Why we do what we do
Busy professionals need flexible learning solutions to help them develop global leadership skills that focus on cross-cultural understanding.
We All Have A Destiny
HR Directors want to hire people who can manage diversity in their work units. Being able to get people to work together well is a challenge in today's multicultural work environment. So, it's the manager's job to get the team functioning properly, but all sorts of issues inevitably pop up.
What if a challenge comes up with team members who don't see eye to eye. Do you address their differences directly? Should you be cautious about it because someone might be offended? Or do you ignore it and hope that problems will blow over and things go back to normal by themselves?
Unfortunately many managers are not sure how to navigate cultural differences.
Cultural diversity can include things such as ethnicity, race, gender, generation, or national culture.
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After 20 years of solving communication, interaction, and work-style challenges with executives, I guide professionals on a learning journey with my three-step plan. I have developed online course materials that teach people how to develop self-awareness, confidence, and the ability to address problems related to cultural diversity – whether at home or abroad.
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You can change your destiny at work and become a dynamic leader who knows what to do in uncertain situations.
ABOUT YOU
You are capable, confident, and conscientious regarding your career trajectory. You’ve developed respect over the years, achieved rapport with your colleagues, and are recognized for your leadership abilities. Your people look up to you.
However, that certain something is missing.
It’s intangible and you can’t quite put your finger on it. You know it’s missing and if you could figure it out, address it, and master it, you’d be on your way to achieving the managerial or leadership success you’ve always dreamed of.
Today’s reality brings challenges of a multicultural workforce in a globalized world, and you may not always know why people act the way they do.
Maybe you are decisive and can make quick decisions but are not sure how this might affect someone who has different cultural values that require more reflection.
Maybe you are used to working in a workplace where rank, communication, and work flow is more casual regardless of who's the boss; however you become uncomfortable – even uneasy – when working with colleagues in a more hierarchical and centralized organization where people simply don't take the initiative...and you're not sure what to do.
Maybe you are admired as the leader of a team and its members are happy to let you take the lead, but are not sure why this has a negative effect when working with other groups that seem to use more of a distributive style of team leadership.
I help managers learn how to work with people who are not like them.
For example, when your USA based team meets the new team from China and the very first time you get together in the meeting room, people from China are offended and your team has no idea what happened. You're responsible for the smooth operations of this new venture and you're worried you'll ruin it.
I help managers learn how to develop trust by not saying or doing the wrong thing to offend someone.
For example, you try really hard to make sure your multicultural team is given respect with the various things that are important to them, but you are never sure whether you are offending someone or saying the wrong thing.
I help managers understand that difference is not bad and it's ok to address it.
People often think: Acknowledging differences is bad - therefore, we should be cautious about it, because if we ignore it and don't rock the boat, problems will blow over and things will go back to normal.
These are all true stories that created problems for those involved!
But solutions were available and through coaching the managers in these stories were able to achieve success.
You can find the results to these stories on the "Work With Me" page.
About Me
Ten years ago an event changed the way I approached my outlook on intercultural learning. During a conference, I had an intense conversation with the creator of the theory behind the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, which forms the basis for the IDI - Intercultural Development Inventory - a super useful cross-cultural assessment tool that I use.
Upset at my average scores on this tool (which assesses how we interact with cultural difference) I argued my point that as humans we are all the same. After all, I was trying to be inclusive, considerate, and open-minded. However, my colleague, in his wisdom, firmly stood his ground and said that no, we are not; research (and human nature) shows otherwise. Round and round we went until I walked away in frustration. I simply was not ready to grasp the depth of its meaning.
Then I came upon this quote...
"We are often unable to tell people what they need to know because they want to know something else."
George MacDonald, Scottish author, poet, and clergy
It hit me like a ton of bricks! I had to be open to my own basic assumptions and biases in order to develop as a global leader. From this moment on, I summoned the courage to actually face my own blind spots regarding cultural difference and begin to examine the very concepts I sought to teach others. This had to be done from the inside out.
To be a successful global leader requires the tough process of inner work. There are NO shortcuts!
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IT WAS TRANSFORMATIVE . . . AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE!
As a result of this humbling experience, I began a challenging and not always comfortable journey towards developing my own intercultural awareness from the inside out...it was not an easy journey and was filled with rough waters as I dealt with my blind spots and the reality of the mistakes I would make because of them. But as a result of this inner work:
- I developed a better sense of who I was (my own individual cultural identity)
- I became less judgmental and more aware so that I could take action to change my attitudes and behaviors
- I was more open to examining someone else's frame of reference based on THEIR perspective rather than my own
Through this hard work I finally "got" it - and changed the way I interacted with people - for the better!
And YOU can do the same.
Now I want to share my proven method with others on their journey towards developing global leadership capabilities. My goal is to present to you the Intercultural Academy for Global Leadership, where as a global learning community, you can take advantage of the cutting edge courses, cross-cultural assessments, professional coaching, and organizational consulting as an adult learner who seeks to grow your global leadership skills.
Please join professionals from around the world who are engaging in this inner work in order to transform their leadership skills for better productivity, promotion, and even profit - wherever they are in the world.
