What is Intercultural Coaching About?

Our own culture is not the only one, nor the best, it is just one among so many others.
SET GOALS

Develop a clear vision of your goals.

plan

Lay out an actionable plan to achieve these goals.

Develop

Cultivate the mindset you need to work or live in a different cultural context.

clear the way

Remove the blocks and develop the skills that will allow you to succeed and enjoy the journey.

Why do coaching?

To go through cultural training without a coaching process is like receiving instructions on how to fly a plane without having trained on a flight simulator: theoretically, you know how to fly, but in practice, chances of crashing are pretty high.

As a coach, I can help you to build the cognitive processes and the cultural intelligence skills to succeed. 

  • Build motivation
  • Develop adaptation strategies
  • Develop cultural intelligence
  • Explore in a safe space

Benefits of coaching

Expat, or intercultural, coaching, isn't just about understanding the other. It's just as much, if not more, about understanding yourself.

Coaching can have clear benefits leading to gains in multiple areas of your life. 

  • Better understanding of who you are
  • Better results working in multicultural teams
  • Increased interpersonal skills
  • Better support for partner and family
  • Increased efficiency at work
  • Increased adaptational skills

What is cultural intelligence?

We have all heard of IQ and EQ (emotional intelligence), but CQ, or cultural intelligence, is somewhat less known. Whereas EQ can allow you to function effectively in diverse settings in your own culture, cultural intelligence allows you to function effectively in diverse cultural settings.

Composed of four main components – motivation, knowledge, strategy, and action – CQ is one axis of the coaching process that develops the psychological and practical skills needed to succeed. 

 

  • Enhance effectiveness
  • Improve relational skills
  • Increase work performance
  • Higher levels of well-being
  • Greater sense of fulfilment
  • Better decision making

Who is intercultural coaching for?

Intercultural coaching isn’t just for expats, whether on a company mission or nomads. With technological advances and increased international mobility, the areas of intercultural contact are constantly growing. This means people who don’t live abroad are also increasingly coming into contact with diverse cultural backgrounds. 

Teachers, lawyers, doctors and nurses, social workers, politicians and decision makers, just to name a few, are all professions where increased intercultural competence benefits all parties involved by improving outreach, enhancing inclusivity, increasing performance and adapting support. 

Intercultural coaching can also be beneficial for students, especially when studying in a foreign language. Not all universities offer the support that students need to adapt to a new culture, and often, it’s also the first time being away from home which can increase adaptational difficulties.  

What coaching is and is not

As with any great coaching process, the goal isn't to impose different points of view or opinions, nor to tell you that your own views or opinions are wrong.

You’re entitled to preferring your own way. However, that doesn’t exclude the fact that there are many other ways of doing something that will generate the same end result.

To be able to work and live effectively with these different opinions and ways of doing things doesn’t require liking them, not even understanding them. But it does require the capacity to recognise and acknowledge them.

Exploring these differences (and similarities) in a safe environment allows you to confront them whilst engaging in your own journey of introspection to attain your goals.

Are you ready to explore?

I’m excited to join you on your journey. If you’re ready to take the next step, let’s chat!

Book a call