Imagine you’re at an informal networking event, conference or team event, where you don’t know anybody else. 

You’re by yourself, you walk in the room, you smell the coffee, and you hear laughter from groups already deep in conversation.

How do you ease into mingling and socializing?   How do you feel confident in opening the conversation, even if you are introvert?

How do you feel relaxed, join a group and start?

This is an action episode, so grab some paper, take notes and put this into action!

What you will learn in this episode:

• Overcoming the fear - the goal of starting a conversation
• How to prepare
• 7 top conversation starters for you to try
• Open ended questions
• How to share about yourself
• Focusing on how you can help others

Resources:

• Discover more about our Communication Confidence coaching programme to elevate your conversations and networking impact: https://culturecuppa.com/individuals
• Listen to episode 23: Networking Conversation Strategies: https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/networking-conversation-strategies
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com

How can we maintain a uniquely human edge in this period of rapid evolution of ChatGPT and AI?

How do we remain relevant and offer a compelling difference in the workplace compared to AI?

How do we communicate, connect and create in this new world?

I was part of a panel recently, sharing and listening to the latest perspectives on the human difference in AI and what skills are essential for our future careers.

In today’s episode I share my own perspective on why communication and cultural intelligence skills will keep us relevant and why.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Change is not tomorrow, it’s now
• What humans can uniquely offer
• How we will build and demonstrate trust
• What are the human skills that will keep us relevant
• Why the difference is in our communication skills
• The role of culture in emotional intelligence

Resources:

• Explore our Communication and CQ cultural intelligence programmes for teams: https://culturecuppa.com/leaders-and-managers
• Listen to episode 25 on listening:  https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/listening-a-radical-decision
• Listen to episode 22 on non-verbal behaviour: https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/making-your-non-verbal-communication-work
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com

There tends to be a universal view of leadership, and that a good leader has a pre-defined set of skills and characteristics.

However, the way people want to be led as a team may vary from culture to culture.

What has worked for you as a leader in the past may not transfer across, and there may be issues when you relocate or start a new role heading up a diverse team based in different countries.

In today’s podcast episode we explore different approaches to leadership, and how cultural values impact a team’s view of good leadership, and the CQ cultural intelligence strategies you can use to be more effective.

What you will learn in this episode:

• The different styles of leadership
• Cultural values which impact expectations of leadership
• Your CQ Cultural Intelligence approach to leadership
• Strategies to adapt your leadership style

Resources:

• Explore our CQ cultural intelligence assessments and training for leaders: https://culturecuppa.com/leaders-and-managers
• Episode 026: Cultural Values, not Stereotypes: https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/cultural-values-not-stereotypes
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com

How do you feel about being interrupted when you’re speaking?

When do you feel it is appropriate to interrupt others?

Apparently we only wait 17 seconds on average in a conversation before interrupting. And yet you may feel frustrated, when you are interrupted yourself.

In this episode we explore if it is appropriate to interrupt others, and strategies to manage being interrupted when we are speaking in meetings. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why people interrupt
• Is it ever OK to interrupt others?
• Your CQ cultural intelligence and understanding others’ interruptions
• How to interrupt appropriately
• Strategies to stop others from interrupting you

Resources:

• Discover more about our individual coaching programme, 9 steps to communication confidence: https://culturecuppa.com/individuals
• Explore our CQ cultural intelligence assessments and team training: https://culturecuppa.com/leaders-and-managers
• Listen to episode 22: Making your non-verbal communication work:  https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/making-your-non-verbal-communication-work
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com

What happens when you disagree with others?

Sometimes we feel we have to prove that we and our ideas are right and the other person is wrong. 

You might keep putting forward new arguments to support your idea and to gain support.   And yet what happens? You keep meeting resistance and counter-arguments back! 

Like magnets we might end up constantly repelling each other, finding no way through, digging deeper into our ‘them’ and ‘us’ camps. 

Sound familiar?

We don’t always have to agree with each other, and yet we should attempt to see the person in front of us and understand where they are coming from. 

When we do, then we understand better their views, their drivers and motivations, and it might lead to a way through, even if we still disagree. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• Disagreeing starts with good listening
• Don’t assume you know or understand
• How empathy helps us disagree 
• The difference CQ (cultural intelligence) can make
• Clarify to check we have heard their views
• Finding a common objective 
• Start small to move forward

Resources:

• Discover more about our individual coaching programme, 9 steps to communication confidence: https://culturecuppa.com/individuals
• Explore our CQ cultural intelligence assessments and team training: https://culturecuppa.com/leaders-and-managers
• Listen to episode 25: Listening- a radical decision: https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/we-dont-have-to-agree 
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com

Standing up and sharing our voice is a key part of being heard, whether you run your own business or work in a company, and yet this is a major fear many people experience. I sometimes describe this fear as communication stress, which causes anxiety and can stop us from putting ourselves forward and showing our full potential.

Most of us want to move through this and find a way to get more comfortable with being uncomfortable so we can speak up. Here I share my learnings of what can help us. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• Discover why confidence for public speaking is like a bowl of spaghetti, not an on/off switch.
• Before you start: How to plan to keep it simple with your plan
• The importance of your energy 
• Your non-verbal communication
• Communication agility, not perfectionism
• What to do when you get stuck when talking

Resources:

• Discover more about our individual coaching programme, 9 steps to communication confidence: https://culturecuppa.com/individuals
• Listen to episode 11: https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/simple-clear-communication
• Listen to episode 22: https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/making-your-non-verbal-communication-work
• Watch the Amy Cuddy TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are/no-comments
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com

Are you aware of the amount of business jargon and buzzwords that you and your team use? 

Are they helpful to your communication?  Do they add value to what you are saying?

Jargon in theory is a shortcut, a way to explain what you mean, often using a metaphor or image, to help illustrate the point. 

But the question is why did we start using them and do they make us sound more professional in our communication?

My view is that jargon can be confusing, exclude team members, especially in multicultural and multilingual teams, and does not add clarity to our communication. 

So what should we use as an alternative? 

What you will learn in this episode:

• The problem with jargon and buzzwords
• How jargon can create challenges to creating a culturally inclusive team
• The 10 worst example of jargon and buzzwords
• What these phrases actually mean
• What to say instead of jargon
• Strategies to encourage your team to stop using jargon in their communication 

Resources:

• Discover more about our individual coaching programme, 9 steps to communication confidence: https://culturecuppa.com/individuals
• Listen to episode 20: https://youtu.be/YN9kDOKb2B0
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com

20th March is the UN International Day of Happiness. The call for the day is that we can create a happier and kinder world together by adopting a simple, daily practice:

• Be mindful
• Be grateful
• Be kind

In our world today, we definitely need this more than ever. It also got me thinking how this relates to my business, as it happens to be my 8th business birthday this week. 

In these episodes I usually share my strategies, tips, skills and ideas for you and your team to improve their communication skills and cultural intelligence capabilities. 

This episode is going to be different today, and I’ll share 8 things I am grateful for, a more personal insight into my world, how I work and live.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Culture Cuppa’s 8th business birthday
• 8 things I am grateful for in my business and personal life
• What’s important to me
• Who and what I value
• How I work
• How I live my life
• How I think about life
• What I am grateful for, now and in the future

Resources:

• Share with me what you are grateful for, who and what you value: https://culturecuppa.com/contact
• Special offer: book a 1-hour intensive coaching session with me, for £188 instead of £350. Choose any communication or CQ topic: https://bit.ly/8th-offer
• Lynne Stainthorpe (Strategic Marketing and Brand Consultant) at Big Idea Brand Marketing: www.big-idea.biz
• Karen Black (Website Consultant) at Hubfizz: www.hubfizz.uk
• Sarah Szekir-Papasavva (Virtual Assistant) at Apt Virtual Assistance: www.aptva.com
• Morena Fiore (SEO Specialist) at Morena Fiore Digital: www.morenafiore.com
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com

“Knowledge about other cultures will make the difference. I only need to know what people from the {fill in the culture} do in this situation. For example, how they start meetings, do small talk, make presentations, negotiate and give feedback.”

Awareness about other cultures is powerful to help us in culturally diverse situations, and yet we are all also individuals, shaped by our personal contexts. So how do we balance this? 

How do we increase cultural awareness without stereotyping and recognise how individuals prefer to communicate and interact with us, when they may have a multitude of cultural influences?

In today’s episode we explore what we mean by cultural values, and how to use them as part of a culturally intelligent approach to working with others across borders and in culturally diverse teams. 

We will look at some examples of cultural values and how to use them as a starting point to apply our cultural intelligence to make strategies and turn these into actions that make a difference. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• What do we mean by culture
• How cultural values can help us in culturally diverse contexts
• Examples of cultural values in action
• Cooperative - competitive - how to achieve results
• Low Context - high context communication style
• Monochronic - polychronic focus- how like to work with priorities 
• Cultural values as a starting point and how to apply them for a more culturally intelligent approach

Resources:

• Explore our Cross Cultural success team training workshops to support your team to work more effectively with each other: https://culturecuppa.com/leaders-and-managers
• Listen to episode 16: 5 big ideas for 2023 in communication & CQ: https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/5-big-ideas-for-2023-in-communication-and-cq
• Listen to episode 5: The CQ Cultural Intelligence positive impact: https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/the-cq-cultural-intelligence-positive-impact
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com

Listening is a radical decision. 

Did you learn how to listen at school? We forget sometimes that hearing is one of our senses, and listening is a skill. We might have been told to ‘be quiet and listen’, however not actually taught how. 

In our busy world, focused on delivering at speed and with efficiency by multitasking, we are judged by what we say. So to listen properly requires a radical decision to do something different. 

Even if we think our role is to be a good speaker, true communication happens when there is listening and speaking. 

Listening is a skill, which requires time, patience and an ability to tune our ears. To be told you are a good listener is a great compliment.

So how do we listen better? What makes the difference? 

What you will learn in this episode:

• What is Hearing, what is listening - the radical decision to listen
• Create the pause to listen 
• Start with your intent
• Suspend judgment & assumptions
• What is intelligent listening 
• When they pause 
• Check understanding 
• What conversation do they want to have

Resources:

• Discover more about our individual coaching programme, '9 steps to communication confidence': https://culturecuppa.com/individuals
• Listen to Episode 22, 'Making your non-verbal communication work': https://www.culturecuppa.com/podcasts/making-your-non-verbal-communication-work
• Sign up to receive future episodes of the podcast as soon as they are released: https://culturecuppa.com/get-free-insights
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Email me: [email protected]
• Website: https://culturecuppa.com