My Red Couch Talk with Dr. George F. Simons
Dr. George F. Simons is a consultant and trainer in diversity, intercultural communication, and negotiation. He holds a master’s degree from Notre Dame University and a psychology doctorate from Claremont Graduate School. He designed and conducted leadership coaching for managers at BNP Paribas Bank and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and delivered extensive intercultural negotiation training for numerous corporations, humanitarian NGOs, and the Asian Development Bank.
He is the creator and Editor of the diversophy® series of intercultural learning tools and has developed online and customized versions of over 140 of these training games. Dr. Simons has authored and collaborated in such books as diversophy®-Gamification and Storytelling: Connecting our Stories for a More Human Future, Seven Ways, Putting Diversity to Work, EuroDiversity, Global Competence, Working Together (multimedia version for the Canadian Department of National Defence), Men & Women, Partners at Work, Transcultural Leadership, Questions of Diversity and the Cultural Diversity Fieldbook and Sourcebook, Not my Type, a UK video diversity training program.
Born in the USA, he has lived in Germany, the Netherlands, and currently in France, and has worked in over 55 countries. He has served on the governing boards of SIETAR France and Europa where he is currently interim President and manages its LinkedIn group.
🛋️ My Red Couch Talk with Dr. George F. Simons
Dr. George F. Simons is the creator of the diversophy® series and a legendary interculturalist who has worked in over 55 countries. From his childhood in a multi-ethnic Cleveland neighborhood to his decades of leadership within SIETAR Europa, George has dedicated his life to the “games” people play to understand—or misunderstand—one another.
In our talk, we bridge 140 years of family history with the digital future of diversity training. George shares why storytelling is the ultimate intercultural tool and why he’s currently focused on “decolonizing” international development.
- The 140-Year Pipe: A look at the heirlooms that ground George in history and the childhood curiosity that led him to 55 countries.
- Culture as Conversation: Why culture isn’t a fixed entity, but a series of ongoing discussions about survival.
- diversophy®: The story behind 150+ diversity games and his new mission to digitize these tools for a global audience.
- Social Justice & History: Insights from his work at Oberlin and his time with the Asian Development Bank.
- The Crisis of Young Men: A candid discussion on the educational and mental health disparities facing young men today.
- Haiku Wisdom: Why a daily practice of 17 syllables on LinkedIn is George’s favorite way to stay connected.
🎥 Watch the full talk here:
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