by Marissa Afton During my 20s I was living in Vienna where I supplemented my income by teaching English as a foreign language to business executives, exchange students and others who wanted to brush up their skills. My students came from a variety of backgrounds, some local to Austria, others who were passing through. I quickly learned that one key to building rapport, developing engagement and promoting internal motivation lay in how I tailored each lesson plan to the individual. By opening myself to the unique ways each person processed and assimilated new information (often culturally dependent), I was able to tap into the hearts, minds and motivations of my students. It was an effective skill that aided in their learning transfer, and a skill that I continue to employ today in my work as a coach. In this ever-more globalized world, coaches are increasingly asked to bridge cultures and provide tangible support to clients regardless of demographic, background or geographical location. Modern technology has made the practice of coaching across cultures increasingly straightforward; however connecting with our clients logistically does not necessarily equate to connecting with them interpersonally. Though much research has been done in the field, gaps remain in creating a formula for success in cross-cultural coaching. We can look to Mastery #2: Perceiving, Expanding and Affirming the Client’s Potential to demonstrate how a blanket coaching approach can potentially backfire in some cross-cultural applications. For the undeveloped coach, the assumption may be that all clients will respond to recognition and affirmation in a positive way that motivates progressive change. However, in cultures where personal recognition can be perceived as self-glorifying, this unwanted acknowledgement can harbor the opposite effect, potentially breaking any trust and rapport that may have otherwise been established. Instead, a seasoned coach will still use Mastery #2, but with sensitivity towards understanding how personal recognition and affirmation will impact the client’s motivation to invest in the coaching process and create lasting change. In addition to gaining proficiency in the Masteries (or other coaching frameworks), coaches need to develop inter-cultural competencies to ensure that coaching solutions are relevant to the ethos and values of the cross-cultural client. For example, developing an awareness of (as well as respect for) individual cultural beliefs and habits can deepen a coach’s sensitivity, which in turn will foster the trust needed for attaining successful outcomes. Additionally, increasing one’s cognizance of personal cultural assumptions (accurate or otherwise) and recognizing the associated impact these assumptions can have on the client can promote an atmosphere of mutual understanding, thereby nurturing an environment “that allows ideas, options and opportunities to emerge” (Mastery #8). A few recommended practices that can develop a coach’s inter-cultural competencies include:
Coaches who are invested in a long-term coaching relationship with a cross-cultural client may even consider joining local groups that encourage social and/or professional interaction with individuals from the client’s home country in order to gain broader understanding of their cultural customs, habits and behaviors. By developing methods that bridge the chasm between cultures, we heighten the likelihood of successful and lasting coaching outcomes. Coaches of all cultures, backgrounds and locations can work effectively with their clients and excel in their coaching interventions by applying focused awareness on the unique concerns and intricacies of their cross-cultural client. In this way, we all can ensure that coaching continues to provide relevance and meaning to diverse international clientele.
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