“Really, I prefer to express myself in English,” your client insists.
“Alright then, let’s begin,” you confirm with a smile. “What obstacle or challenge keeps you from getting started?”
“Well, je me sens….,” and your client continues in Franglish (a mix of English and French).
What’s with everyone mixing English and their native tongue? Bilingualism. There are 1.45 billion English speakers: 373 million are native speakers (using English as their first language), and 1 billion are non-native speakers (employing English as their second language).
Increased digital presence and remote work have led many of us who are bilingual or trilingual to speak an unnaturally fast and efficient form of peppered English. This skill can be quite handy for simple tasks like checking delivery status. However, during cross-cultural coaching sessions, it can lead to misunderstandings.
And words get in the way.
Now you can say, ”Yes, you are bilingual/trilingual. Great! How culturally adaptive are you in switching back and forth that cultural hat of yours?”
Cultural agility paves the way.
Cultural agility, dexterity, or flexibility can be looked at as the ability to work or simply BE with people from diverse cultures.
Guess what? It’s an unnatural skill. It’s a fight between the novelty of culture(s) and your inner voice.
How? Let’s look at an example. Do you remember your first day working in a foreign language or your first time boarding a plane? You might recall feeling a bit anxious, even though you were brimming with excitement to start this new experience. Feeling nervous when facing something new is a normal reaction. It’s simply your brain’s way of alerting you that it cannot control the situation, it’s foreign. The body’s initial warning signals that we are encountering something novel lasts until the brain can determine it is safe. In other words, longer than a second. This is how our primitive ancestors might have evaluated a new environment and concluded that there was no danger lurking around, like a hungry tiger or hostile person.
Why am I telling you this? Because most of the time, we’ll stay in our fight or flight mode, and old habits take over, which may lead to assumptions and judgment. And remove us from a coaching posture and environment.
How to prepare for your next bilingual and cross-cultural coaching session?
Here are three self-reflection points:
1) Control
How effectively have you delved into your client’s coaching theme while maintaining structured and time-bound sessions? Are you comfortable with the idea of loosening your controlled structure and operating with fewer constraints? Can you skillfully adapt, such as incorporating a subtle 15-minute-bound timer before concluding, to honor the importance of time while aligning your tone and demeanor accordingly?
2) Directness
Has your communication style been effective in your coaching sessions, considering the differences between directness and indirectness in different cultures? Do you use pauses, breaks, or creative activities to provide a flexible and respectful atmosphere of communication, considering that different cultures have varying preferences? Or simply decline?
3) Context
Do you genuinely grasp the client’s message in perspective beyond just comprehending their words and expressions? Regarding cultural adaptability, can you step back and ask questions to understand the context behind their message? Avoiding assumptions and seeking confirmation can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your coaching. How are curiosity and humility present during your sessions?
As you step into the world of coaching across cultures, keep in mind that these insights are more than just techniques; they’re pathways to fostering profound and effective connections across diverse cultures. The influence of embracing flexibility, aligning with varied communication styles, and grasping the client’s context will echo in your coaching sessions and the relationships you forge.
So, my dear fellow coaches, let these insights be your compass on your journey toward cultural agility. Each client you work with brings unique experiences, and by looking inward, you can create an atmosphere that nurtures growth, empathy, and enduring transformation. Embrace the chance to bridge cultural gaps and let the essence of these insights reshape your coaching voyage.
Prepare for the voyage, one cross-cultural connection at a time. Your adventure begins now!
