Christa Uehlinger
Talk-Titel
The gift of foreignness
Über den Talk
If we collaborate with people who are culturally different (e.g. by nationality, by gender or by generation), we tend to see it as a problem. Often we groan inwardly and react with thoughts like "No, that’s not the way to do it.” Or “Crap, this is never going to work. We’re gonna be here all day (sigh).”
Have you ever had similar thoughts? Ever thought about why? In the moment when these differences collide, we are confronted with foreignness. Our comfort zone is challenged. The way we normally do things no longer seems to work. However, if we look more closely, we discover a huge opportunity, a gift worth accepting. We just have to open it up 😉. Sharing everyday examples, together we will unwrap the beauty of the gift of foreignness.
Biografie
“The world is my classroom”. Dr. Christa Uehlinger has a doctorate in law from the university of Zurich. Dr. Uehlinger’s penchant for lateral thinking and her fascination for different people and cultures led her into intercultural communication studies. Professionally, Dr. Uehlinger works in a global environment, experiencing cultural differences were ignored and sometimes blocked cooperation. Where others experienced only frustration, Dr. Uehlinger embraced possibilities. However, after 10 years working in management positions with international business management, she realized she need to more deeply explore the world of intercultural communication, leading her to study with some of the foremost experts in the intercultural field in the US.
Today, she is the owner of christa uehlinger linking people, supporting people and organisations to discover the gift of foreignness through coaching and training. Dr. Uehlinger is also a lecturer in intercultural communication at OST and HWZ, and is an author and columnist for "Schau genau ..." on NZZJobs. In 2019, Dr. Uehlinger received the Rooney Scholarship from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh/USA. Her curiosity to discover other cultures led her to the USA, Canada, Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe, both professionally and personally.