 Some years ago, I had the privilege of editing a ground-breaking book by Wai K Leong on coaching in an Asian cultural context. My interest and curiosity had had been sparked by some intriguing issues and dynamics I had encountered in my own attempts to coach people from countries including Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam – with mixed success. More recently, I was invited to coach someone from the Philippines and the same issues arose. What I have encountered here tests the limits of Western coaching models and raises important questions for cross-cultural work. Take, for example, a typical Western goal-orientated coaching question such as: ‘What do you want to do in the future?’ In the West, it sounds simple and straightforward… yet the question itself is loaded with implicit cultural assumptions about, e.g. aspiration, autonomy and time. Autonomy is particularly significant in an Asian context where cultural beliefs about the individual in relation to e.g. authority, responsibility, family, interdependence and relationships are absolutely fundamental. In light of this, I have been exploring and experimenting with alternative Asian cultural framings. I tried a shift away from, ‘What do you want to do in the future?’ and towards a different pattern of questions: ‘What is your greatest hope for your family?’, ‘What is your family’s greatest hope for you?’, ‘What is your greatest hope for your own future?’, ‘How might you work through any differences to find a solution that is acceptable for both your family and you?’ The client’s face lit up and she smiled: ‘Now you are starting to understand Asian culture!’ I’m very interested to hear from others who have experienced cross-cultural coaching. How did you do it – and what did you learn?
163 Comments
Filao Wilson
4/4/2017 12:52:20 pm
Love these insights, thanks Nick.
Nick Wright
4/4/2017 12:52:56 pm
Thanks for the encouraging feedback, Filao. :)
Paul W Pickering
4/4/2017 03:15:50 pm
Hi Nick. You raise good points. I want to add an obvious wrinkle before I comment further, and that is that "coaching" by a non family, non tribal (in urban tribe or sociological senses) member - with a financial based arrangement (direct or indirect) carries a lot of meaning in itself. Ok -with this territory more clear: those are good questions, based on solid participant/observer experience. The Hofstede framework and subsequent adaptations can lead to similar and extended questions, but there is always the danger of leading too much. In coaching I try to bear in mind the clients cultural background, and use a variant of "Clean Language" as created by David Grove. The challenge is to get the people with whom I work to choose their own words as much as possible and my hard work comes in sorting through the frameworks, and minimizing the impact of my lens. Conversations that emerge from initial exploration then can explicitly identify the merging cultural expectations.
Nick Wright
4/4/2017 03:17:40 pm
Hi Paul and thanks for posting such interesting reflections. Do you have any examples from experience that you could share, e.g. to show what clean language could look like in a cross-cultural conversation?
Jackie Black
4/4/2017 03:18:35 pm
A couple of years ago I was working with a Mexican client on her communication style. I asked if if she would help gain some coaching experience for my coaching log and she agreed. We focussed on her relationship with her new colleagues in the U.K ( she had just relocated to the North East of England from Mexico City). The most rewarding aspect for her was to reflect on her preferred (high context) communication style and how she could adapt it to fit more with that of her low context team. We read through some of her emails and considered the impact of her approach to implementing new quality procedures and she was curious to understand why that her use of emoticons, for example, was generally not well received. I really enjoyed working with this client and feel she learnt a great deal about herself from discussing these cultural differences. The key to her progress was discovering the impact of her communication on people with very different ways of communicating.
Nick Wright
4/4/2017 03:21:58 pm
Hi Jackie. Thanks for sharing such a great example from personal experience. I'm curious: did you notice any cross-cultural dynamics being played out in your relationship with the client, possibly paralleling those she experienced with her new colleagues? Also, could you say a bit more about what high context and low context mean in practice? Thanks.
Ashok Banerjee
4/4/2017 03:24:00 pm
According to the cross culture relationship between our Adventures of Asian continental all mostly is really positive applications except the Arabian nations and their in inheritance settled down world other countries.
Nick Wright
4/4/2017 03:27:39 pm
Hi Ashok and thanks for your reflections. It sounds like you have fairly strong views and feelings about Arab cultural beliefs and traditions - perhaps in contrast to what you perceive as better beliefs and traditions? It begs important questions about how we build bridges of relationship and understanding between ourselves and others who may perceive and experience the world very differently.
Roger Mason
4/4/2017 08:34:07 pm
The lesson I most clearly learned was when encouraging Team Leaders in Hong Kong to coach using our UK 'pull don't push' framework. They taught me that in their context "What do you think?" actually implies that they as a coach don't know the answer, and erodes some of the credibility. It was fascinating.
Nick Wright
4/4/2017 08:37:28 pm
Hi Roger and thanks for sharing from experience. I too have encountered the same dynamic for managers in some Asian contexts where 'What do you think?' can sound like a trick question, a trap if asked in a group or, as you say, undermine the manager's credibility. This is one of the key issues that Wai K Leong tries to address in his book, 'Empowering Asian Mindsets Through Coaching'.
Judith Germain
4/4/2017 08:38:55 pm
I had a British client that had bought a Portuguese company. I ran a two day combined group strategy consultation / leadership training programme.
Nick Wright
4/4/2017 08:43:16 pm
Hi Judith. That sounds like a fascinating cross-cultural experience! It seems to me that it can sometimes be valuable to surface and discuss cultural beliefs, values and norms...especially as they are often held subconsciously as assumptions...and to explore ways of contracting accordingly. Your experience of navigating break times is a good practical example.
Judith Germain
5/4/2017 09:34:19 am
Yes it was fun and I learnt a lot. I used some family examples in addition to work ones which is something that I wouldn't do in the UK.
Nick Wright
5/4/2017 09:35:25 am
Thanks Judith. Sounds like picking up on the family theme was valuable too.
E.G.Sebastian - CPC, CSL
4/4/2017 08:44:39 pm
I've been coaching people from different culture for the past 10+ years; as well as spent time in different cultures (including living 4-months in China). What I noticed - very surprisingly - that coaching Chinese clients (as long as they speak close to perfect English) is effortless. Their mentality - the educated ones - is very similar to "ours." They are also very driven; true action-takers.
Nick Wright
4/4/2017 08:51:19 pm
Thanks E.G. Living 4 months in China sounds like an interesting experience. :) When was it and what were you doing while you were there? I have worked with international NGOs with people from lots of different cultural backgrounds. I have questions about 'educated' and 'speak good English' because it sometimes implies that a person or group has managed to adapt well to a Western cultural mindset and framework. A challenge I'm grappling with is how to coach well within Asian cultural contexts and relationships that involve me-as-coach doing the adapting...if that makes sense!
E.G.Sebastian - CPC, CSL
11/4/2017 08:44:15 am
I was lucky to catch the end of the "old China," when tipping in hotels and restaurants was "illegal" (there were signs all over "NO TIPPING"); and even if I wanted to tip - which I tried dozens of times - not one person accepted the tip from me. I was also able to have a fancy dinner for under $1.00... and many other things were more... "innocent." This was in 1991.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 08:53:20 am
Hi E.G. Wow - what amazing life experiences!! :) I agree about differences in Asian countries and, conversely, similarities between people. Rather than assuming a cultural stereotype, I try to work with people and groups in a spirit of curiosity.
E.G.Sebastian - CPC, CSL
11/4/2017 10:23:17 pm
In the 2010s, last year was probably my record in drinking beer - I drank about 2 dozen beers :) -- I miss the days when I could sit down with friends and finish a few cases (of half-litter) beer by 4 pm... and just talk and talk and talk... than pass out :) --- I know that's very "sinful" thinking :) - still miss it :)
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 10:24:18 pm
Hi E.G. Your bike story really made me laugh!! :)
Richard Simpson
5/4/2017 09:01:59 am
Hi Nick - two observations. Cross-cultural coaching is a great way of making visible our own cultural biases as coaches to which we are largely blind when we are in our own tribe. It should help coaches understand how much they 'get in the way' of an effective coaching relationship through assumptions of shared meaning. My bias actually works the other way. I find western concepts of success and achievement, even happiness, (we in the west tend to externalise, materialise and objectivise success) usually run counter to our personal sense of well-being, yet we keep damaging ourselves because our culture expects certain things of us and we are programmed to 'achieve'. Most of my coaching is about helping people realise a different way of being in the world.
Nick Wright
5/4/2017 09:40:24 am
Hi Richard. What great insights into cultural awareness and coaching counter-culturally!
Shayla Wilson, PHR, SHRM-CP
5/4/2017 09:29:47 am
I wish I had some experience to add, but wow, what an interesting conversation. I would love to study more of this!
Nick Wright
5/4/2017 09:32:01 am
Thanks Shayla! You may find this short related piece interesting? http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/crossing-cultures
Isabelle Gillet
5/4/2017 09:51:19 am
Finally someone who truly catches what cross-cultural means by adjusting coaching questions to the coachee's frame of reference so that the conversation gets the desired impact! Sooooo happy to read this, thanks and congrats :-)
Nick Wright
5/4/2017 09:51:58 am
Thanks Isabelle. It is an on-going learning journey for me.
Edmée Schalkx
5/4/2017 10:26:27 am
Great reflection! As an anthropologist and cross-cultural coach I am always looking for ways to create a safe and trusting meeting space where presence is the amalgamating element - then you can see, listen and feel the norms, values and beliefs of people. Listening and questions will come from what the client is saying and not what guides the coach.
Nick Wright
5/4/2017 10:32:29 am
Thanks Edmée! I love they way you express that: 'presence is the amalgamating element'. In my experience, 'seeing, listening and feeling the norms, values and beliefs of people' when working cross-culturally can be one of the challenging and yet most illuminating aspects. It is so easy to superimpose meaning based on our own - often subconscious - beliefs and values without even realising it...and that includes what we hear, don't hear, what questions we may choose to ask and not ask etc.
Wai K. Leong, MCC
5/4/2017 02:57:26 pm
Nick, thank you again for your excellent editing work on my book. I enjoyed reading all your articles 👍🏻.
Nick Wright
5/4/2017 02:58:30 pm
Thank you, Wai. You can see I am still thinking about and practising in the same area!
Kathleen Rolfe
6/4/2017 08:50:19 am
Great article, thank you. Do you mind if I share this?
Nick Wright
6/4/2017 08:51:02 am
Thanks Kathleen. Yes, feel free to share it!
Uday Arur
6/4/2017 08:52:41 am
Thank you for raising an issue which has long been on my mind. Being an Indian and learning and using Western models of coaching and research, I have long tried to figure how coaching could be different in the Indian context. In my 14 years of in India, I have found Western thought and models effective and providing positive outcomes and it could be because of it's Vedic past. India is a multicultural society, hugely enriched by a variety of thoughts and religious beliefs of a series of foreign invaders - C. Asian, Persians, Greeks, Portuguese, French and the English. But the core of it's being is in many critical ways, influenced by Hindu thought. In Hinduism, the goals of life have been defined as Dharma or Purpose (values), Artha or Prosperity (wealth, security, health), Kama or Pleasure (intimacy, beauty, love) and Moksha or Spiritual fulfilment (self knowledge and ultimate freedom). As you can see, these goals are no different from contemporary Western aspirations. Importantly, Hinduism not being an institutionalised religion - one is free to interpret the meaning, relevance and practice of its thought as one thinks fit. This adaptivity could be at the root of the success of Western coaching models, at least in India.
Nick Wright
6/4/2017 08:58:34 am
Hi Uday. Thanks for sharing such interesting insights from an Indian perspective. In my experience - primarily in South East Asia - some aspects of a Western approach to coaching (which tends to focus primarily on the individual) can work well whereas other aspects can come unstuck, e.g. if a coach focuses exclusively on the individual without taking wider contextual, cultural and relational factors into account. Is that the same in your experience too?
Tanya Finnie
6/4/2017 08:59:59 am
Great adapted questions adn soooo important. I specilise in cross cultural consulting and often coach accross cultures. It is imperitive to adapt models/styles adn questions to get hte best outcomes. Broadly speaking I use the differnt cultural dimensions fro example direct vs indirect communication to adapt styles of questioning. I am also a CQ (Cultural Intlligence Facilitator) and where possible suggest that a tool is used that can measure cultural dimesions as a baseline kick off.
Nick Wright
6/4/2017 09:01:24 am
Hi Tanja. It sounds like you have great experience in this area. Do you have any examples from personal experience that you could share to illustrate how you apply cross-cultural principles in practice?
Dave Harbath
6/4/2017 09:02:34 am
Well captured Nick! And agree with Tanya in that Culturally Intelligent Coaching is a must have in every coaches tool kit.
Nick Wright
6/4/2017 09:03:43 am
Thanks Dave! Do you have any examples of 'culturally intelligent coaching' from experience that you could share with us?
Ranjeeta P.
6/4/2017 09:20:13 am
Observe their career decisions to get a hint on autonomy, growth pattern also can be studied in parallel with industry culture to get a glimpse into cultural influence and constraints.
Nick Wright
6/4/2017 09:22:07 am
Hi Ranjeeta. I think that's an interesting idea. One of the tricky parts is that different people may make what appear to be the same career decisions - yet with different underlying personal-cultural beliefs, values, motivations etc.
Simon Dennis
6/4/2017 11:37:45 am
Hi Nick - I agree there is a difference, but found that looking at a cultural stereotype can be dangerous even within single countries. Exploring this further with colleagues we came to the conclusion that the coach's role is to interact with the individual that is present. Using their skills and experience to identify the right approach for the individual rather than making assumptions based on cultural 'norms'. There is a blog I posted which develops this train of thought: http://tgccoach.academy/SD02LI02
Nick Wright
6/4/2017 11:44:31 am
Thanks Simon. I think that's a very important point. There is a sense in which every individual is unique, even if certain cultural traits can be discerned broadly within groups. There is a big difference between noticing and being sensitive to cultural patterns and superimposing cultural stereotypes on individuals or groups.
Richard Boston
6/4/2017 03:07:40 pm
Love it. Chimes with the switch from asking people about the "legacy" they want to leave to the "contribution" they'd like to make, inspired by a Japanese leader I once worked with.
Nick Wright
6/4/2017 03:08:23 pm
Thanks Richard. That's a great example of cultural reframing. :)
Dr Ghada Angawi ACC
6/4/2017 03:09:32 pm
Hi Nick, I come from Saudi Arabia and coached in Arabic multi cultural back grounds from north Africa to UAE locals. Specific coaching techniques will vary from one culture to another. I learned that its all to do with a coach intercultural competence. I started researching and found that no matter how specific you try to be and customize your approach, if you dont have certain mental abilities (meta cognition) and the curiosity and interest (motivation) and the general and specific knowledge (cultural dimensions), you will not be able to behave the way that suits your clients own cultural orientation (behaviors). Thus our behaviors as coaches will only be adjusted and modified when we have all of the above. I discovered Cultural Intelligence CQ and now I am getting certified as an assessor and trainer.
Nick Wright
6/4/2017 03:14:19 pm
Hi Ghada. Thanks for sharing such an interesting perspective on different dimensions that can influence the effectiveness of cross-cultural coaching. I once worked in a Palestinian hospital and, later, visited Lebanon. In light of those experiences, I think I would add something about personal presence and quality of relationship too. Do you have an example from experience that you could share to illustrate what CQ looks like in practice, e.g. in an Arabic context?
Rachel Petero
7/4/2017 02:20:21 pm
Kia ora Nick from NZ. Great questions and responses. My business works exclusively with indigenous women and their families including their extended tribes. The women who come through Rise2025 coaching and leadership programme for 100,000 indigenous women are naturally gifted and have so much to bring to coaching. When we are able to experience coaching through their cultural lens it shifts perspectives for all involved. I am Māori and have had the privilege of an international career and business. However I was a minority in this space of being a credentialed coach. Indigenous values based coaching blended with International competency based coaching is transformational. ICF CEO Magdalena Mook came to NZ to meet with some of the women who are on their journey towards credentialing and they are now working within their indigenous communities serving their people. She supports and endorses our blended approach as a Rise Ambassador. We put cultural values at the core of the programme and the international best practice supports the values. It's an intentional point of difference. Every day I am inspired by these courageous women.
Nick Wright
7/4/2017 02:23:59 pm
Kia ora from the UK, Rachel. Your work sounds fascinating. I would love to hear more about coaching through a Maori cultural lens. Do you have any examples from experience that you could share to show what this could look like in practice - particularly in terms of how it might differ from application of ICF standards in a Western cultural context?
Parry Aftab
7/4/2017 02:39:54 pm
Fascinating!
Nick Wright
7/4/2017 02:40:30 pm
Thanks Parry. I find the whole cross-cultural thing fascinating!
Ana Lucas
7/4/2017 02:41:13 pm
I believe any cross-cultural experience is positive for one's trajectory in life. I experienced two of these in my lifetime, 25 years ago from Portugal to Czechoslovakia (Slovakia today), and three years ago to Russia. Both were amazing in terms of what it demanded from me in adaptation and accepting that others behave differently. The shock coming 25 years ago from the West to a recently democratized country after so may years under communist regime was truly exceptional. However I was very young at the time, so I take it to my young age the then easiness with which I got acquainted with the new reality (besides of course the people who stood beside me and helped). Going to Russia though, 3 years ago, was a life-turning event. Russia is always a sensitive topic, but politics aside - I encountered in the Russian people a warmth compared only to the one I know from back home (Portugal), which I obviously never expected. Amazing experience, self reflective, resilience rewarding.
Nick Wright
7/4/2017 02:43:47 pm
Hi Ana. What amazing life experiences. I'm curious, what did you discover about different cultures you encountered and what did it involve you doing differently to adapt to them?
Sandra L. Chaparro, MSc.
7/4/2017 02:46:38 pm
Great post Nick. I am Latina, and have worked in Europe and Asia, and in my experience listening and observing behaviors is the best way to learn how to adjust our approach and create meaningful relationships.
Nick Wright
7/4/2017 02:48:26 pm
Thanks Sandra. I'm intrigued! Can you say more about what behaviours you have observed in European and Asian cultural contexts and what you have done differently as a Latina to adjust to them?
Jan O'Brien, IAC-MCC
7/4/2017 02:51:25 pm
Great post Nick, thanks for sharing. I would be very interested in the book you mention by Wai K Leong. Have checked with Amazon UK but the price is quite prohibitive (over £200). Any idea where I could find a copy elsewhere?
Nick Wright
7/4/2017 02:51:58 pm
Thanks Jan. I'm not sure what to suggest. Perhaps contact Wai K Leong directly and see if he can advise on options? Here is his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmccoachmastery/ Hope that helps!
Mel Leow -PCC (ICF), MBA
7/4/2017 02:56:35 pm
Yes indeed...Nick. Family is key in the Asian context, and so is Success (Financial and Career).
Nick Wright
7/4/2017 03:04:59 pm
Thanks Mel. I think that's an interesting point about the influence of different cultures touching each other through exposure, common language, social media etc. I think there are also wider social, political and commercial-economic factors that influence which culture or mix of cultures prevails over time. For instance, when I was in the Philippines last week, I was struck by how many shops and publications included photos of Western women as models - and the negative effect this has on how local women see and feel about themselves.
Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD
9/4/2017 12:15:38 pm
Over the years, I've been involved in acculturating coaching programs around the world. Here are some of my most valuable (and painful) lessons.
Nick Wright
9/4/2017 12:23:12 pm
Thanks Carter. I think those are very useful tips and they resonate well with some of my experiences too. I have some provisos to add:
Viorel Apetrei
9/4/2017 12:24:10 pm
Thanks for your coaching story. I would like to share another challenge, experienced in the Gulf. Some clients are not confortable to talk about their strenghts or achievements. They rather avoid the answer or say "I'm not entitled to talk about my successes, let other people talk about me".
Nick Wright
9/4/2017 12:26:11 pm
Thanks Viorel. The cultural phenomenon you describe here sounds very similar to that which I describe in this short related blog: http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/crossing-cultures
Véronique Polet
9/4/2017 12:27:27 pm
I have coached Japanese Managers - very interesting experience and exchange from both sides...natural intuition and cameleon approach very useful...
Nick Wright
9/4/2017 12:29:05 pm
Hi Véronique. I am intrigued. Can you say more about what you mean by 'natural intuition and cameleon approach', perhaps with examples from experience to illustrate what they look like in practice?
Julie Bullen
9/4/2017 12:29:43 pm
Very interesting. I have worked with Asian people but only within the context of Business School coaching - so they may be more 'westernised'. Even then, meeting the expectations of family was central, but open questions and listening still work pretty well in relation to whatever issue they choose to focus on. Maybe extra care in making early questions wide open, without any assumption of a focus eg the future, finding their agenda with them would be the main 'learning'.
Nick Wright
9/4/2017 12:31:48 pm
Hi Julie. Interesting reflections. I will sometimes ask a question such as, 'If we were to have a really useful conversation, what would we be doing?'
Frank Ingruber
9/4/2017 12:35:23 pm
While culture and cultural sensitivity are obviously important in a coaching or mentoring situation, I have not found any problems, including because many of my clients have worked or studied abroad and are competing for regional or international jobs. As such, they are very open and international in outlook and value my 'Western' background and insights, including the questions they are likely to get from a Western interview panel and the way that panel would likely react to certain answers.
Nick Wright
9/4/2017 12:41:03 pm
Hi Frank and thanks for sharing from experience. A couple of points stand out to me: firstly, the effects and potential benefits of exposure to different cultures; secondly, the demands in some international organisations to learn and adopt a (sometimes) very different culture if to be successful.
Priti Bhave
9/4/2017 12:42:41 pm
Family is often a loaded topic, I find. Asia is full of so many different cultures that it is hard to generalize how and when discussions on family are appropriate. I usually follow the coachees lead..go along the lines of finding out what aspirations they have, what is important about those aspirations. The circle of life is a wonderful tool to facilitate going beyond careers and work.
Nick Wright
9/4/2017 12:45:50 pm
Thanks Priti. Yes - that's an important point - and there are variations between individuals and individual preferences within different cultures too. Could you say more about 'circle of life', perhaps with an example from experience to show what it could look like in practice?
Priti Bhave
10/4/2017 10:11:21 am
I use circle of life at the beginning (often as pre-work for session 1) to see how satisfied the person is with aspects of their lives other than work. This helps put people's ambitions into context too.. e.g.- if they are going high on career, what will they be willing to sacrifice else where etc. helps with accountability and as a before and after measure too.
Nick Wright
10/4/2017 10:11:44 am
Thanks Priti!
Patrick A. Trottier M.S., I-O Psy.
9/4/2017 12:47:10 pm
I ask the people who I have worked with in different cultures - regions, villages, cities, islands, nations, to work with me to put the approach and the tools into a framework that works for them. I find that if you engage people 'up-stream' ( the 'preparation stage), they like that because the approach then makes sense to them and whatever the focus is, and the tools used, such fits their cultural perspectives and attributes. Then, as in all OD approaches, this also creates 'ownership', 'readiness' and brings 'effective engagement' to their experience a well as it teaches me what all that means in their culture. I am the student. I am the listener. I have done this with assessments, process design, coaching, etc.
Nick Wright
9/4/2017 12:49:57 pm
Hi Patrick. The approach you describe sounds similar to my own. At the contracting stage, I will have a conversation with the client along the lines of, 'What are we here to do?' and, 'How shall we do this?' It models a co-creative approach and can build trust and relationship.
Patrick A. Trottier M.S., I-O Psy.
9/4/2017 07:02:09 pm
Hey Nick - like your approach - co-creative... and we all learn... !!
Nick Wright
9/4/2017 07:06:13 pm
Hi Patrick. I agree - not just at the contracting stage - but the contracting stage can be a useful place to open, explore and agree a focus and approach that will flow throughout the relationship and task. I like Claire Pedrick's (3D Coaching) approach: at natural points in the conversation to ask, e.g. 'Where are we now?' and 'What do we need to do next?' and, towards the end, 'Is there anything else we need to do?' and 'Are we finished?'
Stefan Grafe
10/4/2017 10:13:21 am
Having developed advertising globally, working with diverse clients and training clients in building more trust - also across cultures, we find many people overlook the most obvious and most important cultural explainer: their history.
Nick Wright
10/4/2017 10:17:34 am
Hi Stefan. I think there are nuances to a historical perspective that can be valuable to explore - e.g. how people in different cultural groups construe their history, what stands out as significant to them, how they evaluate it, what they feel about it, how they believe it influences their present-day circumstances, values and experiences etc.
Darren Waring
10/4/2017 10:18:14 am
What a super and timely article, I am currently working in mid Europe, mid Europe is not quite the same as western world, but, the same story goes. I am looking at systems implementation within a manufacturing environment and the training that will need to accompany it, as we have just acquisitioned this business. The current practises within this new business are very basic and not really what is required from a global leading manufacturer. The main issue we have here Seems To Be "Culture". Has anyone been involved in training in mid Europe and if so, how did you overcome the cultural challenges? The training structure is not well organised, staff retention and staff turnover seem to be the main culprits, after this, the need for training, lack of trained employees to do training, poor organisation, and a lack of understanding for the benefits of training long term are all issues we need to overcome. Cultural change (or realignment) perhaps?
Nick Wright
10/4/2017 10:29:44 am
Thanks for such encouraging feedback, Darren. It sounds like it could be worth posing some fundamental coaching-consultancy type questions such as:
Rosemary Napper
10/4/2017 10:31:39 am
I do a lot of intercultural coaching & coach training, and have a constructivist transactional analysis perspective: this means that my role is to be curious about the meaning|s the client is informed by and using - rather than have the client enter my frame of reference. At the same time it is useful for me to know e.g. Hofsteddes notions of constructs such s time, hierarchy , nature of relationship are often very different in different cultures; the notion of the 'we' and the 'I' culture; and the humility suggested by Mioton bennett. I agree with Simon - we have to be very careful about considering something is a truism/norm for a particular culture! And I have also learnt to be most careful when working with people from another culture which (seems to ) speak English! We often have very very different meanings.......
Nick Wright
10/4/2017 10:36:16 am
Thanks Rosemary. I like your emphasis on being 'curious about the meaning the client is informed by and using.' Do you have any examples from experience you could share to show what this could look like in a cross-cultural conversation? Your final comment reminded me of the adage about the USA and the UK - 'two countries divided by a common language'!
Sarah Clark
10/4/2017 10:37:43 am
Hi Nick, great article, I am lucky enough to have had training recently by Prof David Mumford in cross culture communication. I recently worked with someone who was struggling with the material we were using which linked to expressing his emotions in a given situation. So fresh out of this training I asked him to write in his own language and then translate to me so he could reflect in a more helpful way for him. What came out was he had literacy issues in his own language. We ended up doing some really interesting in depth work that would not have come about had I not thought outside of my english box!!!
Nick Wright
10/4/2017 10:42:31 am
Thanks Sarah. Yes, expression of emotion can be very different in different cultures, e.g. in terms of emotional experience, what language and categories we use, what sense we make of it and what is considered appropriate to express where and how. I'm intrigued. Did you invite the person to re-write the materials in a way that worked for him culturally or, perhaps, to express his emotions in writing before translating the written text for you?
Tinus Van Der Merwe
10/4/2017 11:24:51 am
I've coached Saudis, Indians, Pakistanis, Africans (Sudan, Nigeria, Tunisia), Palestinians, Bahrainis, and Westerners, by just being with them as human beings. I did not experience any "cultural" blocks, and treated any place where they were stuck as I would with anyone else. That freed me from the carrying of my own stereotypes about that culture, based on what I read, as pointed out by Carter McNamara. My basic assumption of all people being naturally creative, resourceful and whole works for me and my clients, and where they do show resistance such as "I'm not entitled to talk about my successes, let other people talk about me", I challenge them to go outside their comfort zone. While being respectful of their "culture" I let them understand I'm interested in them as people, not their culture. Even those from collective cultures are okay with it.
Nick Wright
10/4/2017 11:38:09 am
Hi Tinus. I like your emphasis on meeting people as people - that resonates with my own beliefs and approach too - and on your working assumptions that people are naturally creative, resourceful and whole. In my experience too, that (mostly) works for me and for my clients. It also begs so many questions culturally and cross-culturally. For instance, different people and cultures may hold fundamentally different beliefs about, say, what it means to be 'naturally creative'...what it means to be 'resourceful'...what it means to be 'whole' and what it may take in that cultural context to develop or release those things. A risk is that we can approach coaching through our own cultural lens, that clients from different cultures can adapt to and benefit (at some level) from it...and that we - and they - can miss deep cultural insights that could prove transformational.
Peter Callender
10/4/2017 01:57:57 pm
Happy to pitch in. Have used Andrew molinsky's cross cultural model to look at some of the possible differences between coach and coachee.
Nick Wright
10/4/2017 01:58:51 pm
Thanks Peter. Do you have a case example you could share to show what it could look like in practice?
Darren Yates
11/4/2017 08:38:55 am
Ah awesome article Nick, great to see some relevant cultural frameworks being used in coaching. Good work!
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 08:39:34 am
Thanks for such encouraging feedback, Darren - much appreciated!
David Noer
11/4/2017 08:40:31 am
Nick, very clear articulation of the power of cultural values in coaching. I've done a good deal of research on the topic - particularly in Saudi Arabia and Asia. If you want some links let me know.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 08:41:30 am
Thanks David. Good to hear about your research in this area. I would love to see the links!
Thomas (Ted) Preisser, MS, CSSBB
11/4/2017 10:01:00 am
You know, I studied in the International and Multicultural Studies program at Pitt's Graduate School of Ed back in the '70s. The principal focus was cross-cultural communication for education and training. Obviously, a hammer strikes a nail in any cultural group, but sarcasm does not. After having lived in India, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, I seem to have cultivated a style that travels well, but I did not learn it all by attending university.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 10:04:56 am
Hi Ted. It sounds like you have a lot of experience in this area. Can you say a bit more about what you mean by, 'a hammer strikes a nail in any cultural group'? Also, do you have any examples that could illustrate how living in India, Iran and Saudi Arabia has influenced your L&D practice?
Angela Jowitt
11/4/2017 10:08:38 am
This is fascinating and very interesting. I have coached people from all over the globe so this resonates. I did some work on cross culture and how they learn which was a book chapter in the end. The Lewis Model was very evident.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 10:09:32 am
Thanks Angela. Do you have any insights and examples you could share from your experience in this area?
Doreen McClintock
11/4/2017 10:10:26 am
Very interesting and thought provoking.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 10:10:53 am
Thanks Doreen! :)
Ruth Klaase
11/4/2017 10:11:42 am
My favourite challenge is discussing 'holidays' with Timorese army officers. On the rare occasion they have a few days off, they travel into the districts to visit family. The idea of exploring a city or lying in a chair by a swimming pool...is foreign to them. A perfect example of the need for contextualisation, as textbooks don't cater for this.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 10:12:39 am
Thanks Ruth. An intriguing example! What do you think that communicates in terms of cultural values?
Judith Pratt-Jefferies
11/4/2017 10:13:24 am
My first experience was with service staff in a hospital environment. Most of these employees were adults from Italy and Portugal, immigrants from their homelands. Not in tune with the adult ed model of my university training, they expected a traditional Presentation, homework tasks, and then I could involve them in telling me what they wanted to learn, what their problems on the job were, and then through participation they could help me teach by helping their co-workers learn. Here in a Spanish Caribbean culture, coaching teachers educated in the Spanish Caribbean system, again a traditional presentation was expected. I succeeded primarily by demonstrating the adult ed model as a method for participative learning in the classroom. Given permission to participate in their own learning prompted the local teachers to give vent to their love of talking, movement, and sometime strong discussion.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 10:16:18 am
Hi Judith. Thanks for sharing a very practical example of cultural differences. I have had some similar experiences when introducing adult learning principles in Asia. I have learned to be particularly careful when opening critical-reflective learning in a group, especially if there are hierarchical role-dynamics in the group.
Jayant Sinha Roy
11/4/2017 10:17:13 am
Good insight and so true.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 10:17:45 am
Hi Jayant and thanks for your affirming feedback!
Liz Timoney-White
11/4/2017 10:18:35 am
Another classic is the difference in words. So many IT companies / depts who outsource are baffled why 'yes' does not mean 'I will' from Indian counterparts but instead 'I respect your right to ask this.' Another is the body language - hard to see a shaking head as 'I'm thinking' rather than 'no.'
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 10:20:46 am
Thanks for sharing such practical examples, Liz. I experienced something similar when teaching English to Vietnamese refugees. If I asked them a question (e.g. 'Shall we meet again at 2pm tomorrow?'), they would say 'Yes' as a sign of respect rather than as an indication that they agreed with my proposal. Very confusing!
Er. Mugdha Thareja
11/4/2017 10:21:25 am
I love this.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 10:21:47 am
Thanks Er.
Sundas Rehman
11/4/2017 03:04:27 pm
Being direct is not the usual way in south East Asian cultures- indirect mannerism is considered more polite and acceptable.
Nick Wright
11/4/2017 03:05:45 pm
Hi Sundas. Do you have any examples of indirect mannerisms?
Yue-Pak Lam
12/4/2017 09:11:29 am
Interesting observation Nick. I generally agree with you about the cultural differences which are inevitable but I must add the gap is narrowing. I hv seen many Asian executives who are quite comfortable with the "upfront and in your face" Western approach as well as some Western executives who prefer a more sensitive approach. In the end it depends on the corporate culture.
Nick Wright
12/4/2017 09:12:36 am
Thanks Yue-Pak. I wonder if the closing gap is a consequence of increasing interaction between cultures, e.g. via media, social media and globalisation?
Albert Valentine
13/4/2017 08:45:08 am
Nick, good input. As one who has worked in SEA for 19 years now, first with the US Government, then on my own as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies and performing coaching for entities such as oil & gas (Chevron's offshore drilling & completions), aerospace (MROs & OEM operations), and more, your points are spot on. Knowing and tailoring programs to national culture should occur.
Nick Wright
13/4/2017 08:47:27 am
Thanks Albert. I'm familiar with Hofstede's work and have heard of 'The Culture Map' - I'll look into it. Do you have any examples from experience of how you have applied insights from these works in a cross-cultural context?
Michael Grigg
15/4/2017 11:47:37 am
I like how you shares examples of changing the question to get valuable answers.
Nick Wright
15/4/2017 11:50:41 am
Thanks Michael. I think it's something about finding ways, with the person, to unlock awareness and insight that they find useful.
Steve
15/4/2017 12:24:24 pm
Love the blog. Coaching across (or do I mean ‘into’) different values. It has never occurred to me before reading your blog how the cultural value of ‘Individualism and independence’ enables us to be able to answer the question ‘what do you want to do in your future’.
Nick Wright
15/4/2017 12:27:29 pm
Thanks Steve. So many fascinating reflections and insights! I had never thought about a relationship between individualism and creativity before...or about how 'to be different' or 'to be the same' is valued - or not - in different cultural contexts. Lots to think about!!
Jackie Combs
16/4/2017 11:27:00 pm
I attempted to deliver software training to a Japanese speaking audience and got nowhere because I didn't understand the business culture and they didn't understand mine - this was years ago. My group had set up training very informally, with casual greetings, a wave at the back of the room (help yourself to the training materials, lunch will be on your own, be back by 1, all the standard stuff) and people were puzzled and offended, we didn't know why and so couldn't fix it. I learned later that the trainer role was expected to be a mentor, almost a surrogate parent, who would greet people individually, hand them the materials, eat lunch with the group and so forth. I was also not alert to the exaggerated (by my standards) respect due executives, the very conformist dress code, or the fact that male Japanese execs had trouble with the idea that a woman was an expert. A one day orientation on cultural differences might have made the difference.
Nick Wright
16/4/2017 11:32:52 pm
Hi Jackie. Thanks for sharing such a vivid and honest example of how cultural factors can impact on our work and relationships!
Bjorn Martinoff - C-Level, CEO Executive Coach
17/4/2017 10:25:46 am
Great article and good points. AND one needs to remember that the lingo of HOPE is one of disempowerment. It is the language of feeling powerless in the face of the challenges often brought forward by hundreds of years of colonialization and enslavement. When a People has been suppressed for hundreds of years those are the exact symptoms. Focus on family and focus on hope... there is more to it of course. When we are facing clients like this they mostly need empowerment. They see themselves as helpless and in victim hood. Shows up in layers not an either/or. There are stages of overcoming this.
Nick Wright
17/4/2017 10:36:02 am
Thanks Bjorn and for the challenge vis a vis 'hope'. It sounds like you associate hope with, say, passive acceptance or wishful thinking? In that case I would agree with you.
Duygu Alptekin Gürsu,PCC
17/4/2017 10:36:56 am
I have worked with Middle Eastern countries, Turkey, Thailand, Russia, almost all Europe, Egypt and South Africa and I have discovered 3 things: people's need to be their real versions, the need to manage their saboteur defined by their social and corporate culture and to have the courage to ask what they really want for themselves in their context and environment. I would hardly say these are about cultural differences,but more universal needs.
Nick Wright
17/4/2017 10:39:56 am
Hi Duygu. It sounds like you have a lot of experience in this area! I find your 3 discoveries interesting. Do you have any examples from experience you could share to illustrate what they could look like in practice?
Anne Rotschi
19/4/2017 08:44:02 am
Thanks Nick for sharing your cross - cultural coaching experience. I am a Western and I got my coaching training and certification in Malaysia. To my surprise, the way I was taught about coaching was in line with my own culture.Our mentor never highlighted different ways to deal with clients depending on their culture.
Nick Wright
19/4/2017 08:52:43 am
Thanks Anne. I have had similar experiences where coaching approaches and methods are taught as if culturally neutral and values-free - which, in my view, they aren't.
Lewis Donna
19/4/2017 09:49:28 pm
Nick, I truly enjoyed your points and totally agree with you on "hope." A great reminder that we need to study the culture of our clients because even a somewhat common word can have such a different meaning to different people groups. Thanks so much!
Nick Wright
19/4/2017 09:52:07 pm
Thanks Lewis! Yes, language is one possible window into culture, especially if we explore what it evokes in different people and groups and why.
Caroline Thorndike, MSW, M.A.
19/4/2017 10:33:00 pm
To coach across cultures, you must be alert to learning from the client their values and worldview. Many cultures, Chinese and Hispanic amongst them, emphasize community above the individual; Americans values are traditionally the reverse. We get right down to business, other cultures require sometimes quite a long spiral route (e.g., asking about family, noting the weather). Even how far away you sit from a client can change among cultures, leaving you open to being too familiar or judgmental. Listen. Watch. Your client will want to guide you when they know you are not judgmental and really want to learn. With this as a starting point, even a question as simple as what name you will use for each other, can yield a lot of cultural information that an guide you to the next fruitful question.
Nick Wright
19/4/2017 10:36:52 pm
Hi Caroline. Yes, it is about being sensitive to and open to the other person - including to who they are in their own cultural environment. In my experience, this calls for courage and humility.
Patryce Kidd
20/4/2017 10:22:20 am
Philippe Rosinski's book "Coaching Across Cultures: New Tools for Leveraging National, Corporate & Professional Differences" is an excellent resource in this area.
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 10:23:14 am
Thanks Patryce. Yes, I have a copy!
Vimala Suppiah
20/4/2017 10:24:25 am
Dear Nick, what an enriching conversation on this fascinating topic! I am a Malaysian Tamil, currently, living and coaching in Asia. I have coached MDs, top leadership teams, Gen Ys, Fresh Graduates from Malaysia (Malays, Chinese and Indians) and from Japan. But, my formative professional and intellectual growth was in UK having spend 30 years there. My last role was implementing Diversity Strategy in UK's National Health Service, where challenging and raising awareness of the many assumptions of race, culture, identity, attitudes, expectations and commitments to change in multi racial UK was so valuable as I coach in this vibrant part of the world.
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 10:32:39 am
Hi Vimala. What great experience you have in this area! I too have noticed a tendency either to ignore culture as irrelevant to coaching or, as you say, to view it as an obstacle to be overcome. This makes me feel very concerned about the ethics of a kind of implicit 'cultural imperialism' within the coaching field that mirrors a wider cultural imperialism fuelled by globalisation etc. I don't think it is necessarily intentional. It's more about the influences of people and cultures on each other and addressing it with awareness and clear intention. This touches on deeply-held beliefs and values..!
Alubba Fenix
20/4/2017 10:51:02 am
Great post. Awareness of Cultural intuitions is crucial, not just in Coaching but in all communications. I love the way you approached this.
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 10:51:39 am
Thanks Alubba. I appreciate your encouraging feedback.
Dr. Janice Tan
20/4/2017 02:15:52 pm
Nick, Vimala et al., culture is a very crucial ingredient in coaching recipe. Understanding the culture of the team or organization is imperative in delivering coaching success.
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 02:19:01 pm
Hi Janice. I agree that culture is a crucial ingredient. I wonder if it's something about the coach being aware-enough of the client culture, able to enable the client to reflect on the facets and implications of his or her own culture and how to navigate change within it...or between cultures if that is the client's context or aspiration.
Vimala Suppiah
21/4/2017 09:59:27 am
Hi Janice, good to see you joining in this conversation. Totally agree on the culture aspect of an organization and teams. The latest debacle with United Airlines is a wake up call!
Donald Fridjhon
20/4/2017 02:21:11 pm
Important topic, Nick. Their's a fine line between my wanting to help uncover information& the client wanting coaching. Your approach shows a healthy respect for what you don't know. A great base for diversity work! Too often I'll explore with questions that I have unconscious partial answer to, or I presuppose a direction, making any further question semi-closed. Not sure the dance will ever be truly mastered! (What do you want to do in life? or What do you want for your family? both presupposes that I know an area in which the client has needs). What do you want? could start to address a cross cultural bridge.
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 02:25:09 pm
Thanks Donald. I like your honesty and find your insights and challenge interesting and useful. Your FRAP acronym reminds me of 'clean coaching', using clean language. Are you familiar with it?
Donald Fridjhon
20/4/2017 09:04:58 pm
Hi Nick -yes -thanks for reminding me -clean coaching is a powerful way to remain in service. It is also a beautiful way to go beyond cultural difference. Enabling discovery via metaphor is one way to enable insight for the client without getting caught in cultural difference. Asking 'and what's that like?' can move to metaphors and help both parties to work from where the client is.
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 09:08:14 pm
Hi Donald. You're welcome. On a FRAP-related vein, you may find this short piece and some of the comments in the conversation that follow it interesting? http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/just-enough
Gabriella Kovacs ACC
20/4/2017 08:53:34 pm
Great perspectives so far. I have just started to take a closer look at intercultural issues from a language and communication perspective as I am language coaching in an IT company where communication is between European and Asian countries. All your comments shed light on a different aspect of this very complex issue. I will check out Rosinski's book. Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory is useful, I agree. Cheers all.
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 08:55:07 pm
Hi Gabriella. You're welcome! I'd love to hear of any insights you gain on route.
Osama Al-Mosa, PCC, ORSC
20/4/2017 09:11:21 pm
My opinion is here...thanks for the interesting topic:
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 09:12:13 pm
Thanks Osama - and for sharing the link. It's good to see someone else grappling with similar questions!
Isabelle Besner
20/4/2017 09:35:11 pm
I confirm that Philippe Rosinski's book "Coaching Across Cultures: New Tools for Leveraging National, Corporate & Professional Differences" is an excellent resource . Mr Rosinski offers also excellent training. You can have the schedule on his website. Another good, good reference: Geert Holftede.
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 09:35:31 pm
Thanks Isabelle.
Kim Moore, PCC, MSc
20/4/2017 09:58:54 pm
Nick - I've needed to adjust coaching assumptions when working in EMEA cultures and found it particularly helpful to ask the client to describe "what growth or change would best serve them now and why"; then explore what traits /qualities or desired situations serve them or not in reaching that growth as a way to begin and pick up on cultural or company norms and expectations. I also ask up front about the context of their world - then go deeper on work/family/ financial/ etc to understand perceived cultural expectations - they are in every culture but not as know if different than the coach. As corporate coach in Houston Tx, I've worked clients ranging from Warsaw, Kuwait, Beijing to Mexico City, work style and expected behaviors also vary.
Nick Wright
20/4/2017 10:07:28 pm
Thanks Kim. Yes, these can be tricky areas to navigate in practice. I'm still reflecting on how much I may need to understand the client's culture and context...and/or conversely how much I need to be able to enable the client to reflect on their own culture and context - rather than me knowing and understanding it for them...if that makes sense!
Ugo Barbieri
21/4/2017 06:30:23 pm
Nick, you described a very importante issue in coaching , in leadership and management. As a coach I am working in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, where you can find many different multinationals, from North América, South América, Europe and Asia. In my coaching activity I need to Interact with Brazilian executives, working with this different multinationals, or interacting with expatriates from all over the world. To cut a long story short, I would say that is essential to learn and understand the importance of cultural factor in coaching and leadership.
Nick Wright
21/4/2017 06:32:03 pm
Thanks Ugo. It sounds like you have a lot of valuable experience in this area. Do you have any practical examples you could share from your work with people from different cultures in Brazil?
Claudia Lach
21/4/2017 10:35:16 pm
Thanks for sharing, Nick. I coach Asian clients in the US and in a short article you introduce a significant issue and show how well you manage it. Great! Thank you.
Nick Wright
21/4/2017 10:36:17 pm
Thanks Claudia! I would love to hear more about your experiences in this area. Do you have any examples you could share?
Marianne Hertnagel
22/4/2017 07:42:13 am
Great article and i look forward to learn and read more about it here!!
Nick Wright
22/4/2017 07:42:37 am
Thanks Marianne. Me too!
Amal HIHI
24/4/2017 08:54:34 am
It's very interresting, the way how we can build questions depends of the way of thinking of people and their culture .Thnks all for sharing some example !
Nick Wright
24/4/2017 08:55:07 am
Thanks Amal. I find it interesting too!
Archana Bhatia
24/4/2017 08:56:03 am
Nick - you've highlighted a very important aspect of coaching. I get tired of telling my "western" coach friends that coaching is at a different business curve in different countries and therefore some adapting is required. For example, in India where the consulting market is still price sensitive, a coachee will definitely ask a coach for their opinion (it makes them feel they are getting better bang for their buck!! Sometimes, I get told - why am I paying you so much if you cant even offer an opinion!). And ofcourse, the coach has to navigate this very carefully.
Nick Wright
24/4/2017 09:00:06 am
Thanks Archana. That's a good practical example of cultural adaptation. Alongside 'bang for buck', there can be additional issues and expectations - sometimes more implicit than explicit - around e.g. age, gender, tribe, authority, responsibility, dependency etc. that can be tricky but important to navigate.
Astrid Davies
25/4/2017 10:28:11 am
Fascinating Nick Wright thanks for posting. Food for thought for international coaching everywhere.
Nick Wright
25/4/2017 10:28:48 am
Thanks Astrid. You're welcome. :) Leave a Reply. |
Nick WrightI'm a psychological coach, trainer and OD consultant. Curious to discover how can I help you? Get in touch! 
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