There’s magic in collaborating within intercultural teams.

At the core of any human and social environment lie its values. In intercultural work settings, individuals bring different, and sometimes conflicting, values shaped by their unique backgrounds.

When solving problems, we often rely on the way the mind has been trained to think in our familiar surroundings and situations. However, in intercultural environments this approach often falls short. It becomes essential to go beyond the mind’s habitual process, recognizing it as a tool—much like a hammer requires a guiding hand to drive a nail.

In intercultural settings, we are compelled to create a shared space where all parties feel their values are acknowledged while recognising values of others. This allows meaningful interactions and exchange that resonate with everyone. Within that shared space, new faculties come into play, guiding the mind, which is directed by fresh awareness, fostering more effective collaboration and understanding.

In coaching sessions, we work in this space where managers discover that they’ve always had the resources to enhance leadership effectiveness, build and maintain strong partnerships, and enables authentic, deeper connections with colleagues and stakeholders, beyond differences. They then begin to actively use these resources and make transformation.

Managers, have you ever faced a workplace scenario where you needed to collaborate or negotiate with individuals whose values and belief systems are differed from your own? How did you navigate and overcome the challenges?"