Whether working in your native country or abroad, we are living in a 'smaller' world which requires you to have the skills to effectively navigate cultural differences and to communicate across borders. Since communication is sending and receiving of shared meaning, it gets complicated when dealing with people with different cultural backgrounds and frames of reference. Our so called cultural DNA
is the reason for this. Your cultural DNA is natural to you. And it is that ‘naturalness’ that makes you unaware of it, while it may stand out to me. And vice versa. Simple example: in the US you pick up the phone and say ‘hello’; in the Netherlands you state your name and just ‘hello’ may be considered rude. No wonder that unfamiliarity with diverse cultural communication styles can lead to misinterpretation, misunderstanding, unintentional insult and general unproductiveness. Cross cultural awareness and competency coaching for individuals and for groups fosters multicultural workplace interactions that are clear, effective and inclusive. Increased productivity is another result, since less time and effort is wasted on miscommunication and related stress. A further benefit is a higher retention of experienced employees, who feel acknowledged and recognized. Services: consulting, executive coaching; team training; outplacement. Areas of expertise: cross cultural competence; Multicultural effectiveness; (Global) Leadership development; (International) Career transition and Personal growth.
