AC211 – Diversity (1)

Facilitator: Prabha Chandrasekhar
2009/3/10, 1900-2000

Q: What do you want to get from this class? What are your expectations from this class?
- Learn perspectives from difference cultures
- Different method of communication when dealing with different cultures
- Dos and Don’ts of culture issues
- Potential boundaries

Every body participates and shares could maximize the learning effectiveness, since ICA is combined by different people and culture with diversity.
Diversity: culture, religion, age, gender, generation differences
For example: partners from different culture and children are raised in another culture.
Any experience of cross-culture coaching?
- There are so many things to learn from different culture
- Coaching is about to think out of box; be creative with difference perspectives and solutions

Why do we describe the culture as an iceberg?
85% of culture is intangible and the 15% is tangible. 15%: the way they talk, dress or interaction but 85% is below the waterline. When we coach a client from different culture, it would be better for us to study their history to learn and understand why they behave like this.

For example:
High context (Asian) and low context culture (Western): Asian does not what to hurt people so they tend to be more indirect
Indian says yes meaning yes, I am listening, I will think about it and I will come back to you with the answer later.

Asian would smile when they meet a person from another country
- they are happy to see you and welcome you with a smile on face
- they are embarrassed sometimes
- they are helpful