Cultural Training
Culture is like an iceberg. Physical appearance, food, language, and all of the things that are apparent in daily interaction with others are like the part above the water. The beliefs, attitudes, values and perceptions that someone holds are like the part below the water.
Culture is a learned human behavior that is inherited from our ancestors. It is the hidden pattern of human relations, expressions, and viewpoints that people in one culture share. These hidden aspects of culture, also called protocol, often create cross-cultural difficulties, because they have significant effects on your behavior and how you interact with others.
Interpersonal relationships are social associations, interactions, or contacts between two or more people, who may see each other face to face or only know each other through email or chat.
The interactions that define an interpersonal relationship can be observable and explicit, such as dialogue or nonverbal communication (body language).
As a former UN staff member and an International Life Coach, I have vast experience dealing with people of every background in the world. Teaching nonverbal communication helps my clients effortlessly transition from one culture to another. Because nonverbal communication is culturally determined, it is very important to learn the new culture as soon as possible.
Nonverbal communication is language without words. It is eye contact, clothing, space and distance, touch and time. It is multi-channeled, it is unconscious, and it is learned through imitation.
More than 85% of our communication is nonverbal!!! Its function is to complement, regulate, substitute, and accent verbal communication.
Open and frank dialogue is a prerequisite for our relationship to flourish and for you to excel in your interpersonal relationships.
Some of the areas where I can help you are:
Intercultural Relationships
Starting a relationship with a person from another culture is often exciting and rewarding. That special person will show you new music, new food and flavors. Your taste and ideas will be opened in ways you never imagined. This relationship will enrich you with new ideas and experiences you had never before enjoyed.
But at times, you won't understand one another and communication won't be fluid. You may resent the other person's differences. You think something is wrong or you don't feel comfortable. That's where we begin to work together. I am here to help you find common ground where friendship, professional development, and successful transitions will be possible. Afterward, you'll experience changes that will open your mind to a multitude of new experiences, which in the end will grow your inner self and allow you to interact better in a multi-cultural environment. Open up! Give me a call.
Immigration
As an immigrant myself, I understand that it is not simple to find fulfillment in your new environment. So many things are different. People act and react differently. You want to understand what's happening, but somehow don't find the information you need. You are motivated to be successful in your new home or job, but becoming a local is not an easy task.
These are natural concerns that all immigrants have, no matter where they're from or where they go. I've been there and I know exactly how it feels. I'll help you fit into unfamiliar places and adapt to new cultures, and I'll position you toward a more fulfilling experience in your new home. Talk to me! Give me a call.
Succeeding in a Multicultural Workplace
From my time as a United Nations staff member, I know how difficult it can be for you to work effectively in a multicultural environment, whether you're a manager who needs to work with a team of people whose backgrounds span all continents and who speak several different languages, or whether you simply need to communicate with colleagues of different cultures. It's a complex social environment where success requires enhancing your cultural skills.
In general, it is a challenge to communicate effectively. Therefore, we need to work to expand your communications skills in a multicultural environment, and to not hurt others' feelings with our words or actions, as ordinary as they may seem to us. We want to interpret everyone's reactions correctly in order to avoid misunderstandings.
I'm here to help you, having gone through similar situations during my professional career. I can help. Give me a call.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
When you move to another country, everything becomes a challenge. From shopping to finding a plumber, from making friends to getting your point across in an unfamiliar language, from finding playgroups and schools for your children to performing your best at a career-important meeting…the list goes on and on. Have you ever felt stressed and overwhelmed by all this and more? Have you ever found yourself alone with no one to turn to for advice and sympathy?
I can help you turn your frustrations of living in a different culture into an opportunity for growth and understanding. You will learn how to craft successful and worthwhile cross-cultural relationships. You will become as skilled at reading different cultural behaviors as your own. You will empower yourself and lead multicultural workplaces. Give me a call. I can help.
Spouses and Significant Others
International moves imply that spouses or significant others must leave their rewarding jobs, prestigious schools and close friends behind to support YOU. They feel out of place, unrewarded, unrecognized, ignored—and these are hard feelings to deal with.
This is the time for your significant other to start that new project that he's always wanted to do, or to fix those two things that she's always had to put up with, or to do some soul-searching.
This is a great opportunity to achieve new successes, which can only enrich your day-to-day activities, and in the end, will provide you with more value in your life.
I can help you and your family and we'll get started. Remember, life is full of opportunities; we just need to seize them. I can help. Give me a call.
College Students
Has your child started college or have you started grad school and realized that it's just not a good fit?
From the time our children are babies, we start establishing trust and respect. With love and patience, their hearts are open to share all concerns and future goals with their parents.
I dance in the moment with them. One moment they are self confident adults, and two seconds later they are not. I go wherever they want to go.
When they leave for college, they may be unsure of their own identity, and they'll need to adjust to their new environment. Most accomplish this on their own, but some need extra support. All have special abilities; they just need to find their niche…as we all do!
I don't tell them what to do. I offer them options, and I empower them to find the solution best suited for them.
I am here to help. Give me a call.