Intercultural coaching is no longer a ‘niche market’ in our highly globalised world. Philippe Rosinski explains how learning from different cultures can refine and enrich your coaching skills
If you feel coaching across cultures should be reserved for those working on international assignments and travelling abroad, or that intercultural coaching is a ‘niche market’ concerning a minority of professionals (despite globalisation), think again.
We often misunderstand or ignore cultural differences or we manage them inadequately, leading to frustration, damaging conflicts, missed opportunities, even financial losses.
However, when we understand and use differences constructively, they offer a remarkable source of richness for interactions, learning and growth.
Coaching across cultures has two goals. One is, indeed, to enable more effective work across cultures (though not only in an international sense, as we will explore). The other, however, is more fundamental, in that intercultural coaching is a more creative and complete form of coaching. The approach challenges cultural assumptions in all situations. It propels you, the coach, and your clients beyond previous limitations. This second goal, then, is to offer new options in the form of alternativ e ways of thinking, communicating, managing time and engaging in a variety of activities.
Defining culture
Culture is a group phenomenon,
a set of characteristics that distinguishes the group’s members from another group. Although interculturalists have traditionally focused on national cultures, we typically belong to several groups at the same time: profession, education, generation, gender, industry, organisation, division and function. Our behaviour depends not only on the personality traits we are born with (according to Carl Jung), but also on the various cultural contexts that have shaped us, such as family, nation and religion, and which still influence us, such as organisation, function and friends. Our behaviour changes depending on the group we happen to be associated with: for example, teasing with friends and acting more seriously at work.
Importantly (and unfortunately), culture is still often misunderstood as a static and binary concept: we are supposedly either like this or like that, and cannot change. For example, according to this view, we either communicate directly (in the ‘American’ or ‘German’ way) or indirectly (in the ‘Asian’ fashion). Cultural diversity training then becomes a matter of describing how the ‘others’ behave, and what we should do to adapt to that other context.
It consists of a series of tips that, sometimes paradoxically, reinforces stereotypes and polarisation.
To coach across cultures, we need, instead, a dynamic and inclusive notion of culture itself. For example, we should learn to communicate both directly and indirectly, by appreciating the merits of both orientations – clarity and sensitivity. We want to be understood without offending and alienating the other person.
Cultural characteristics are both visible (behaviour, artifacts) and invisible (norms, values and basic assumptions).
Cross-cultural coaching
The first step is to become aware of your own attitudes to cultural differences, as well as your own cultural characteristics. The
goal is not to judge these characteristics but to ask yourself, for example, how effectively does this particular value of yours currently serve you.
Our attitudes can be grouped into two broad categories: ethnocentric pitfalls and intercultural approaches. In the first, our world view is central to all reality. We can accomplish this in three ways: by ignoring differences; by recognising differences, but evaluating them negatively (for example, marketing professionals looking down on those in finance); or by recognising differences, but minimising their importance (for example, failing to notice their uniqueness).
In the latter instance, uniformity is promoted in place of unity, and we fail to tap into the richness of cultural diversity.
Intercultural approaches happen when you recognise and accept differences, and adapt, integrate and ultimately leverage them. This implies neither agreement with a different culture nor adoption. But it does require openness and curiosity. By proactively looking for gems in different cultures and striving for synergy, we achieve unity through diversity. It means thinking: ‘and’ rather than: ‘or’.
To understand specific cultural characteristics, we need a vocabulary that describes salient cultural traits. The Cultural Orientations Framework (COF) has been created for just that purpose.
The COF includes a range of cultural dimensions/orientations grouped into seven categories of practical importance to leaders, professional coaches and anyone striving to unleash human potential within organisations:
Sense of power and responsibility
Time management approaches
Definitions of identity and purpose
Organisational arrangements
Notions of territory and boundaries
Communication patterns, and
Modes of thinking.
For example, we have found that many coaches across the five continents have a preference for ‘change’, but, paradoxically, risk overlooking the importance of ‘stability’ in helping them succeed. Stability means a time to recuperate, to consolidate and to capitalise on the current situation before rushing into more changes.
Leveraging time enables us to achieve both efficiency (doing things right) and effectiveness (doing the right things).
Intercultural coaching works at three levels: with individuals, with teams and with organisations.
With teams, for example, the COF assessment1 allows you to help members visualise overall cultural preferences and systematically explore cultural assets and pitfalls with respect to goals.
Most of all, the process leads to useful conversations about new options and concrete actions that can be taken to make the most of various cultural possibilities, such as: collaboration and competition, equality and hierarchy, being and doing, and control, harmony and humility.
Coaches can also add value by facilitating organisational development. Organisations rely on three mechanisms to achieve growth: organic growth, alliances and mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Unfortunately, many alliances and M&As break down prematurely, failing to deliver the expected strategic benefits, and inflicting financial damage on both partners.
The main reason for failure is the human factor in general and culture in particular. The good news is, you can reverse this trend through proactive and effective management of cultural differences. For example, in a recent strategic alliance between a French and a Dutch company, French managers learned from the Dutch about “empowerment”, while the Dutch learned about “constructive politics” from the French. They were able to learn from it to leverage “equality” and “hierarchy”.
In our turbulent and polarised world, coaches equipped to integrate culture systematically into their practice, will
promote much-needed mutual understanding, unity in diversity and sustainable progress for all.
Professor Philippe Rosinski is principal of Rosinski & Company, author of Coaching Across Cultures and Global Coaching, and the first European to be designated Master Certified Coach by the International Coach Federation.
www.philrosinski.com
www.globalcoaching.pro
1 Download your free individual COF profile at: www.COFassessment.com
This article is adapted from a feature which first appeared in Choice 3(3). See also: Coaching at Work, ‘Adapt and Survive’, vol 5, issue 5 and ‘Roadtest: Diversity Awareness Ladder,’ vol 7, issue 6
Case study: a joint venture
Cultural differences can cause misunderstandings and frustration, which may end up derailing promising joint ventures. But coaching across cultures can help unleash the richness in such diversity, allowing the joint venture to flourish.
In the second half of 2012, we were called upon by both a French and a Danish company that had just embarked on a joint venture. The intervention consisted in a cultural audit using a combination of interviews and the Cultural Orientations Framework (COF) assessment, followed by various recommendations and a tailored two-day workshop titled, “Leveraging cultural differences for sustainable results.”
The audit revealed some similarities. For example, both sides wanted to be in charge and were reluctant to let go of control, and both sides viewed time as a scarce resource (even if the French did take the time to engage in small talk before any meeting).
It also highlighted many differences: the Danes eager to apply their proven approach (universalism) and the French insisting on taking their specific circumstances into account (particularism); the Danes more explicit in their communication, regularly missing French implicit clues; the French offended by Danish direct communication, and the French more hierarchical and the Danes more equalitarian in their management style.
The workshop gave participants a chance to promote their mutual understanding, notably by reviewing individual as well as aggregate COF results, and through experiential activities (eg, each participant sharing a chosen cultural artifact). It also gave them an opportunity to realise that “we are in this together”, “we all matter”, “we need each other to succeed”, and “we can learn from each other”.
Importantly, we allowed participants to readily apply insights gained by asking them to determine how to work more effectively together. Participants identified shared norms of behaviour and values, decision and work processes, and other factors to support their common vision. We ensured all participants had an opportunity to express their ideas.
By feeling connected to fellow colleagues, by feeling that each voice mattered, and by enjoying the time spent together, participants became more fully engaged and committed to the success of their joint venture.
More obstacles will undoubtedly come along, however, participants realised that their journey does not have to be tedious, but instead can be a fluid, exciting and pleasurable experience.
Coaching across cultures: top tips
Consider culture as a dynamic process rather than a static ‘given’. Our cultural behaviour, norms, values and assumptions are not cast in stone. Move beyond current limitations by learning from other cultures.
Think ‘and’ (dialectics) to promote inclusion rather than ‘or’ (binary thinking) to foster exclusion and polarisation.
Become aware of your attitude to cultural differences and beware ethnocentric pitfalls. Instead, cultivate openness and curiosity about other world views.
Beyond respect, tolerance or adaptation, strive to leverage cultural differences: make the most of diversity, proactively look for gems in different cultures, and promote unity in diversity.
Acquire a vocabulary to describe salient cultural characteristics, considering that “the core difficulty in cross-cultural interaction is a failure to recognize relevant cultural differences” (Stewart & Bennett’s research).
Use the Cultural Orientations Framework (COF) assessment to become aware of your own cultural orientations and abilities in various areas of importance, such as sense of power and responsibility, time management, identity and purpose, organisational arrangements, notions of territory, communication patterns and modes of thinking. Find out how your orientations affect your behaviour.
Discover your underused orientations. These may well constitute new avenues to unleash your versatility and creativity, and to effectively bridge cultural gaps when dealing with different people.
Remember: your actions speak louder than your words. Set an example of embracing alternative cultural perspectives in your own life and coaching practice. Your congruence and authenticity will stimulate others.
Coaching at work, volume 8, issue 1