Personal attributes and behaviours such as respect, empathy, sensitivity, and commitment to ethical behaviours and practices can pave the consultation journey. In fact, the findings of my PhD research suggest that outsider designers have a responsibility to follow ethical practices such as honesty, co-operation and respect and that is even more crucial in colonised and contested situations.^[i]  Consequently, respect for different ways of knowing and different cultural protocols emerged as paramount, and this requires openness, receptivity and sensitivity to the socio-cultural context. Empathy and humility are particularly important for smoothing the journey where people have experienced long term trauma such as the detrimental impacts of colonisation. Honesty, trustworthiness and reliability of intentions will help towards developing trust and respect and improve the prospects of developing enduring relationships.

Personal attributes that support cross-cultural consultation:

• Localised culturally awareness
• Develop cultural awareness and awareness of the self. 
• Develop localised cultural knowledge
• respectful
• Respect people according to their own personal individual, family, and socio-historical perspective
• empathy
• Empathy means coming alongside and understanding. It is different to sympathy
• affirmative
• Recognise and acknowledge each individual as the expert of their own domain
• humility
• A lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique
• cultural humility
• professional humility
• ethical
• Be trustworthy, honest and reliable in all your dealings
• build a good reputation
• sensitive and receptive

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^[i] Ella. Mofflin. Memmott, “Housing Consultation in Remote Aboriginal Communities,” 1997. 29.

Figure. Personal attributes that support cross-cultural consultation