tools and practices to build cultures of connection and belonging

Some call it “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)” others “Cultural Intelligence” (CQ), we call it the leadership needed to build the conditions which nurture resilient, productive and innovative cultures.

It is widely understood that culture is the foundation of any organisations success. We help leaders learn how to create the conditions for strong cultures to thrive and grow, starting with understanding, honouring and dignifying ourselves and those we work with.

We also support teams and leaders to navigate complex intercultural spaces, focusing on the “how” of this often challenging work.

Vibrant and dignity oriented organisational cultures tend to:

Nurture and develop people, practices and policies towards increased awareness of self and others
Prioritise relationship-building practices
Respond versus react, and critically reflect on unconscious biases and value systems
Value collaboration, consultation and adaptive leadership
Possess a strong learning culture and commitment to continuous improvement
Sense themselves and evolve into a living and breathing ecosystem
Recognise, celebrate and leverage difference and diversity

A DIFFERENT WAY OF KNOWING, SEEING AND BEING – OUR OFFERING

We offer individuals and organisations a new lens to navigate leadership, increase relational awareness and cultivate vibrant and strong cultures.

We can curate tailored offerings including consultation and coaching and will always do the work to contextualise how we deliver to your needs.

To learn about our Why, How, Who & What, see our full Business Capability Statement

See below some of our core workshops which we can tailor into the relevant context and outcomes for your Leaders, teams or entire workforce.

THE ESSENCE WORKSHOP

Assists with relationship building, developing empathy, respect and trust in teams and acquiring language to start conversations around culture and identity
Delivered virtually or in person
2 hours

This interactive workshop gives teams some fundamental shared language and framing to build a brave and respectful space to share cultural stories. The workshop introduces Cultural Tales as a model for participants to explore their own cultural background, complexity and identities and honour the diversity in each of us.

THE LENS INTRODUCTION

For leaders seeking to activate the collaborative potential of diverse teams
Delivered in person (Facilitated Group Learning)
1 or 2 full days

This is an interactive experiential training for teams or individuals seeking to build diverse, collaborative, values based team culture. It weaves the theory and concepts central to better understanding cultures of connection and belonging and how we cultivate them.

About Mahana Culture

Established in 2016 by Tavale Ilalio — our creative director — alongside a dedicated team of professionals from education, youth work, psychology, research, corporate and organisational culture backgrounds, Mahana is committed to cultivating cultures of connection and belonging.

Tending to our Vā — a Polynesian term for ‘the relational space between’ — underlies everything we do at Mahana and through our work. We prioritise the importance of developing and maintaining authentic relationships and designing learning that embraces culture, connectedness and the broader ecosystems of individuals.

We’ve delivered our training and consultancy services to over 4000 participants, including Government departments across Australia and New Zealand in Health, Child Protection, Justice and Housing, Multinational Corporates, B-Corps, Not for Profits, Executive Leadership Programs and Schools.

Because we combine an evidence-based theory with safe and relational spaces to reflect and share, we can help build the capacity of leaders and teams to develop strong cultures of connection and belonging.