For 25 years, I have been teaching communication. Some people call me a communication expert. I still feel slightly uncomfortable with that phrase. If expert means someone who has devoted decades to testing, refining, failing at, and rebuilding approaches to communication across cultures and industries, then perhaps it applies. If it means someone who does…
People often wonder why a white woman has committed her life to DEI. It’s time for me to tell my story. As many of you know, I help leaders who are committed to creating inclusive cultures build teams that trust each other, collaborate effectively, and unleash their collective intelligence. My commitment to this work began…
As published on Devex.com, July 7, 2014 Cross-cultural collaboration. Why is it so hard? As international development practitioners, we are typically working toward the same well-intentioned goal. If our interests are aligned, then why isn’t it easier? Well, many reasons: funding, deadlines, limited or misdirected resources, language differences … the list goes on. But…
[Published March 9, 2020] Yesterday, I stood and stared at two grocery bags in my basement. Four boxes of spaghetti. Two bottles of children’s Tylenol. One large bottle of antibacterial soap. Then I looked back to my phone and re-read the text from my neighbor. The doctors diagnosed her with Stage 4 lung cancer,…
As published on Devex.com, Feb 9, 2013 As it turns out, fruit dryers were unpopular in a coastal village in Nicaragua where a group of engineers were working. Had they known that “yes” in Nicaragua could sometimes mean “we don’t want to offend you,” they could have provided a different service. In another instance,…
