I find being a coach is a transformative journey for both those I work with and myself. I wanted to explore what it would be like to coach someone on every continent to understand what would be different but also similar in the topics, approach and value taken from coaching. In 2020 I set myself the goal of coaching someone on every continent on the planet (including Antarctica) and I have recently achieved this.
Working with individuals from diverse locations and backgrounds has deepened my appreciation for the interplay of culture, context, and the impact on my coaching approach. Here’s what I’ve learned by coaching people in Australia, Antarctica, North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia.
Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
Understanding Diverse Values and Norms
One of the most profound lessons I’ve gained from coaching across continents is the importance of cultural awareness. Each region has its unique values, traditions, and social norms that shape how individuals perceive leadership, success, and personal growth. Assisting others to identify how these norms are playing out in their situation, whether to their benefit or detriment has been insightful. Often I found myself thinking why is that such a big challenge for you? why are we spending so much time focusing on what I perceived to be a small issue? Every time it returned to a cultural norm that I was not aware of in either their culture or sometimes from mine and once we’d surfaced that we were able to look at the situation differently.
Socio-Economic and Political Factors
The socio-economic and political landscape of a region can significantly influence coaching topics and outcomes. Socio-economic challenges are present yet different in all environments and counterparts spoke about different ways they might address issues of limited resources or political instability. Often counterparts topics involved navigating established corporate structures, social norms, identifying ways to use technology or thrive in rapidly shifting landscapes. Even in Antarctica, the extreme environment and isolation presented unique challenges that influenced my coaching strategies. What is the impact of not seeing the sun for six weeks during the Antarctic winter.
Coaching Techniques and Approaches
Flexibility in Coaching Methods
Coaching on a global scale has necessitated my taking a flexible approach to methodologies and techniques. What works well in one cultural or contextual setting may not be as effective in another. I’ve become versatile, incorporating a variety of tools and frameworks that can be adapted to meet the diverse needs of my counterparts. This might include blending traditional coaching models with culturally specific practices, partnering more with the counterpart through contracting to give them choice over how the session played out and what we focussed on next. There were even times where we both navigated the coaching session with Google translate at the ready so we could use words and understand words in less familiar languages.
Building Trust and Rapport
It won’t surprise anyone who’s coached that establishing trust and rapport is a foundational aspect of coaching, but the ways to achieve this can vary greatly across cultures. Understanding how to partner with individuals, what they expected from coaching, determining through the conversation what was required to deepen trust and establish our working relationship in order to achieve the highest possible value from each conversation.
Finding Common Ground
Shared Human Experiences
Despite the cultural differences, I’ve found that there are many similarities in the coaching experience across the globe. People everywhere share common aspirations, such as the desire for personal growth, professional success, leadership development and meaningful relationships. Whether I’m coaching someone in Australia, Antarctica, North America, South America, Africa, Europe or Asia, these universal human experiences provided a strong foundation for the coaching process. The differences appeared in the nuances of what was growth, success, leadership and meaningful in relationships.
Universal Coaching Principles
Many coaching principles are universally applicable. Active listening, empathy, goal-setting, and creating a safe space for people to reflect were valued across cultures. While the specific application of these principles may vary, their core importance remains the same. This universality allowed me to connect with clients on a fundamental level, fostering growth and development regardless of cultural context. As a coach who leans heavily on the appropriate use of humour to lighten tension, highlight points or demonstrate the normality of not knowing what to do next it was wonderful to see how this played out across different cultures and how we could connect as humans during our conversations.
Coaching on every continent has been a profound journey of discovery. It has highlighted to me the critical role of cultural awareness, contextual adaptability, and flexible coaching techniques in fostering meaningful and effective coaching relationships. By embracing the diverse values, communication styles, and cultures encountered around the globe, I’ve enhanced my practice, ultimately empowering individuals from all walks of life that felt stuck to achieve their fullest potential. While the differences are fascinating and enriching, the similarities are ever present to remind me of our shared humanity and the universal value of being listened to and feeling heard in a non judgemental environment.