Coaches, let’s talk culture and coaching!
No one is without culture; everyone is multicultural (Carter, 2015)! Culture is a term that some people distinguish as solely connecting to race and ethnicity; however, culture is much broader than that. What is culture? Cambridge Dictionary defines culture as a way of life, especially general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time.
Important concepts of culture
- Cultures are fluid
- Cultures are not mutually exclusive
- Cultural demands can create conflict
- Culture is learned
- Culture influences how we perceive ourselves
- People self-admit into specific cultures
Every human is multicultural, and these cultures impact our values, beliefs, acceptable norms, biases, etc. Some examples of cultural groups are age, generation, gender, (dis)ability, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, and the nation of origin. Can you also see how some of these group memberships may be visible or invisible?
So, what do coaches need to do to develop their skill set to approach all of the iterations of individual beings? One of the first steps in cultural awareness is to identify our own cultures and the values, behaviors, perceptions, biases, etc., brought on by the intersection of those cultures.
We want to encourage you to start journaling and write about your ideas regarding your own culture.
- Identify the cultural groups that you identify with.
- Is it visible or invisible to others?
- Consider how your cultural identities possibly impact the coaching work you do with others with different cultures.
Let us know how it goes.
“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.”
Flannery O’Connor
Remember our quote from last month’s newsletter?
Finally, “Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure.” – Thomas Watson.
Here are some of the thoughts that were shared:
- There is wisdom in “being able to process “breakdowns” in a calm, unflustered, positive way.”
- It’s a good reminder to “assume things can go awry and invites” reflection without judgement, and “there is no end to learning and growing in skills and understanding.” Inviting reflection on what went well and what didn’t, can help avoid defensiveness which has the potential to block growth.
- Challenge yourself! “If you increase your rate of “trying new things,” it will statistically increase your rate of failure, but it also increases your rate of success!”
Submitted by,
Rasheeda Coston, Director of Coaching
Pennsylvania Key
Barb Willier, Coaching Coordinator
Pennsylvania Key
