Approach

Step 1

We begin the training process by learning more about your background, current situation, and future goals. This vital information helps us to design a unique training or coaching program that addresses your specific needs.

Step 2

We regularly meet with you, either in person or online, based on a schedule that will produce consistent progress. Using materials we’ve developed specifically for our clients, we work through key topics to strengthen your skills and expertise in the long-term.

Step 3

As you progress through the training, we discuss the improvements you’ve seen, the areas that still need to be addressed, and the timeframe to achieve your desired outcome. Once you’ve gained the skills critical for your success, we complete the training.

organizational case study

How do you ready an entire organization to go global?

With rapid changes facing the IT industry, the ambitious CEO of a growing IT company knew that the future of the organization was at stake if the status quo prevailed. Yet, from his employees’ perspective, the company was doing well and regular customers were satisfied.

Worried the upcoming industry changes could threaten the future of his organization, he partnered with MCML to fundamentally change his company from the inside out. Based on the premise that modeling change is more effective than talking about it, we began an intensive training program targeted at his future goal of becoming a global player in the IT world.

After completing his individual coaching, he realized the importance of “code switching” his message. These new skills allowed him to approach his US and EU investors with a message that took into account their language and culture, even if he wasn’t fluent in their language. This critical shift in mindset led to a revolutionary new approach to doing business.

Building on the CEO’s success, we set out to train his high-potential employees so they would also have the expertise needed to actively participate in this organizational change. The project scope expanded over time to include leading a diverse workforce, managing diverse teams, career advancement for female employees, and navigating new environments for international staff.

By focusing on both the mindset shift necessary to think and act differently, and the additional skills needed to tackle completely new challenges, key members in the organization were ready to lead their teams through this make-or-break transition.

 

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The training gave me the opportunity to look back at my past and really think about my future. Having to really focus wasn’t easy, but the knowledge and perspective I gained has stayed with me over the past 8 years.

Individual case study

How do you not just survive, but thrive, when you only have one year in a new country?

As the first person in her company to take a sabbatical, a manager in one of Japan’s largest companies was anxious about attending graduate school in the US, especially because this was the first time she had ever lived or studied in another country.  

Unsurprisingly, in her first few weeks, major culture shock hit. She felt like she was always playing catch up — never really understanding what her professors and fellow students were saying in class, and not being able to contribute to the discussion. Visibly frustrated and exhausted, she felt like the one year she had in the US was slipping away from her.  

After reaching out to MCML for support, we began coaching sessions by troubleshooting her most pressing issues. We mapped out effective strategies to help her read more quickly, techniques to enable her to make her point known in small group discussions, and tools to handle conflicts and disagreements.

By meeting in person on a weekly basis, we were able to target both the daily challenges she encountered in her fast-paced MBA program, and the underlying cultural and language differences that were causing misunderstandings and miscommunication between members of her study group.

She put her heart and soul into her work, and just six months later was chosen to represent the entire student body during the end of year awards banquet. As we worked on her speech, both of us were filled with emotion thinking about how much she had overcome in such a short period. That moment was a turning point for her, and now as the future manager of her organization’s Washington D.C. office, she will have the expertise and the knowledge to succeed in this new adventure. 

 

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I was able to see language as a communication tool, and with that understanding, realize how language and culture can influence people’s thinking patterns. I was better able to think logically and clearly in my first language, and then convey my point in my second with confidence.

Family case study

How can educators support their international students from different educational backgrounds?

With great schools, caring educators, and high test scores, a small town west of Boston had seen an influx of international students, most prominently from Asia. The student’s parents had heard of the town’s reputation, and were keen to live somewhere that put such a high priority on education.

However, with the increasing classroom size, teachers were observing that these new students were struggling with certain types of projects and assignments. While the educators wanted to better support their students, they needed additional tools and knowledge to do so.

After engaging with MCML, we were able to develop an intensive training program to provide a comparative perspective on educational systems in the US and East Asia. By demonstrating how educational environments shape how students learn and then how adults think, the reasons behind their behaviors to certain assignments made sense.

Equipped with this knowledge, educators were then able to scaffold assignments for students to bridge the thinking and learning gaps they had been observing. We also discussed how to explain these different approaches to learning and studying with the families who were less familiar with this system. Based on the strategies we devised, educators were better able to respond to the concerns of parents and support their students.

 

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This course enabled me to better understand my students and their families — what is important to them how they perceive school and the educational system, how they have been taught to process information, what they expect from schools, etc. — all things that will help me to be a more effective teacher.