Five reasons you or your friends may want to attend cross-cultural coaching or training programs…
1. To gain confidence in interacting with many kinds of people.
In cross-cultural trainings we learn about ways other people experience life: what they eat, how they dress, their social rules, their lifestyle, and much more. In learning a little about someone else, we can find common ground to build relationships and get to know others better.
2. To improve communication skills.
When we compare and contrast different culture’s communication styles we learn more about how to communicate between cultures and within our own culture. When we expand our communication skills repertoire, we begin to become more effective and confident communicators within our own culture in addition to between cultures.
3. To help us find common ground, while appreciating diversity.
Learning about cultures from exotic countries is fun because we expect to learn something different. We can learn to appreciate ours and other’s differences and uniqueness more deeply. However, no matter how different we are, we can always find something impressive about someone else that is refreshingly familiar. Without cross-cultural trainings we may never know that unity does exist in diversity.
4. To help us gain empathy and widen our world view.
On any given day we can feel misunderstood by our friends and family without ever interacting with someone from another culture. One of the reasons for this lack of understanding is that the other person is not trying to understand things from our point of view. Often when we are misunderstood it is because another person is judging the situation through their own cultural and world view. This is quite natural, but doesn’t give us the benefit of the doubt. Cross-cultural trainings allow others and ourselves to take a step back, try to see things objectively from another person’s point of view and try to understand why they are doing [or not doing] something based on their cultural framework, not ours.
5. To expose ourselves to different problem solving techniques.
These cross-cultural skills are an asset. Dipping into our cross-cultural skills tool box at any given moment can allow us to take a step back, be objective, see things from other points of view and communicate about the problem and how to reach a solution in new and different ways. With continued exposure to diversity training and interacting with people from different walks of life, we can take a step back and try to analyze problems and find solutions that are creative and ‘out of the box’. Cross-cultural trainings can help us to see things from different perspectives, helping us learn more about the world, hence more about ourselves.
Summing Up:
Learning cross-cultural competency allows us to be gentler on ourselves and others, giving others more benefit of the doubt. We will, over time, approach more people and difficult situations with an open mind that is willing to view situations from many different angles. We will, over time, realize interactions become easier and less stressful as we gain confidence approaching others with respect, empathy, patience and care. Learning and applying lessons from cross cultural trainings break down stereotypes, increase understanding and promote goodwill.
Thank you for reading
Photo credit: (SMBC) Sydney Missionary and Bible College @flickr.
Related Posts:
Do Not ‘Settle’ For Settling Abroad: Plan Ahead For the Best Cross-Cultural Adaptation
Helping Us Balance Unity and Diversity in Our Cross-Cultural Relationship (testimonial)
Questions and Answers about American Culture, Accent and Conversational Coaching
The who, what, when, where, why and how of cross-cultural life coaching.
Jennifer Kumar helps Indians work and communicate more effectively with Americans from India and within the US.
1. To gain confidence in interacting with many kinds of people.
In cross-cultural trainings we learn about ways other people experience life: what they eat, how they dress, their social rules, their lifestyle, and much more. In learning a little about someone else, we can find common ground to build relationships and get to know others better.2. To improve communication skills.
When we compare and contrast different culture’s communication styles we learn more about how to communicate between cultures and within our own culture. When we expand our communication skills repertoire, we begin to become more effective and confident communicators within our own culture in addition to between cultures.
3. To help us find common ground, while appreciating diversity.
Learning about cultures from exotic countries is fun because we expect to learn something different. We can learn to appreciate ours and other’s differences and uniqueness more deeply. However, no matter how different we are, we can always find something impressive about someone else that is refreshingly familiar. Without cross-cultural trainings we may never know that unity does exist in diversity.
4. To help us gain empathy and widen our world view.
On any given day we can feel misunderstood by our friends and family without ever interacting with someone from another culture. One of the reasons for this lack of understanding is that the other person is not trying to understand things from our point of view. Often when we are misunderstood it is because another person is judging the situation through their own cultural and world view. This is quite natural, but doesn’t give us the benefit of the doubt. Cross-cultural trainings allow others and ourselves to take a step back, try to see things objectively from another person’s point of view and try to understand why they are doing [or not doing] something based on their cultural framework, not ours.
5. To expose ourselves to different problem solving techniques.
These cross-cultural skills are an asset. Dipping into our cross-cultural skills tool box at any given moment can allow us to take a step back, be objective, see things from other points of view and communicate about the problem and how to reach a solution in new and different ways. With continued exposure to diversity training and interacting with people from different walks of life, we can take a step back and try to analyze problems and find solutions that are creative and ‘out of the box’. Cross-cultural trainings can help us to see things from different perspectives, helping us learn more about the world, hence more about ourselves.
Summing Up:
Learning cross-cultural competency allows us to be gentler on ourselves and others, giving others more benefit of the doubt. We will, over time, approach more people and difficult situations with an open mind that is willing to view situations from many different angles. We will, over time, realize interactions become easier and less stressful as we gain confidence approaching others with respect, empathy, patience and care. Learning and applying lessons from cross cultural trainings break down stereotypes, increase understanding and promote goodwill.
Thank you for reading
Photo credit: (SMBC) Sydney Missionary and Bible College @flickr.
Related Posts:
Do Not ‘Settle’ For Settling Abroad: Plan Ahead For the Best Cross-Cultural Adaptation
Helping Us Balance Unity and Diversity in Our Cross-Cultural Relationship (testimonial)
Questions and Answers about American Culture, Accent and Conversational Coaching
The who, what, when, where, why and how of cross-cultural life coaching.
Jennifer Kumar helps Indians work and communicate more effectively with Americans from India and within the US.
Nice and well thought article... Do you have an idea about East African cultures?
ReplyDeleteNjuguna, Hi thanks for your feedback. No, not much. I have read a few books about Kenya and Tanzania in the past, but I am eager to learn about all cultures as I feel we can all benefit from each other's wisdom.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late reply.