site logo
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Offer
  • Contact
Homepage > Expat life > Stay-at-home methods for improving your intercultural competence
April 23, 2018 In Expat life

Stay-at-home methods for improving your intercultural competence

methods-for-improving-intercultural-competence-2-projectabroadblog

All the social media feeds are filled with people travelling, living this international life, working with international people. You want to learn about and experience the world, you want to meet other diverse people, you want to make international connections, you want to practice speaking foreign languages. But what if you simply don’t have all the time and money to travel, or you don’t want to move and live in a more ‘diverse and international’ city?

Intercultural competence is essential in today’s world and it goes beyond just differences between countries. It may refer to any kind of diversity you encounter in your environment, be it ethnic, gender, age or profession. The more contact you have with what feels diverse for you, the more normal it becomes.

Straight away, let me tell you that by stay-at-home I do not mean literally physically being in your house. I mean staying in your location, in your city or area and trying to make the best out of the learning opportunities that are out there. After all, there is only as much as you can learn from books 😉 At one point, you will eventually need to make those real-life connections, check your assumptions and practice what you’ve learnt. But you want to do it, right? So there we go – 3 ways in which you can make it happen!

 

Read, read, read…

There is so much out there these days! You don’t even necessarily have to buy books – there are so many other free resources in the internet in the form of blogs or articles.

Cultural differences

Say, you’d like to learn more about Germany, because you will be starting a project there soon and have never worked with the Germans. Look for expat blogs, where you can read about various people’s perspectives on that same country or even a specific city. What might be especially helpful is to look for expats who come from a similar cultural background to yours, so that you can relate more easily. Expat Blog website is a great directory for such a search.

Age/working styles differences

Maybe you are about to start managing a group of a very diverse team in terms of ages, where you will need to work with 20-year-olds as well as 50-year-olds? Read about various leadership styles so that you have the awareness about the different methods available and practice adjusting them to various age groups and individuals accordingly (HBR is a great resource for this). What you might find helpful is also different methods of managing a diverse team (Read: One thing you need to do before starting an international project).

Familiarise yourself with the literature

Another great way to learn about other perspectives without leaving home is reading books and stories written by authors coming from the cultural group you want to learn more about. The more you read, the more familiar you will get with the approaches, perspectives and opinions of this particular group.

Continuing the German example above, you could do the research for top local authors (or a millennial author etc.) and read a book or two. In addition to this you could read a book on leadership by one of the German authors. This might start giving you the idea for what the other people’s perspective is. If you have more time, you could start reaching out for more German ‘classics’, like the ones that people need to read at school. Thanks to this, you will start getting a sense of the education system and what viewpoints or values it teaches. Yes, some of the meaning might be lost in translation, but familiarizing yourself with the literature can be a good start to learning about one’s culture. Apart from that, it can also be a great conversation starter when you will be meeting people from this culture – after all, you have made the effort!

History

Learning the history of a nation, age group or particular culture is such a great source of knowledge. A lot of the behaviours have their beginnings in various historical events, very often even if the specific individual you’re dealing with have not actually lived through such event. This is very evident in cultures where even the individuals themselves or their parents/families have lived through wars or political conflicts. Depending on the nature of conflict, this might affect the way they think, their biases, their various skills and it can’t be disregarded.

This can also easily apply to professional groups who have a certain history, eg. marginalising women, professions such as lawyers or doctors being perceived as prestigious, etc. The way in which a given profession or employee group was perceived in the past may affect the ways in which people behave. This can of course also influence the way others behave towards such group. Understanding such context can help increase your intercultural competence.

 

Watch and learn

Similar to the reading advice, watching various documentaries, films and programmes can give you many new perspectives and therefore enhance your cultural competence. The more aware you are of the underlying reasons for one’s behaviours and can withhold a judgement before learning about that particular individual, the easier your intercultural encounters will be.

You can start with watching travel documentaries of people from different countries and cultural backgrounds. The way they will present a particular region of the world will differ depending on their perspective! That is a great opportunity for you to see different ways in which people can view one area of the world or one particular group of people.

Depending on your language capabilities, it might be interesting to watch how the commentaries to one specific event can differ from country to country or from one TV station to another. Seeing a couple of versions can help broaden your perspective and stop you from being stuck in one way of thinking.

One other thing that you can do, without even leaving your house, is watching films. You can start with ones made by a director from a specific region of the world or taking place in a specific region that we want to learn more about.

Isn’t it great that all of those are just such nice activities for the weekend? If anyone ever questions you watching Netflix every other evening, just tell them I told you to learn about other cultures! 😀

 

Practice and meet people

You can read and watch a lot of things. In fact, these might be the only things you could be doing to enhance your intercultural competence. Would it be enough though? Well, in my opinion, it wouldn’t.

There is one more very important element to developing your cultural intelligence, and that is: practice. Actual encounters with people from different groups and cultures, meeting other people and getting to know the world through those people as well.

Reading a book, or even three or five of them, only gives you three or five perspectives on a given culture. Thanks to meeting the people from that culture, you can start checking the assumptions and knowledge you have gained through reading. The more people you meet, the more you learn – easy!

Whether you are an expat in your city or a local looking for some international exposure, you can join an expat meetup! The expats usually want to make connections with the locals, so that’s a great place to be for everyone who wants to learn about other perspectives.

You can also join virtual facebook groups or forums, which are focused on a particular topic you are interested in. It might be a language group, leadership one, for expats, of your particular town etc.

 

 

As you can see, there are so many options for increasing your intercultural competence without having to travel miles and miles away from home. The question is – how do you choose where to start if there are so many options? I would say – start with learning about a group or culture you currently have most challenges with, or the one that you are currently most interested in. Once you choose such group, try to deepen your knowledge and experience on all fronts – through reading, watching films and meeting people from this group.

I also encourage you to keep a journal as you learn and experience more and more on a given topic. You will be amazed to see how your perceptions will have changed!

knowledge leadership tips
Previous Story3 tips for a positive mindset and easier adaptation
Next StoryWhy learn about cross-cultural communication?

Related Articles:

  • travel-home
    Types Of Expat Visits Home – Which One Are You?
  • how-to-be-great-global-leader-projectabroadeu
    Want to be a great global leader?

Author

Marta Zielińska

Hi, my name is Marta. I am combining my psychological, business and intercultural experience to offer advice on successful living and working across cultures. I believe that everything is possible for such an ambitious and talented person as yourself! With some exercises, self-reflection and new knowledge, you can grow your cultural intelligence and build a successful international career, mind and life.

Learn more

Recent Posts

  • Types Of Expat Visits Home – Which One Are You?
  • 5 easy ways to overcome self-doubt after moving abroad
  • Want to be a great global leader?
  • Is moving abroad a good choice?
  • D.I.V.E. in with awareness or stay confused

Instagram

Sometimes we have a toolkit full of tools already - those that we learned through experience, different courses or articles, that someone shared with us. ⁠
⁠
But - we may not be sure how to use them in practice! Or get overwhelmed by the amount of information out there and how to make sense of it, put it all together.⁠
⁠
Meeting with a coach can support you in choosing the best tools, reminding you how to use them, or show you a different way to use the existing resources. ⁠
⁠
Do you feel like you technically should know how to deal with X, but you just don't know where to start? ⁠
Maybe that's your cue to reach out to me to learn more about how coaching can be helfpul 😊 ⁠
DM me the word 'COACH' and let's chat! ⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
•
Follow
Sometimes we have a toolkit full of tools already - those that we learned through experience, different courses or articles, that someone shared with us. ⁠ ⁠ But - we may not be sure how to use them in practice! Or get overwhelmed by the amount of information out there and how to make sense of it, put it all together.⁠ ⁠ Meeting with a coach can support you in choosing the best tools, reminding you how to use them, or show you a different way to use the existing resources. ⁠ ⁠ Do you feel like you technically should know how to deal with X, but you just don't know where to start? ⁠ Maybe that's your cue to reach out to me to learn more about how coaching can be helfpul 😊 ⁠ DM me the word 'COACH' and let's chat! ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
1/9
Do you sometimes catch yourself saying or doing things that feel ‘out of character’? That may happen as a result of the internal process that’s happening between the situation occurring and that result taking place.

Good news is: you can have insight into the ‘in-between’!

This S-PACE-R tool can help you analyse how your thoughts, actions, feelings and body reactions all impact each other to produce a certain result. 

Let’s look at an example.
👉Situation: you scroll through IG and notice a post from an expat who is at a party, laughing with friends.
👉Physical reaction: you feel a constraint in the stomach and notice your eyes watering.
👉Action: you go into the person’s profile and watch more of their posts.
👉Emotion: you feel sad because you don’t seem to be having such a rich social life abroad so far
👉Thoughts: “I’m a failure, I can’t find myself any friends here”, “This move wasn’t worth it” 
(These influences can go either way and can start at any point in the circle, by the way! Often, they also go on in circles and augment each other too!)
👉Result: You stay at home, soaking in your sadness, not going out, not putting yourself out there, not making friends - and proving your initial thought. 
You see the potential downward spiral effect here?

Of course - it doesn’t need to be that way, or even as dramatic! But you’d be surprised how quickly we can notice these little interrelations in many situations in our lives. 

Having the self-awareness about these though can help you regain control and reframe thoughts where needed to facilitate more supportive behaviours and in turn gain better results! 

It can be difficult to work through these by yourself at first. As a coach, I can provide you with support and accountability in this process. You in? 😊 DM me.
•
Follow
Do you sometimes catch yourself saying or doing things that feel ‘out of character’? That may happen as a result of the internal process that’s happening between the situation occurring and that result taking place. Good news is: you can have insight into the ‘in-between’! This S-PACE-R tool can help you analyse how your thoughts, actions, feelings and body reactions all impact each other to produce a certain result. Let’s look at an example. 👉Situation: you scroll through IG and notice a post from an expat who is at a party, laughing with friends. 👉Physical reaction: you feel a constraint in the stomach and notice your eyes watering. 👉Action: you go into the person’s profile and watch more of their posts. 👉Emotion: you feel sad because you don’t seem to be having such a rich social life abroad so far 👉Thoughts: “I’m a failure, I can’t find myself any friends here”, “This move wasn’t worth it” (These influences can go either way and can start at any point in the circle, by the way! Often, they also go on in circles and augment each other too!) 👉Result: You stay at home, soaking in your sadness, not going out, not putting yourself out there, not making friends - and proving your initial thought. You see the potential downward spiral effect here? Of course - it doesn’t need to be that way, or even as dramatic! But you’d be surprised how quickly we can notice these little interrelations in many situations in our lives. Having the self-awareness about these though can help you regain control and reframe thoughts where needed to facilitate more supportive behaviours and in turn gain better results! It can be difficult to work through these by yourself at first. As a coach, I can provide you with support and accountability in this process. You in? 😊 DM me.
6 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/9
Ever wondered how your cultural background impacts your working preferences? 🧐⁠
⁠
You hear me talk about cultural dimensions quite a bit here. I believe that understanding the drivers of our behaviour in that international context is super important to buildling confidence in working in another culture (so a slightly different focus than your MBTIs or Enneagrams etc). ⁠
⁠
And it's not just theory and what-ifs! ⁠
⁠
We've got a reliable tool which helps you get more insights into where you stand on ten cultural dimensions and how does it compare to the cross-cultural studies which have been conducted over the years. ⁠
⁠
👉️If you'd like to stop wondering and get more concrete - DM me the word 'CULTURE' and I'll share more details with you on how the assessment and your personalised report review with me work. ⁠
⁠
The insight doesn't end just on doing the assessment and viewing results. In fact, my packages don't include just the assessment, they always come with a report review and consultation to give you the space to reflect on the results and how you can implement the insights to improve your intercultural communication at work or in personal life. ⁠
⁠
You can read more details on the website in the 'Offer' Tab (link in bio) 😊⁠
⁠
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
•
Follow
Ever wondered how your cultural background impacts your working preferences? 🧐⁠ ⁠ You hear me talk about cultural dimensions quite a bit here. I believe that understanding the drivers of our behaviour in that international context is super important to buildling confidence in working in another culture (so a slightly different focus than your MBTIs or Enneagrams etc). ⁠ ⁠ And it's not just theory and what-ifs! ⁠ ⁠ We've got a reliable tool which helps you get more insights into where you stand on ten cultural dimensions and how does it compare to the cross-cultural studies which have been conducted over the years. ⁠ ⁠ 👉️If you'd like to stop wondering and get more concrete - DM me the word 'CULTURE' and I'll share more details with you on how the assessment and your personalised report review with me work. ⁠ ⁠ The insight doesn't end just on doing the assessment and viewing results. In fact, my packages don't include just the assessment, they always come with a report review and consultation to give you the space to reflect on the results and how you can implement the insights to improve your intercultural communication at work or in personal life. ⁠ ⁠ You can read more details on the website in the 'Offer' Tab (link in bio) 😊⁠ ⁠ #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
1 week ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica #lifetransitions #lifecrisis
•
Follow
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica #lifetransitions #lifecrisis
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
Intercultural communication is mostly about YOU, not them. ⁠
There, I said it! ☝️⁠
⁠
Why is it about you? ⁠
⁠
Well, it's not about 'them' behaving a certain way, doing things differently or weird or being hard to work with. ⁠
⁠
You can't change 'them'. BUT - - you can understand yourself in relation to the other people's way of working, and decide if you want to do something about it. ⁠
⁠
Your options are: ⁠
1️⃣ Do nothing. Keep the frustration, delay the results and progress, deepen the gap between us and them. ⁠
⁠
2️⃣ Communicate to the other person directly to say that clearly something is not working and you find a way to work effectively together towards that same goal. ⁠
⁠
3️⃣ And better yet - C) actually go beyond just that and build your cultural awareness before that conversation, and continue with that development going forward - to understand your own values, your own cultural influences, how they relate to the challenging situation you faced. ⁠
And finally - expand your repertoire of communication strategies, so that perhaps you can adapt and increase efficiency in your work without confronting the other person at all 😉⁠
⁠
How does that sound for you? 🤔⁠
⁠
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
•
Follow
Intercultural communication is mostly about YOU, not them. ⁠ There, I said it! ☝️⁠ ⁠ Why is it about you? ⁠ ⁠ Well, it's not about 'them' behaving a certain way, doing things differently or weird or being hard to work with. ⁠ ⁠ You can't change 'them'. BUT - - you can understand yourself in relation to the other people's way of working, and decide if you want to do something about it. ⁠ ⁠ Your options are: ⁠ 1️⃣ Do nothing. Keep the frustration, delay the results and progress, deepen the gap between us and them. ⁠ ⁠ 2️⃣ Communicate to the other person directly to say that clearly something is not working and you find a way to work effectively together towards that same goal. ⁠ ⁠ 3️⃣ And better yet - C) actually go beyond just that and build your cultural awareness before that conversation, and continue with that development going forward - to understand your own values, your own cultural influences, how they relate to the challenging situation you faced. ⁠ And finally - expand your repertoire of communication strategies, so that perhaps you can adapt and increase efficiency in your work without confronting the other person at all 😉⁠ ⁠ How does that sound for you? 🤔⁠ ⁠ #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
•
Follow
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
Which ones are you happy with? ⁠

Which ones would you like to develop further? ⁠

Any that you'd add to the list as key skills for people who live abroad? ⁠
⁠
⁠
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
Which ones are you happy with? ⁠

Which ones would you like to develop further? ⁠

Any that you'd add to the list as key skills for people who live abroad? ⁠
⁠
⁠
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
Which ones are you happy with? ⁠

Which ones would you like to develop further? ⁠

Any that you'd add to the list as key skills for people who live abroad? ⁠
⁠
⁠
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
Which ones are you happy with? ⁠

Which ones would you like to develop further? ⁠

Any that you'd add to the list as key skills for people who live abroad? ⁠
⁠
⁠
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
Which ones are you happy with? ⁠

Which ones would you like to develop further? ⁠

Any that you'd add to the list as key skills for people who live abroad? ⁠
⁠
⁠
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
Which ones are you happy with? ⁠

Which ones would you like to develop further? ⁠

Any that you'd add to the list as key skills for people who live abroad? ⁠
⁠
⁠
#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
•
Follow
Which ones are you happy with? ⁠ Which ones would you like to develop further? ⁠ Any that you'd add to the list as key skills for people who live abroad? ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
It is a bit of everything everywhere all at once, would you agree? 😃😅

#expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
•
Follow
It is a bit of everything everywhere all at once, would you agree? 😃😅 #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
🤷I know what I need to do, but it doesn't feel genuine! 
🤷I know they do that, but it feels so rude, I just can't get myself to do it! 
🤷I know I've got to stop myself from doing that, but it just feels unlike me not to!

The above are quotes from people I worked with. 

The 1st person, let's call her Anna, moved from Poland to the UK, and really struggled with the small talk. It's not like we don't casually chat in Poland, but it doesn't play as big of a role in building connections in professional settings. She knew she needed to engage in the chit chat, but she wasn't used to it happening so many times in a day! It didn't feel genuine or meaningful as people talked to her almost in passing.

The 2nd person, let's call her Hope, moved from Malaysia to Spain. She wasn't used to the loud and dynamic exchanges common among the Spanish. Growing up she was told not to interrupt others when they're talking - it's rude! Silence played a big part in professional conversations, showing consideration and respect to those she was interacting with. In Spain, she found herself unable to fully engage in meetings, labelled as 'the quiet one'. She saw what others were doing, she knew she had to engage differently, but it was just SO hard to get over the initial beliefs! 

The 3rd person had the opposite problem to Hope's. Diego moved from Spain to the UK, and was struggling with the feedback he started receiving, along the lines of 'he's too excitable, he interrupts others as they're talking, he's too casual'. He knew he needed to tone down his communication, be more conscious about the pace of the conversation. He was able to do it, but what he struggled with the most is that it didn't feel like the real HIM anymore. He considered moving back to Spain because of that even though the UK career opportunities were clearly better for him at the time. 

All of them had the ability to shape their behaviour differently, they knew what they needed to do. It was not the lack of knowledge that was stopping them - it was the beliefs. In our coaching meetings we worked to find their origins, untangle them, and start creating beliefs that served them better in their new lives abroad.
•
Follow
🤷I know what I need to do, but it doesn't feel genuine! 🤷I know they do that, but it feels so rude, I just can't get myself to do it! 🤷I know I've got to stop myself from doing that, but it just feels unlike me not to! The above are quotes from people I worked with. The 1st person, let's call her Anna, moved from Poland to the UK, and really struggled with the small talk. It's not like we don't casually chat in Poland, but it doesn't play as big of a role in building connections in professional settings. She knew she needed to engage in the chit chat, but she wasn't used to it happening so many times in a day! It didn't feel genuine or meaningful as people talked to her almost in passing. The 2nd person, let's call her Hope, moved from Malaysia to Spain. She wasn't used to the loud and dynamic exchanges common among the Spanish. Growing up she was told not to interrupt others when they're talking - it's rude! Silence played a big part in professional conversations, showing consideration and respect to those she was interacting with. In Spain, she found herself unable to fully engage in meetings, labelled as 'the quiet one'. She saw what others were doing, she knew she had to engage differently, but it was just SO hard to get over the initial beliefs! The 3rd person had the opposite problem to Hope's. Diego moved from Spain to the UK, and was struggling with the feedback he started receiving, along the lines of 'he's too excitable, he interrupts others as they're talking, he's too casual'. He knew he needed to tone down his communication, be more conscious about the pace of the conversation. He was able to do it, but what he struggled with the most is that it didn't feel like the real HIM anymore. He considered moving back to Spain because of that even though the UK career opportunities were clearly better for him at the time. All of them had the ability to shape their behaviour differently, they knew what they needed to do. It was not the lack of knowledge that was stopping them - it was the beliefs. In our coaching meetings we worked to find their origins, untangle them, and start creating beliefs that served them better in their new lives abroad.
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
9/9
View on Instagram

ProjectAbroad on Facebook

Project Abroad

 

PRIVACY POLICY

© Copyright Project Abroad 2016.