E.64 Unlocking the Power of Diversity: Coaching Multicultural Teams with Karen Tan

Welcome to a powerful conversation with diversity specialist and team coach, Karen Tan, PCC. Karen discusses her unique expertise in fostering collaboration between Eastern and Western cultures, throwing light on how diversity, can be channeled into a powerful tool for success.

Karen unpacks the complexities of disagreements within multicultural teams. She emphasizes the role of front-end conversations, team alignment, and team coaching. Karen also delves deep into the significance of cultural awareness, offering strategies to navigate and leverage cultural differences. If you're intrigued by the dynamics of multicultural teams, or if you're simply keen on unlocking the strength that lies in diversity, this episode is chock-full of little-known insights and practical tips. Buckle up for an enlightening ride with Karen Tan!

Connect with Karen:
https://www.thinkimpact.co
karen@thinkImpact.co
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thinkimpact/

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Until next time, keep doing great things!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi there, welcome to Conversations where we seek to advance your leader in team excellence by discussing relevant topics that impact today's organizations. Welcome to the show. Hey there and welcome to Conversations where today we have Karen Tan, and for more than 15 years Karen has collaborated with global leaders to assist them in creating a more substantial influence. She specializes in facilitating collaboration between Eastern and Western cultures. Her expertise has enabled leaders and teams to successfully leverage their cultural diversities to become more creative. Karen, welcome to the show. How are you today?

Speaker 2: 0:44

Thank you, kelly, so great to be here.

Speaker 1: 0:46

Yeah, I'm glad you're here today. You and I go back a couple years. We met when we were both doing a team coach certification and I knew when I met you that you were kind of like a deep soul. Yeah, I just love what you brought to our group, to our learning group, and I really appreciate you and the work that you're doing, and so thank you.

Speaker 2: 1:16

You're so kind, thank you.

Speaker 1: 1:18

So let's hear, maybe give us just a little bit of a high view of what you're doing these days.

Speaker 2: 1:24

Well, lately I completed a training in team coaching and I have been working with leaders and leadership development for many years. But I realized that even if you have the best leaders, the team is like a system and they have unique dynamics. And so lately I moved more into team coaching, helping teams to become more successful and more high performing, because I realized that just leadership development, even if you have the best leader, it's not sufficient. So I'm getting into that team coaching space lately.

Speaker 1: 2:02

Yeah, and team coaching is an exciting space right now. Yes, it is. And I think for me, the more that I learn about team coaching and the need for it and why there is the need and the many different facets of team coaching, because I think people are still they're still not understanding exactly what team coaching is and that can look different, you know, have different flavors and whatnot Exactly and I think that's the path that you're doing, that work and yeah, and you're pretty passionate about this.

Speaker 2: 2:40

Yes, very much so.

Speaker 1: 2:42

And why is that?

Speaker 2: 2:43

Especially in the space of multicultural teams. I read tons of research that multicultural teams, like global diverse teams, are on the rise, and I realized that a lot of the teams are not tapping into the potential with that diversity, and so I believe that team coaching can come in and help to serve that purpose to help teams to tap into the potential of the diversity instead of allowing it to be a liability or a point of tension for the team. Yeah, yeah, I really have that joy of working with a few teams that I have seen the transformation that the team has gone through after working through the dynamics and diversity.

Speaker 1: 3:34

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 3:34

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 3:37

There's a slide I used to use in one of my presentations I should pull that up sometime and take a look at it again and it was all about how you know teams. We often think our teams should be well-rounded. However, it's important that we look at them with jagged edges, like a mosaic, and how you know their differences come together and because of that, they're able to do the good work in front of them and be more innovative and whatnot.

Speaker 2: 4:11

It's beautiful. Yes, recently I just read tons of research and I can post that in the show notes. Yeah, I can post the link to those articles. But all the research sets that diversity of teams directly boost performance and innovation and I feel like a lot of teams are not tapping into that potential and we can help them to do that.

Speaker 1: 4:38

Yeah, what do you find when you're thinking of teams who just aren't tapping into it? Are they just not recognizing it, are they? What are you saying?

Speaker 2: 4:50

I see some of the common challenges of teams. First is totally because they are achieving the metrics like the KPIs, and there is no severe conflicts within the team. As our team leaders, they feel like the team is performing. However, because also the additional factor is also because their projects are always fast-paced and the velocity of the projects are often very quick and with the time zone differences Every time the teams get together they feel like they don't have the luxury to really talk about team dynamics, alignment, how to build team culture, and so they don't really have the awareness that they can tap into a lot more diversity and the potential the team can have. I would say lack of awareness is one of the main things.

Speaker 1: 5:49

So it's important that, as team coaches are working with the teams, that they open the door for that, for opening up what is diversity? What does that look like? What does it look like for our team, even? Right?

Speaker 2: 6:04

Yeah, I worked as an intercultural trainer for many years and a lot of companies they're providing intercultural training for our teams. But that is just creating awareness. It's a good first step, but having awareness is not enough, because the team needs to use that kind of awareness about their differences and know how to tap into their own dynamics and potential. And that's where team coaching comes in. After their awareness, then they can come in and help build alignment and also team conversations.

Speaker 1: 6:44

And I imagine, at least in what I've done, that team leader is really important to the whole problem when you're working with a team. What have you experienced with that?

Speaker 2: 6:57

Very much so, very much so. However, the team leader, he or she can serve as a facilitator for those conversations. Yet that was because he or she is part of the team. It comes with inherent power, dynamics and differences, and also inherent implicit cultural biases, and so the team coach, as a third party coming in, can really facilitate some neutral conversations by creating a psychological safe space for the whole team.

Speaker 1: 7:34

And that's really important that psychological safety when you think about because you've coached multicultural teams and you have this world view of culture and the importance of it how do you, as a team coach, maybe recognize what this team is going to need? Is this something that you research on the front end or you just know? Why don't you talk a little bit about that?

Speaker 2: 8:04

Great question, thank you. Well, I think having an initial conversation with the team leader and the team members are very important. We do assessments and also questionnaire surveys, like personal interviews, so that I get a sense of what are the bottlenecks or what are the pain points the team have. And from there I would pick some of the topics that the team might not be aware of, like, for example, speaking up in meetings right.

Speaker 2: 8:39

Because I want to share a case with you. This is very interesting. I work with a team that has a team leader from the Americas and team members from Asia and also some team members from Europe, the YMEA and during the meetings, the Asian members they don't really speak up too much. And over time the Western American leader he was thinking okay, maybe the Asian members don't have strong opinions because they hardly speak up in meetings. However, actually it's because of the educational system that we are being brought up right.

Speaker 2: 9:23

The West, the education system, most of the education systems are helping us to cultivate that critical thinking ability. We question and we challenge, and it's perfectly okay. But the Asian education system is really about absorbing information and respecting the authority and processing that information. So critical thinking and voicing out challenging the authority is not how it is to be, how it's how we are being brought up. And so if the team they are not they realize that well, every meeting we have a good outcome, we have results from the meeting, but they never tap into the insights of the Asian team members, not because they don't have it, but because the way they express it will be very different from the Western team members. And so if I come into the team doing an interview, I would ask about what are the pain points they have and ask the specific Asian team members or the American team leader like what will be something they would like to see, and that way I can provide some initial education and then we will go into team coaching with that kind of cultural awareness.

Speaker 1: 10:42

Yeah, yeah, those front end conversations, particularly assessments, are wonderful, but I do love the combination of having an assessment but then having those interviews where I mean that's discovery. You are discovering things and it's only to help the team and to help the engagement that you're going to be working through with them.

Speaker 2: 11:08

What do you love about the initial conversations, the discovery process?

Speaker 1: 11:13

Well, for me, I love meeting people.

Speaker 1: 11:15

That's why one of the reasons why I love doing this podcast, because I get to bring people on and really, you know, hear what's important to them.

Speaker 1: 11:23

And I think I take that into those initial conversations where I need to continue to be curious, right, because as coaches, we always have to, you know, get curious. It's always, you know, top of mind to get curious and trying to figure out, without being, you know, be making like too many puzzle pieces, but just understanding each individual and how that then is a collective and what are those themes. And I love when I can, you know, pick out those themes and see, aha, you know, and making that, as far as you know, what are the next steps and how is this team going to move forward based on some of those initial things, as well as a confidentiality piece, I mean, it's, it's really for us a holy ground where we can keep what has been told to us, you know, confidence and and using themes, yes, and bringing those out in sessions. But really some of those conversations, we never know what's going to come up in them as a coach.

Speaker 1: 12:33

We can talking about one thing and something else comes up and really you're into what are we hearing and what is underneath all that? That maybe we agree.

Speaker 2: 12:45

Yeah, I agree, it's exciting process, it's adventurous.

Speaker 1: 12:50

Are there any other? Are there any other challenges that you've experienced with with your team coaching?

Speaker 2: 12:58

I'd love to hear. Another huge area is how East and West handle disagreements. South Americans are very emotionally expressive and Asian team members usually they are very little, you know, emotionally expressive, and so oftentimes disagreements are really a healthy thing for the team. Right, because it brings out diversity, is the point where the team can really explore new ideas. But if the team members they, they don't understand each other, it can become a point of tension or even escalate it become a point of conflict. So I have Asian team members who told me well, I really feel a lot of tension when my South American colleague was so emotional in a meeting, and so I think that's a point of challenge for many teams in how they handle disagreements.

Speaker 1: 14:04

Yeah, and another great opportunity for a coaching moment. I just step in there and I think that's one thing that a lot of people don't understand about team coaching is that we're able to coach in the moment and have those you know pauses, even call those timeouts within teams and just you know, see what is happening in the room and and sometimes even call it out, depending on situation, and then that way we're able to help people understand more in the moment instead of, oh, remember that meeting two weeks ago when this happened. It's already passed.

Speaker 2: 14:48

Yes, yes. Or even building team alignment, like right at the beginning, by asking simple questions like how do we want to be together when things become difficult and have members talk about how they want respect. What does respect look like in different cultures? That would be some great conversations for teams.

Speaker 1: 15:13

Yeah, and always at the front end. So we know and even for us as a coach, we know that this is the expectation of the team. The team is creating this. We're not coming in and saying, okay, this is how it's going to be, folks, but it's more that. Okay, let's unpack this and let's find out how this team is going to operate, moving forward.

Speaker 2: 15:34

Totally yeah, and they promote engagement and ownership. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 15:39

Absolutely and fully getting some of those quieter voices, if there is psychological safety that's been created, getting them to voice how they would like to respect. Because, as you said, respect especially is very different east to west. Very much so.

Speaker 2: 16:01

Yes, very much so. Yeah, we're getting into some profound topics here.

Speaker 1: 16:10

We've talked about a lot of things here today, karen my gosh. We've talked about diversity coming into it and the differences and really the importance of having a team be collaborative, helping them create psychological safety, helping them have those front end conversations with you as a team coach, as well as when you come in with a team, and having the team kind of unpack these things about how the team is going to operate, moving forward. So how can team coaching help beyond that? Is there anything else beyond it? Because the field is just so vast and wide with the things that we are able to show up and do. So what maybe is something that you haven't mentioned, that you would love to mention around team coaching?

Speaker 2: 17:03

I would also love to tap into your wisdom here, because I work with a lot of multicultural teams.

Speaker 2: 17:08

I believe that cultivating that awareness probably is the first step, even before team coaching happens.

Speaker 2: 17:15

Because I believe that, just like a fish, if you are in the water, you don't really know that you're in the water until you are being told that this is water. So I feel a lot of teams, when they work with each other, because of that inherent cultural biases, we don't really know how to leverage the differences in teams. So I believe helping to create that awareness is really the first step. Whatever we talked about just now coming in to assess the team, helping the team to have honest conversations and alignment I believe that probably is the essence, the core of the process. But more so, I feel like team coaching probably goes further in helping the team members to really step up, to feel that, okay, I play a role in the system and I have the responsibility and the power to help the system to become more effective. And I think in the process of helping team members to have honest conversations, we are also empowering them to take ownership, more ownership of that system, which I'm really excited about.

Speaker 1: 18:37

And systems is something that I don't think. Most teams, leaders, and wherever you are on the hierarchy chart if you are on a hierarchy chart I don't think we think about that enough. Yes, who are we impacting? Yes, and who are those? And I know some people don't like the word stakeholders, but stakeholders just means who are the people that you're serving and how is the work that you are doing impact them? Or lack of work, or lack of conversation, lack of relationship? You know, it all is just really, really intriguing. I think that's why I love team coaching so much and really being embedded and watching the journeys, because, just like you you said in the beginning, the transformation that you've seen and that's what coaching is about. It's not about having the answers for these teams, it's really about being. These teams start to formulate for themselves and see how they can then express themselves as a team holistically and moving forward together and helping in that system for sure.

Speaker 2: 19:51

You said it so well Leadership development and leadership coaching. We empower individuals for them to really be transformed and scale that up. You know, and you see that in the team is really exciting.

Speaker 1: 20:08

Some Karen, great conversation today. Of course, I'm as passionate as you are, so no surprise there that this is going to be, you know, just great information for people who don't know about team coaching, want to hear more, and I would love to point them in your direction. So how can people connect with you, karen Tan, if they would like more information about you and the services that you provide?

Speaker 2: 20:33

For sure. I have a website, thinkimpactco. I'm gonna give that year end. You can put that in the show notes and also I will provide my email. So if people are interested, I offer free complimentary assessment with the leader and just to get to know what are their needs for the team. So welcome to connect with me if you're interested and are you a-, Dan? I am, I am. I also put the link from my link in your show notes.

Speaker 1: 21:03

Perfect, That'll be great, all right. Well, karen Tan, it's been a pleasure to have you on today. I appreciate your knowledge, your expertise, all you are doing, because you're reaching around the world, and I just love when I get to just collaborate with a coach like you who has that, and I know that there's a different lens that you see things out of. So I certainly appreciate it and I know that our listeners are gonna appreciate that. Wow.

Speaker 2: 21:35

Thank you, kelly. You are so kind and you know it's always a pleasure to talk with you. You're inspiring. Thank you, oh, you are welcome.

Speaker 1: 21:43

And thank you for that. All right. Well, until next time. You keep doing great things and we'll see you soon, you too.

Speaker 2: 21:50

Bye-bye. You, you, you, you, you you.