Melissa Hahn - There are no wasted experiences.

10 Lessons Learned

About Melissa Hahn

Melissa Hahn is an intercultural professional who helps people collaborate, adapt and thrive across cultures. She earned a master's degree in intercultural relations from the University of the Pacific in California, has lived abroad in Poland, and has an extensive professional background that spans international relations, teaching English to speakers of other languages, and global mobility/corporate relocation.

She works independently as a trainer, coach and consultant; teaches intercultural communication at American University; and is on the leadership team of the Global Dexterity Certification.

She believes that intercultural skills are for everyone, because we all come from cultures and need to figure out how to live, work, and connect with people who have different backgrounds and life experiences from us. Through her children's book "Luminarias Light the Way" and her upcoming book "Forging Bonds in a Global Workforce" (McGraw Hill), she aims to show how practical, do-able, and even fun this process can be for people of all ages.

Episode notes

Lesson 1: Cultural competence isn't memorizing details about another culture. It's building relationships with individuals from those cultures. 09:21
Lesson 2: You're not getting a cultural report card. 11:38
Lesson 3: Don't judge cultural experiences by whether you like them. Judge them by whether they make you grow. 16:11
Lesson 4: There are no wasted experiences. 20:42
Lesson 5: Think about the messages you are sending, and whether they facilitate trust. 25:08
Lesson 6: Let yourself be ambivalent. 28:06
Lesson 7: Let your light shine - and help others shine their light, too. 32:01
Lesson 8: Prioritize taking care of yourself. 35:16
Lesson 9: When networking, think about making connections with people, not just obtaining business cards or sharing digital details. 39:05
Lesson 10: It is truly a small world, so guard your reputation and close doors gently, rather than burning bridges. 42:28