Here are some tips if you’re planning a multicultural coaching practice.
1. Many wars have been fought over cultural issues; it’s a highly-charged subject. However, culture is learned, which means it can be changed. I could convert to Judaism tomorrow (culture), but there’s no way I’ll become Asian (genetic).
2. Know how you’re a product of your own culture, and keep it separate from the client’s issues.
3. If you aren’t a “cultural relativist,” I wouldn’t try it. However, we all have our limits. If the client’s culture proscribes something you can’t work with, refer them.
4. If the client’s goal requires changing a cultural behavior, it’s a choice … with consequences. Keep in mind conscious or unconscious fears of ostracism – we remember’ in our reptilian brains that to be driven from the pack meant death. Help the client differentiate realistic from unrealistic fears.
5. Use of time and terms of a contract vary widely. Does “call at 1” mean “call at 1” or “call around 1 or 2?” Are the terms of a contract negotiable after signed? Check these things out beforehand.
6. Cultures vary in how they say “no”.
7. If there’s a first-language difference, listen closely to nonverbals (inflection, tone of voice, silence). Check-in frequently to make sure you’re understanding one another.
8. What’s “funny” varies greatly. I wouldn’t go there early or often.
9. Watch your assumptions. During the war, my international clients assumed I was “for” it. Given the deep divide in the US, they had about a 50-50 chance of being right.
10. Consider the person a unique individual, not a member of a “set.”
11. Use your EQ skills. Empathy, flexibility and intuition can help you find the common ground.
12. Expect to learn more about yourself. Hopefully it will be mutual.
Susan Dunn, MA, Marketing Coach,
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