Since 2008, Patti McCarthy has been helping individuals and businesses navigate the challenges of cultural differences, enabling them to see the bigger picture. As the founder of Cultural Chemistry, Patti draws inspiration from her curiosity about human interactions—why some connections form effortlessly while others clash or even combust. Patti focuses on uncovering cultural blind spots that often lead to poor employee and customer engagement, missed sales opportunities, and strained professional relationships. These blind spots can hinder recognizing people’s potential, building rapport, establishing trust, and maintaining a positive working environment. Her expertise is particularly critical in management, global teams, sales, HR, and mergers & acquisitions. With her tailored programs, Patti empowers international businesspeople and expatriates to overcome cultural naivety, which can […]

Steven Howard is the award-winning author of 22 leadership, business, and professional development books. His latest is Humony Leadership: Mindsets, Skills, and Behaviors for Being a Successful People-Centric Leader. The Nonfiction Authors Association awarded the book a Gold Medal and called It “a  significant work with an important mission.”   Humony is a word created by Steven comprising Human, Humanity,  and Harmony to emphasize the leading of people and the need for leaders to create workplaces of wellbeing and harmony.   Steven was named one of the 2023 Top 200 Global Biggest Voices in Leadership for his thought-provoking, cutting-edge thinking on leadership. He was also named to the 2023 CREA List of Top Influential Leaders for his thought leadership and writing. He is […]

Unlike traditional teams, global teams don’t meet at the same location daily. Globalization and the pandemic have accelerated this trend, a common phenomenon in large organizations and small businesses. Most workers temporarily work from home at least one day per week, and this trend is not about to fade. Some companies even allow you to work from anywhere up to 60 days per calendar year. (This is not so easy from a compliance perspective, so please check your HR policies before doing it. ) While some of us always worked in Global Virtual Teams (GVT) or global teams, we still meet leaders who prefer to have their team sit in the exact physical location with them. Learning to lead global […]

We summarize exercises team leaders can use in global virtual teams to build and increase psychological safety.

When your colleague Paul tells you he has get home at 6 pm to see his children he throws in that your boss asked for a report she needs to have on her desk at 7 AM tomorrow. You cringe and call your partner to tell him you will need another 30 minutes to finalize the report. Your stomach feels hot and red. You are angry. Your colleague manages to get away. Why does he not have a deliverable here? Why is this team effort on your shoulders now? You think you could test if the boss was serious about 7 AM but you know you won’t get away with it. Another messed up night. Your partner will be angry too now. You strip out […]