EDGAR SCHEIN @ SVOBD

Exploring Culture through Humble Inquiry was the topic of tonight's talk given by Edgar Schein, Professor Emeritus at MIT Sloan School of Management. The event was organized by the South Bay Organization Development Network (SBODN), an informal forum focused on making a difference in how organizations and the people in them survive and thrive. 

It is the wisdom of the seniors that adds to the delight to Prof. Schein's lifetime consulting experience. Hearing him talking about the importance of tuning in to a client's organizational culture reminded me of Salvador Minuchin, who stressed the importance of genuinely meeting the client where he is at. Indeed, a consultant is relevant only if he or she is able to simultaneously work FOR but also WITH the client. Similarly, when working in multicultural teams is very important to genuinely connect with each person, and that, I would add, is impossible without Cultural Intelligence.  

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