The Client Challenge

The client, a senior leader in a diverse team, struggled with challenges rooted in cultural differences that strained communication, collaboration, and trust. Navigating the complexities of remote work and hybrid structures only compounded the difficulty. The team the leader was managing was made up of members from different cultural backgrounds, each with unique ways of interacting and providing feedback. The client found it difficult to build trust and manage conflicts caused by these cultural differences, additionally compounded a hybrid work structure. These issues strained team dynamics, affected morale and impacted negatively on productivity.

My Coaching Approach

Sharon’s coaching focused on helping the client build a leadership style that honoured and embraced cultural diversity while remaining anchored in emotional intelligence and clarity of purpose. Using her experience abroad and research on cultural dimensions, she helped the client understand how culture affects behaviour, feedback, and conflict resolution. The coaching gave the client a practical framework for managing cultural differences, enabling them to build stronger, more collaborative team relationships.

How The Coaching Sessions Revolved 
Around the Client

1. Understanding Cultural Frameworks with Clarity:

Sharon introduced the client to models like Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory to help them understand differences in hierarchy, feedback and communication styles. The client learned that some cultures value direct feedback, while others prefer more indirect, relationship-focused approaches. Coaching sessions helped the client develop the ability to identify which approach their team members required.

2. Developing Emotional Intelligence in Multicultural Contexts:

Sharon focussed on the importance of emotional intelligence in handling intercultural conflicts, and helped the client see how cultural misunderstandings can escalate into conflict if left unchecked. She explained how unfamiliar communication styles can trigger stress, blocking logical thinking and escalating issues. By understanding how culture affects stress and feedback, the client learned to pause, reframe interactions and reduce misunderstandings.

3. Creating Inclusive Team Dynamics:

The coaching sessions established a framework for team collaboration that considered cultural differences. This included setting guidelines for feedback, handling disagreements and managing tasks. Sharon emphasised the need to “slow down to speed up,” ensuring all voices were heard and cultural norms respected before making decisions.

4. Practical Tools for Building Trust:

The client gained practical strategies for building trust across cultural differences. They learned the distinction between task-oriented trust, based on performance, and relationship-oriented trust, built through personal connections. The client adapted their approach using these models to create a stronger, more unified team.

5. Empowering Leadership through Self-Awareness:

A key focus of the coaching was helping the client see how their cultural background shaped their leadership style. Sharon led the client through self-reflection, stressing that self-awareness is the first step to understanding and leading a culturally diverse team.