This leader of Italian origin lives in the Southeastern US and is Senior
Director of Accounting for the Latin American Division of a Global Security
Company. She requested coaching due to
having significant issues aligning the cultural norms of her native country to
those of Latin America. Contending with this cultural dilemma while at the same
time reporting to her demanding CFO of US origin made her situation even more
difficult. Using a cultural assessment
as a framework to gain perspective, we explored the cultural norms of the different
countries. The awareness of the
different cultural norms allowed her and her coach to explore ways for her to improve
her cultural competencies in Latin America and the US. For instance, the bureaucracy of Latin American
countries can seem opaque, making their business practices appear inefficient
and indirect compared to the US. By
recognizing and acknowledging these differences, she was able to modify her
behaviors to more effectively manage her Latin American colleagues, as well as
support her CFO of US origin. Not only
was she more effective at work, but her daily frustrations and stress
significantly decreased.