Maria is a passionate coach, facilitator, writer and speaker dedicated to empowering people to do their best work by supporting them in focusing on their strengths and acquiring new skills.
Having spent over a decade in China and working with people and teams in several Asian countries as well as people working in Europe I asked Maria what she thought were the main challenges in communicating across these different cultures.
When first getting to know someone, one of the most common questions we ask is:
Where are you from? As someone who has lived in Asia, like Maria, for over a decade this can sometimes feel strange as we have been outside of our birth countries for such a long time. For others this can be quite complex and multi-layered. We talk about the alternative and perhaps more relevant question: Where are you local? Does this more accurately reflect a more intentional choice of where you live?
We talk about the need to develop self-awareness when trying to communicate with others from a diverse range of backgrounds. Annette Dahl expresses this so well by saying: “cross-cultural understanding starts with self-understanding.”
Make sure you stay until the end as Maria shares a 3-step process you can take to develop your communication skills and ensure that collaboration thrives in your team beyond just cultural background.
Resources to explore:
Taiye Selasi: Don’t ask where I’m from, ask where I’m a local (TED Talk)
The culture Map - Erin Meyer https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Map-Breaking-Invisible-Boundaries/dp/1610392507
Connect with Maria:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mariapastorelli
WeChat ID: mpastorelli
Connect with Lisa:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisasing/
Email the host:
Lisa: lisa@sixcomms.org
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