Intercultural Corner

by Jan O’Brien Developing intercultural competence enables us to open our minds to new possibilities, improved relationships and reciprocal goodwill with our clients, and as we become aware of our “cultural self” we gain a greater sense of security and confidence when we interact across cultures. An awareness of our culturally-based values, communication styles and …

Intercultural Corner: The Masteries as our Support System as we Coach Across Cultures Read More »

by Jan O’Brien While reading through the articles in the March edition of the IAC Voice, I clicked on the title, Mastery #5 Infographic by Natalie Tucker Miller. What immediately caught my eye and imagination were the words “…communication becomes a springboard to more open discourse”, and I found myself reflecting on the topic of …

Intercultural Corner Culture and Communication Read More »

by Jan O’Brien Recently, while waiting for a flight at London Heathrow airport, I overheard a group of young professionals having a discussion about culture and identity. One woman, I’ll call her “Sue”, was expressing her frustration about how some people make assumptions about her nationality. Sue is of Korean descent. Her mother is originally …

Intercultural Corner: Perceptions and Cultural Identity Read More »

by Jan O’Brien For the purposes of this month’s article I would like to explore what we mean by “culture” in the context of coaching across cultures. So, what is culture? Jean Paul Lederach defines culture as “…the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing and responding to …

Intercultural Corner – What is Culture? Read More »

by Jan O’Brien Welcome to the Intercultural Corner! My vision for this short monthly article is to provide a supportive and thought-provoking platform for us to discuss coaching and cultural competence. Navigating cultural “difference”, be it international or domestic, is an ever-important aspect of the coaching profession. As coaching expands around the world and as …

Intercultural Corner Read More »