Why time zones suck when working globally [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks to Kyle Hegarty, who is the Managing Director of Leadership Nomad, part of the TSL Group, where he focuses on helping companies expand across the globe. Kyle has spent the past decade living in Southeast Asia and tells people: “From what I’ve seen and experienced first-hand, the area where companies fall short the most seems …

How culture affects cuisine

One of the benefits of dealing with different cultures is the opportunity to explore the tastes of foreign lands and other people. Food and drink are as much representations of culture as are the arts, architecture, attire, or human behavior. Most of us experience this for the first time when we travel: what people abroad eat can be quite different …

What exactly do Interculturalists do?

How do you explain what a cultural trainer, coach, or mentor does? This is a question I had some difficulty answering throughout the first years of working in this field. And to be completely honest, to this day some members of my own family don’t quite understand what the work of interculturalists consists of. It isn’t only the “uninitiated” who …

How Johnnie Cass fights the Tall Poppy Syndrome [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks to Johnnie Cass, communication expert, international speaker, NLP master, and coach from Sydney, Australia. Johnnie has been traveling the word for the past 15+ years and has worked with tens of thousands of individuals on five continents, coaching them all to greater levels of personal and business success. With a diverse background in film, television and …

Learning to read The Culture Map with Erin Meyer [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this March 2016 episode Christian talks to Erin Meyer, Professor at INSEAD University in Paris, one of the leading international business schools. Erin is also the author of The Culture Map. Originally from Minnesota, Erin has been living in Paris for many years. Prior to that she worked in different parts of the world, e.g. in Botswana. There she …

A Transatlantic Career Requires Cultural Savvy

Accepting a foreign work assignment is potentially exciting and daunting. As a foreign assignee not only do you have to figure out the logistics of moving yourself (and your loved ones), you also need to get used to a different work environment. Regardless whether the cultural gap between your home country and the culture you are entering is narrow or …

From Samurai to Third Culture Kid to Culture Connector [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this February 2016 episode Christian talks to Dr. Takanori K. Endo, CEO of Mind Life Solutions, and Crucing, LLC. Dr. Endo is a licensed clinical psychologist, international trainer, and speaker. Since 2005 he has dedicated his time to researching human psychology as it relates to competence, crisis, and conflict resolution. He has helped thousands of people in over 30 …

Finding the zone of appropriateness when crossing cultures [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this first episode of 2016 Christian talks to Andy Molinsky, author of the book “Global Dexterity” and Professor at International Management and Organizational Behavior at Brandeis University. Andy specializes in cross-cultural interaction in business settings and has created a popular MBA course focused on cross-cultural adaptation. He has published widely on the topic of cultural adaptation; his work has …

How to motivate and inspire other cultures by being you [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks to Robert Riopel, international trainer and teacher for New Peaks. Robert is Canadian and lives in Calgary, Alberta with his wife Roxanne and his razorback pig Gracie May – you’ll have to listen to the show to hear what that is all about. Robert is a Master Trainer for New Peaks and Christian has had …

A gift for those who want an amazing 2016

As the holiday season in the Western world is in full swing, you may still be wondering which gifts to get this year. And since readers of this website are typically involved in making a transition in their professional or personal lives, I have just the right gift idea for you. My friend and mentor Adam Markel, who leads the …

Give the next generation workforce what they need

Ever since they have been entering the workforce, there has been a lot a of talk about Generation Y or, as they are often referred to, the Millennials. As they take on different levels of responsibility, organizations pay close attention to how they can harness the preferences of the Gen Y-ers. Like with every generation change that happened before, the …

Developing cultural competency as life-long journey [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks to Dianne Hofner Saphiere, creator and principal of Cultural Detective (CD). Cultural Detective® is a dynamic tool system that develops invaluable competence in individuals and organizations. The project is a collaboration among dozens of acclaimed intercultural experts worldwide. The CD system enables organizations and leaders to meet the high-performance demands of an increasingly global and …

From New Zealand to China, from Australia to Papua New Guinea [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks to Trisha Carter, founder of the Cultural Intelligence (CI) Collective in Sydney (Australia). The CI Collective is a comprehensive on-line resource that supports successful cross-cultural adaptation. Trisha shares with us her experience of living and working in several Southeast Asian cultures. She has over 15 years experience as an intercultural coach and trainer helping hundreds of …

Southern U.S. identity and the struggle to overcome cultural gaps within a nation

On the day I post this article, the government of the U.S. State of South Carolina lowered the Confederate battle flag from outside its State House, where it had flown for more than 50 years. The removal of this flag follows a heated public debate about what this flag symbolizes: Southern heritage or white supremacy. This debate has been around …

The Culture Guy talks to Alan Headbloom [The Culture Guy Podcast]

Welcome to Episode 001 of The Culture Guy Podcast – the official first chapter of this series. In this episode Christian talks to Alan Headbloom, Principal of Headbloom Cross-Cultural Communication in Allendale, Michigan (U.S.). Alan shares with us his work experience and some of his “cultural fool” moments he had when studying in Southwestern Germany. Alan has a track record …

5 Basic Principles for Efficient Cross-Cultural Coaching

Senior executives, C-suite leaders, and high potentials are typically well qualified and talented high performers. However, the challenges of global leadership and change can’t be solved by knowledge and hard skills only. What got you here to your current position, will most likely not be the same skill set that will get you to where you want to be in …

The Culture Guy Podcast

Welcome to The Culture Guy Podcast!

This is Episode 000 of The Culture Guy Podcast. This show is created and hosted by our CEO, Christian Höferle (also known as The Culture Guy, and on the show he will explain how he got this nickname). It is dedicated to everyone who is passionate about cultures and how culture influences everything we do: The way we talk, the …

Four Types of Cross-Cultural Training

In an international context, smart business decisions depend on the ability to bridge cultural differences. Your employees need to be able to understand these differences and how to work across cultures. We put together four types of cross-cultural training formats and other support services for expatriates and global leaders to help international top talent in bridging the gaps between cultures. …