IDI

Many of our partners and clients have asked about the strategies and tools we use at Omni to build our intercultural competence and inclusive practices, as part of our broader commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). One tool we’ve found instrumental is the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®).

In this resource, we discuss how we’ve leveraged the IDI internally without senior team and a case study for its application in a client setting.  

What is the IDI

The IDI is a theory-based, developmental psychometric instrument grounded in a comprehensive, cross-culturally validated intercultural competence theory. What does that really mean? Let’s consider three key components of the IDI.

1. Psychometric Instrument: The IDI measures an individual's or group's mindset and skillset, helping better understand successes and challenges related to intercultural interactions.
2. Developmental Assessment: It assesses intercultural competence, empowering individuals and groups to increase their effectiveness in engaging with cultural differences. The IDI measures progression along a pathway of increasing complexity in understanding and responding to cultural differences, facilitating cooperative conversations and growth.
3. Continuum Measurement: Intercultural competence is measured on a continuum ranging from monocultural orientations (Denial and Polarization) to a transitional mindset (Minimization) to more intercultural or global mindsets (Acceptance and Adaptation).

The IDI serves as a tool for both group and individual intercultural competence assessment and development. When teams take the IDI, two reports are generated:

• Individual Profile Report: Provides information about an individual’s mindset and skillset toward cultural differences and commonality. Participants also receive an Individual Development Plan (IDP) designed to enhance intercultural competence through self-guided activities such as reflection questions, engaging in relevant activities, and accessing learning opportunities.
• Group Profile Report: Provides insights into a group’s perspectives on cultural differences and commonality, developmental opportunities, and potential organizational implications.

These reports enable individuals to work on their own growth while understanding and engaging in conversations about where the group stands collectively.   

How We Use the IDI Internally

At Omni, we have used the IDI both internally with our senior leadership team and on health equity training and capacity-building projects with clients. In this blog, we focus on our internal use of the IDI.

Assessing Omni’s Leadership Team with the IDI

Omni’s senior team took the IDI assessment in June 2023 as part of advancing our EDI action plan and fostering a more inclusive culture. Each member of our leadership team reviewed their individual results with Dr. Paola Molina, a researcher at Omni and our Director of EDI, to discuss where they are on the continuum and reflected on their individual growth objectives. Subsequently, Dr. Molina facilitated a group discussion to interpret our collective group profile to foster accountability and continuous growth as a team. In that meeting, our leadership team committed to:

• Weaving discussions around group and individual development related to intercultural differences into our regular team meetings.
• Inviting leaders to take the IDI annually to benchmark progress and track growth.
• Increasing engagement in Omni’s voluntary Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) monthly learning meetings.
• Identifying new objectives to support our EDI Action Plan, embedding equity in our organizational culture, service production, delivery, and business operations.

Internal Learning Lessons

The IDI has helped us understand both our current state of intercultural competence and a pathway for our future. By pinpointing developmental opportunities and revealing gaps between self-perception and actual actions, the IDI has provided a roadmap for growth.

One significant impact of utilizing the IDI is how it has facilitated open and candid conversations within our leadership team. Through the lens of the IDI, we've discussed individual perceptions, biases, and what inclusive leadership means to each of us. This internal learning journey has fostered a culture of vulnerability and continuous improvement within our team.

Our journey with the IDI has been transformative, providing valuable insights and actionable strategies to enhance our intercultural competence. By integrating the IDI into our practices, we have gained a clearer understanding of our current capacity and identified specific areas for growth. This process has underscored the importance of continuous learning and open dialogue in fostering an inclusive culture. As we move forward, we remain committed to leveraging the IDI and other tools and resources within our EDI Action Plan to drive meaningful progress.

Using the IDI with Clients

At Omni, we have successfully used the IDI in various client contexts. Here’s a closer look at how the IDI has informed one of our projects—focused on health equity capacity building.    

Project Spotlight

For a recent project, we partnered with a county health department to build a foundational understanding of health equity concepts across the department and to shift the organizational culture to center equity more fully. This involved staff training and leadership coaching.

To develop customized training and individual EDI leadership coaching, we conducted the IDI to assess where the leadership team stood along the continuum of intercultural competence. With the group profile results and input from a diverse advisory group, we designed and implemented a 3-tiered training series tailored to the department's needs:

• Self-Paced Online Training: Covered key health equity concepts, offered in English and Spanish.
• Follow-Up In-Person Workshops: 4-hour sessions to help staff practice health equity in their work, also offered in English and Spanish. We conducted 15 in-person sessions with a cap of 30 participants each, plus one virtual session.
• Leadership Training: Focused on supporting leadership in enhancing health equity within the organizational culture. The IDI group profile report allowed our facilitators to adapt content and strategies based on the leadership team’s developmental strengths and areas for growth.

These training tiers were complemented by intensive coaching for the organization’s top leadership. Our partner, Embodied Contribution, used the IDI individual profile reports to tailor coaching sessions and work with leaders on their Individual Development Plans (IDPs).

Learning Lessons

The IDI has proven to be a valuable tool for tailoring equity-focused content to diverse organizations, groups, and individuals. A key challenge is maintaining the balance between meeting people where they are and encouraging them to push beyond their comfort zones. This balance is crucial for fostering meaningful growth, challenging biases, and progressing towards higher stages of intercultural competence.

Working with clients using the IDI has been a rewarding journey, filled with learning and growth. The insights from the IDI have helped us design initiatives that meet clients where they are and encourage them to enhance their intercultural skills. We're committed to using the IDI and other equity tools to support meaningful growth and inclusivity in diverse settings. Together, we're not just building capacity; we're building bridges toward a more equitable future.

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For more information about the IDI, visit the Intercultural Development Inventory site.