Coaching the Global Nomad Katrina Burrus, PH.D., M.C.C. This article first appeared in the International Journal of Coaching in Organizations, 2006, 4(4),6-15. It can only be reprinted and distributed with prior written permission from Professional Coaching Publications, Inc. (PCPI). Email John Lazar at [email protected] for such permission. Journal information: www.ijco.info Purchases: www.pcpionline.com 2006 ISSN 1553-3735 © Copyright 2006 PCPI. All rights reserved worldwide. 6 | IJCO Issue 4 2006 6 | IJCO Issue 4 2006 Coaching the Global Nomad Coaching the Global Nomad KATRINA BURRUS, PH.D., M.C.C. KATRINA BURRUS, PH.D., M.C.C. Executives who work in various PROLOGUE – IN THE BEGINNING Executives who work in various PROLOGUE – IN THE BEGINNING cultures bring a multitude of cultural I was fiveyears old, playing on the living room couch, when my mother cultures bring a multitude of cultural I was fiveyears old, playing on the living room couch, when my mother backgrounds, identities, and called out to me from the kitchen that we were going to move again. backgrounds, identities, and called out to me from the kitchen that we were going to move again. orientations with them. They are Having already left the US, Italy, and then Germany, we were now orientations with them. They are Having already left the US, Italy, and then Germany, we were now called in to new situations because moving to Switzerland. My father started up a soft drink brand in Italy. called in to new situations because moving to Switzerland. My father started up a soft drink brand in Italy. of their skills and past successes, yet It had been only nine months since we left Milan, Italy. I had barely of their skills and past successes, yet It had been only nine months since we left Milan, Italy. I had barely working well within local contexts is started making friends at school in Hamburg, Germany, despite the fact working well within local contexts is started making friends at school in Hamburg, Germany, despite the fact crucial. Coaching such global nomads that I spoke only English and Italian, but definitelyno German. She was crucial. Coaching such global nomads that I spoke only English and Italian, but definitelyno German. She was is a task of identifying and sorting out moving my four brothers and me, again, to yet another house. I found is a task of identifying and sorting out moving my four brothers and me, again, to yet another house. I found the cultural contexts that the executive some comfort in knowing that my four brothers were part of the move. the cultural contexts that the executive some comfort in knowing that my four brothers were part of the move. draws upon in normal and unusual My father had stayed behind in Milan; my mother had said something draws upon in normal and unusual My father had stayed behind in Milan; my mother had said something situations; identifying the needs and about “divorcing,” and then he was no longer around. situations; identifying the needs and about “divorcing,” and then he was no longer around. cultural expectations of the local cultural expectations of the local situation, leadership, and A few days later, when the plane to Geneva, Switzerland, wove and situation, leadership, and A few days later, when the plane to Geneva, Switzerland, wove and organization; and working toward hissed against the oncoming wind and I heard the plane’s wheels screech organization; and working toward hissed against the oncoming wind and I heard the plane’s wheels screech finding a good fit between the local as it hit the runway, I peered behind my seat to see if all of my brothers finding a good fit between the local as it hit the runway, I peered behind my seat to see if all of my brothers culture, the executive’s many choices, had not been “divorced” away, and then grabbed onto my teddy bear culture, the executive’s many choices, had not been “divorced” away, and then grabbed onto my teddy bear and the skills and behavior needed in to tell him not to worry. We had each other, and we would learn the and the skills and behavior needed in to tell him not to worry. We had each other, and we would learn the a given situation. Burrus uses a case funny new language, eat strange-tasting foods again, and observe the a given situation. Burrus uses a case funny new language, eat strange-tasting foods again, and observe the study and two theoretical frames of particularities in the way people behave. We had done this before. study and two theoretical frames of particularities in the way people behave. We had done this before. intercultural work to examine the intercultural work to examine the issues of coaching the global nomad. Was this five-year-old more influencedby the different national cultures issues of coaching the global nomad. Was this five-year-old more influencedby the different national cultures in which she had lived or by her own family culture and context? How in which she had lived or by her own family culture and context? How much of each had influenced her individual identity and ways of being much of each had influenced her individual identity and ways of being in the world? How do such global nomads fit, adapt, and interact in in the world? How do such global nomads fit, adapt, and interact in each culture? Later on, if she works in companies, how each culture? Later on, if she works in companies, how Was this five-year-old more influenced by does she build relationships in an organization and how Was this five-year-old more influenced by does she build relationships in an organization and how does she live differently than with nonglobal nomads? does she live differently than with nonglobal nomads? the different national cultures in which How does the cross-culturally sensitive coach work with the different national cultures in which How does the cross-culturally sensitive coach work with she had lived or by her own family culture global nomads to optimize their intercultural skills and she had lived or by her own family culture global nomads to optimize their intercultural skills and experience, while bringing their organization’s culture, experience, while bringing their organization’s culture, and context? mission, and values to local settings, contexts, and and context? mission, and values to local settings, contexts, and assignments around the world? assignments around the world? MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES ON MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES ON AN INTERCULTURAL CASE STUDY AN INTERCULTURAL CASE STUDY Culture encompasses comparative behaviors, beliefs, values (Hofstede, Culture encompasses comparative behaviors, beliefs, values (Hofstede, 1980), and perspectives (Sackmann, Phillips, Kleinberg and Boyacigillar, 1980), and perspectives (Sackmann, Phillips, Kleinberg and Boyacigillar, 1997) that shed light on the myriad influences on an individual’s 1997) that shed light on the myriad influences on an individual’s © Copyright 2006 PCPI. All rights reserved worldwide. © Copyright 2006 PCPI. All rights reserved worldwide. worldwide. worldwide. worldwide. worldwide. reserved reserved reserved reserved reserved rights rights rights rights rights All All All All All PCPI. PCPI. PCPI. PCPI. PCPI. 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 Copyright Copyright Copyright Copyright Copyright © © © © © © Copyright 2006 PCPI. All rights reserved worldwide. worldwide. worldwide. worldwide. reserved reserved reserved reserved rights rights rights rights All All All All PCPI. PCPI. PCPI. PCPI. 2006 2006 2006 2006 Copyright Copyright Copyright Copyright © © © © © Copyright 2006 PCPI. All rights reserved worldwide. worldwide. reserved reserved rights rights All All PCPI. PCPI. 2006 2006 Copyright Copyright © © © Copyright 2006 PCPI. All rights reserved worldwide. reserved rights All PCPI. 2006 Copyright © IJCO Issue 4 2006 | 7 IJCO Issue 4 2006 | 7 identity. Influences such as nations and ethnicities, as well as organization, family, identity. Influences such as nations and ethnicities, as well as organization, family, tenure, and profession, impact identity and interactions with others in their tenure, and profession, impact identity and interactions with others in their respective cultural contexts (Sackman et al, 1997). To respective cultural contexts (Sackman et al, 1997). To demonstrate how these issues play out in the work of a Culture encompasses comparative demonstrate how these issues play out in the work of a Culture encompasses comparative global nomad and their executive coach, the case study global nomad and their executive coach, the case study of “Marie” (a pseudonym for a prototypical, composite behaviors, beliefs, values, and perspectives of “Marie” (a pseudonym for a prototypical, composite behaviors, beliefs, values, and perspectives case) is reviewed and interpreted as a coaching exercise that shed light on the myriad influences case) is reviewed and interpreted as a coaching exercise that shed light on the myriad influences and exemplar. and exemplar. on an individual’s identity. Influences on an individual’s identity. Influences The case is presented in the form of a coach’s internal such as nations and ethnicities, as well The case is presented in the form of a coach’s internal such as nations and ethnicities, as well dialogue while working with the issues of the case and dialogue while working with the issues of the case and the development of the coaching process. The coach’s as organization, family, tenure, and the development of the coaching process. The coach’s as organization, family, tenure, and assumptions and interpretations are stated while profession, impact identity and interactions assumptions and interpretations are stated while profession, impact identity and interactions designing and delivering a coaching strategy for the global designing and delivering a coaching strategy for the global executive. The case is interpreted using a cross-national with others in their respective cultural executive.