About Michelle Mielly, founder!
As an American, I was born with an assortment of micro-cultures and allegiances. Moving to and living in other parts of the United States, particularly the East Coast, taught me a thing or two about culture shock within one’s own country,
and prepared me for adaptation to life abroad. Travels in Southeast Asia, Central America, and Africa opened my eyes to vast, appalling inequities and to other versions of history and culture that exist beyond books or the mainstream press.
My work in international organizational settings
My work in various international organizational settings (US, France, Costa Rica, and Ivory Coast, West Africa), has presented me with some very challenging, ultimately enriching experiences. Each time one arrives in a new place and has to learn a new language, adapt to different cultural norms, and accept feeling absurd, there comes that moment when you simply roll up your sleeves and start acculturating, working through what could be called ‘Intercultural Boot Camp’.
Interest in other cultures
A deep and prolonged interest in other cultures has been the motor behind my studies and research, which has taught me to push further, to ask inconvenient questions, and to reject simplistic solutions whenever
faced with a cultural enigma. I’ve also realized that everything we perceive is conditioned by our cultural spectacles, which most of us are incapable of removing!
My job
My job as an Intercultural Management trainer is to spark and foster a spirit of curiosity and open-mindedness, first and foremost. By doing so, we can move towards removing those cultural spectacles (or cultural filters) which we wear unconsciously and which create obstacles to cooperation. This in turn helps my seminar trainees gain a glimpse of what ‘the other’ sees and feels, and to then bring into question their own implicit cultural assumptions and biases. Coaching people through this process can be tough, but is highly rewarding. The ultimate goal I strive for in my work is to bring people, regardless of their differences, closer to an ideal: that of empathy.
Read about my academic qualifications and areas of expertise