Coaches work with clients from different cultural background.  Like mental health clinicians, coaches also need to be aware of how cultural differences can have an impact on the coach-client relationship.   According to the Canada Coach Academy, ”Coaches have a responsibility to understand how culture affects who we are, what we think, and what is behind the choices we make.”1 Therefore, it is important for coaches to develop cultural competence; this adds to being a better coach.

The challenge for us as coaches is to unveil the impact of a client’s varied disocursrs, both cultural and individual. To be truly of service in our coaching, we need to recognize the histories that are alive in the person in front of us when we are coaching.” IJCO, p. 33

The examples below show us how imperative cultural competence can be for a coach in their work with culturally diverse clients.  For example, in Western cultures such as the Canada and the United States, it is suitable for clients to give feedback that is critical or challenging to their coach; whereas in Asian countries such as China and Japan this would be viewed as unacceptable.  Also, coaches in western societies can provide constructive or critical feedback to clients as part of the coaching process, and in such cultures as Germany, the feedback can be direct with no need for it to be “softened”; but in other cultures this may not be the case.

Christian Höferle, a cross-cultural trainer and coach, believes that there are five fundamental guidelines for an effective cross-cultural coaching relationship.  They are as follows:

1. “Study the foreign: To build rapport with a coaching client a coach needs to diligently explore their culture of origin. This may sound like stating the obvious, however, the more a coach familiarizes himself/herself with the nuances of a client’s background the better. Of course this includes studying about the various sub-cultures one may find in the country of origin.
2. Know thyself: Only if a coach is fully aware of his/her own culture will he/she be able to resonate with people from another.
3. Context trumps content. A coach needs to look at the context as the container of the client/coach relationship. Imagine a cup that represents the framework of the relationship. If this cup has a crack, any content poured into it will eventually seep out through the crack. Coaches shouldn’t use templates with their coachees. Every client is different. Defining what the relationship will be like is critical for success.
4. Some see this as optional, personally I make it mandatory: Once good rapport is established, there should be a written agree-ment which states how the coach will work with the client. Call it framework, contract, or Code of Honour: It helps to keep each other accountable.
5. Trust the process – That’s true for both, coachee and coach.”3

A cultural competent coach expands knowledge, broaden their cultural lens, and gain a deeper awareness of culture and historical patterns of the client; thus, a better understanding of how culturally diverse clients see themselves and the world.

References

1. Canada Coach Academy.  Coaching across cultures.  https://canadacoachacademy.com/coaching-across-cultures/
2. Curnow, K. (2006).  Differences and discourses: Coaching across cultures.  The International Journal of Coaching in Organizations, 4(4), 30-39. Professional Coaching Publications.  https://researchportal.coachfederation.org/MediaStream/PartialView?documentId=2901
3. Höferle, C.  Five basic principles for efficient cross-cultural coaching. The Culture Mastery.  https://theculturemastery.com/2015/06/30/5-basic-principles-for-efficient-cross-cultural-coaching/
4. Molinsky, A. & Höferle, C. (2015, April 29). Will that cross-cultural coach really help your team?  Harvard Business Review.  https://hbr.org/2015/04/will-that-cross-cultural-coach-really-help-your-team