Teaching Coaching in Intercultural Settings: Decentering Dominant US Cultural NormsEmily Clawson

In this session, participants will 1) explore ways to name and decenter dominant US cultural norms when facilitating coaching programs in intercultural settings, 2) reflect upon the role of intercultural competence and power dynamics in their own coaching relationships and in their coaching education practice, and 3) practice ways that coaching skills can enhance the ability to work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations with diverse cultural ways of being.

After an interactive introduction to the concept of intercultural competence and the “self-other-bridge” model, participants will have the opportunity to self-reflect upon their own cultural ways of being in relation to a handful of key cultural dimensions including communication style and notions of self and power.

The presenter will share case studies and strategies for how a coach educator might take their participants’ cultural identities into account and design a coach education program that is inclusive of participants while also equipping participants to practice intercultural competence in their own coaching practices.


Emily works as an adult educator in the fields of intercultural competency and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She facilitates introductory coaching skills workshops with an “ICD&I” lens (Intercultural Competence, Diversity & Inclusion) for teams of staff around the world. Emily has her M.Div. from Harvard University; B.A. in Theology & Religious Studies and Communication Studies from University of San Diego; Multiple Subjects teaching credential from UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Sciences. Emily has several years of experience creating and facilitating transformative educational programming.