Profile

Wiebke Homborg Sofa

Wiebke Homborg

About me:

In total, I have spent 22 years living abroad (outside of Germany) and I have felt at home in six different countries. I grew up in Belgium, the US and Spain and it was only when I was 18 that I came to stay in Germany for any length of time. After my professional training as an executive PA and after spending the first years of my professional life in Hamburg, I was drawn to foreign climes again. Among other things, I worked in Chile for a German bank and for an automotive supplier in Mexico. I have been back in Germany now with my family for over twelve years, but still have strong ties to Latin America.

What drives me:

I consider myself a “cultural chameleon” as I have spend 22 years of my life living outside Germany, my passport country. This experience has been wonderfully enriching: horizons become broader, you encounter highly interesting people, are confronted with unusual situations, you get to know yourself better and you extend the boundaries of your comfort zone. I hope to encourage participants to immerse themselves in this special journey and make the assignment one of the best experiences they have had in their lives – both professionally and personally!

My approach:

Standardized “do’s and don’ts” are not really in keeping with the times. Experience has shown, that these are often misleading. Stereotypes help gain initial orientation, but need to be brought into context depending on the situation. It is rather about developing a sense of one’s own and the others’ thinking and the ability to change perspective. My training programs are scientifically sound and divided into compact modules. Targeted exercises, memorable role play and simulation, and graphic case studies help captivate interest and provide variety. Strong practical relevance is a high priority, whereby I not only focus on the respective culture, but also on the field of activity of the participants, the industry of the company and the personal circumstances. The training is rounded off with enough space for mutual exchange of experiences.

Qualifications:

My 18 years of professional experience as an executive PA and product manager in retail, banking, automotive and tourism have made it possible for me to make sure training programs are practical and meet the needs of my target groups. I attribute my professional success in Chile and Mexico to the fact that I could speak Spanish proficiently and learned to combine my own cultural background with that of my new homes.
 
In 2016, I gained my qualification as a certified Cross-Cultural Trainer at IKUD® Seminare in Göttingen, Germany, followed by a Train-the-Trainer Seminar. In 2020, I graduated as “Intercultural Coach” from the institute interculture.de e.V. in cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. interculture.de e.V. is a recognized teaching institute of the European Coaching Association (ECA).

Trainingsmethoden:

Nach einem ausführlichen Vorgespräch wird das Training auf den individuellen Bedarf des Unternehmens und der Teilnehmer zugeschnitten. Die Inhalte sind fachlich fundiert, mit zahlreichen Fallbeispielen aus der Praxis angereichert und werden mit Hilfe abwechslungsreicher, interaktiver Methoden vermittelt, sowohl in Präsenz als im virtuellen Raum.

  • Theoretischer Input / Kurzvorträge
  • Fallstudien
  • Übungen
  • Gruppenarbeit
  • Simulationen
  • Videos
  • Erfahrungsaustausch & Diskussion
  • Nutzung digitaler Tools

My approach to coaching

An important part of being a coach is defining your work ethic and approach to coaching. When I am in the coach role, I take off my “trainer hat”, because now the focus is not on knowledge transfer and the improvement of certain skills. In the center of coaching is the client with his/her unique personality, potential and resources.

I see myself as a sparring partner who offers a safe space for the personal development of my clients. We explore possible problem areas and their causes. Without prescribing solutions, I actively shape the coaching process through question techniques and interventions derived from systemic coaching. I am transparent at all times and explain all steps we take together. I listen actively and empathetically, mirror feelings, summarize, structure and visualize. The client is accompanied in the process of self-reflection and thereby gains the desired clarity and self-awareness.

We will not get stuck in discussing problems for long. Instead, we look ahead and explore possible solutions, the available resources, and the next concrete steps. This “help for self-help” opens up new perspectives that enable the client to expand his or her scope of action effectively and successfully.

With the special sensitivity of a “cultural chameleon”, I have an eye on which cultural factors need to be considered. If needed, training components such as knowledge transfer about culture-related behavioral patterns are integrated into the coaching process to a small extent. Furthermore, I keep in mind that the expectations of the coachee towards coaching can vary greatly depending on their cultural imprint and adapt my approach accordingly.

Before we start, I offer a free discovery session in which both sides can get to know each other and find out whether I am the right coach for the clients coaching issue. We explore our “chemistry” and decide whether we can imagine working together. The coaching process itself consists of several individual sessions of 60 – 120 minutes each and is a result and solution-oriented process. We formulate a concrete, realistic and measurable goal that the client wants to achieve at the end of the coaching. The process ends when the goal is reached or the client wants to end the coaching. This can be after three, six or x sessions, this is completely up to the client.

Wiebke Sessel
In den Medien Auslandsaufenthalte und Expats, Kultur

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