Contributions - Monika Chutnik

This way, you stay in touch with your team!

This way, you stay in touch with your team - guest speaker in podcast on Part Time Management hosted by Johanna Fink. Hints on human centered leadership in virtual and intercultural settings, building belonging, and caring for people inclusion. A little comment on Polish-German collaboration, too! (German)

Harvard Business Review Polska #158

Harvard Business Review Polska #158. Expert comment to Erin Meyer's article on collaborating across cultures "When cultural differences create barriers" (Polish)

Building Cultural Competence.

Building Cultural Competence. Innovative Activities and Models. Foreword by Fons Trompenaars - chapter in a book edited by Kate Berardo and Darla K. Deardorff, sharing a self-designed training activity for building leadership skills in an intercultural setting. (English)

Global teams, local resistance – how to effectively lead change in an international environment?

At the invitation of Silfra, I added a cross-cultural perspective to the ProSci change management methodology. Change is a daily occurrence in organizations – and it always brings emotions, uncertainty, and… resistance. When we talk about organizations operating globally, additional challenges arise: cultural differences, complex structures, and virtual collaboration. In this webinar, we combined two perspectives – those of ETTA Go Global, a company specializing in leadership development and effective cross-cultural collaboration, and Prosci, a global leader in change management. We showed how to practically combine resistance tools with an understanding of the cultural context of change. During this webinar, participants learned about real-world case studies from ETTA Go Global projects: adapting to change in a Polish factory belonging to an Italian automotive group, and transformation at a Japanese technology company. They learned about typical reactions to change within teams and how to respond. They discovered how intercultural competence and approaches like nemawashi help leaders be more effective. They received a leadership toolkit: 10 methods for dealing with resistance to change. They saw how the ProSci methodology can support change planning and implementation, even in a complex global environment.

"Why didn't anyone tell me about this before?!" was one of the spontaneous reactions during the recording. Yes, I fully agree that intercultural competence and intercultural management need to become a regular standard so that leaders can truly achieve international success, not by accident, but with competence. (Polish)

When Culture Impacts Results – Intercultural Competence as a Catalyst for Polish Business Growth

Webinar for members of SIETAR Polska, Society for Intercultural Education, Training, and Research. We have explored the practical value of intercultural competence for Polish leaders and organizations – improving team performance, enhancing communication, and contributing to the success of international collaborations.

Highlights:
🔹 A case of Polish leadership style clashing with headquarters’ expectations in a multinational corporation – and how power distance influences speaking up, decision-making, and execution.
🔹 Challenges faced during a global transformation in a Japanese-owned company – what happens when different change management approaches collide.
🔹 How to lose (or win) projects in the global arena – based on a case from the tech industry.

Participants have
✅ Explored real-world intercultural challenges from a business perspective,
✅ Reflected on the role of intercultural competence in leadership and organizational change,
✅ Learned how to effectively support Polish leaders in global work environments. (Polish)

Incompetent.. or a different culture?

Recently, I had a great pleasure of being a guest on LinkedIn Live in the "Humanely Competent" series, hosted by Michasia Wesołowska and Karolina Sokołowska from Feed me forward. A short, energetic session, full of insightful questions, mindfulness, and conversations... precisely about what truly makes a difference in international collaboration.
We talked about intercultural competence and intercultural management—in a very practical way.
Because although we theoretically know that 👉 "don't assume that others function the same way you do"... it is precisely this assumption that most often sabotages communication, relationships, and team effectiveness—especially in international and virtual teams.
During the meeting, I shared stories from my work at ETTA. Go Global, from projects, teams, and situations where cultural differences were a challenge—but also a valuable resource if we know how to use them.
💡 We discussed how intercultural competence is not only knowledge about countries, but also, among other things, about how to manage them. ✨ awareness of differences, ✨ the ability to observe nuances, ✨ willingness to adapt and work on oneself, ✨ coping with uncertainty.

I was deeply moved by the participants' comments after the live broadcast, including:
💬 "Wonderful conversation! Intercultural competence is incredibly important."
💬 "Great topic and format!"
💬 "Great to listen to!"
💬 "Very valuable conclusions, well done 👏"
💬 "It's important to emphasize that attitude can block the use of knowledge and experience." (Polish)

How to manage virtual teams?

How to manage virtual teams? - guest expert in Manager Plus ("Menedżer Plus") a top podcast dedicated to agile management, hosted by Mariusz Chrapko. Hint and tips on topic like how to manage people remotely, whether managing virtual teams is different than teams working face to face, or what challenges leaders of such teams face. (Polish)

From Tradition to Modernity: How Have Polish Managers Changed?

At the invitation of Monika Marciniak, Co-Founder of Talent Bridge, and host of the Talented in Business podcast, I talk about the evolution of Polish managers in the dynamically changing business world. On top of many real-life cases of from my and my company's experience, you will find here a commentary on unique qualities of Polish leaders, to what degree they are open to development and able to adapt to new challenges. I talk about what distinguishes Polish from international leaders and what attitudes indicate a conscious and mature approach to leadership.
The discussion also touches on ways in which leaders who resist change can be helped to open up to new perspectives. Monika Marciniak's final question is “What shall we wish to Polish managers?”, and my answer - Live in harmony with themselves, avoid routine acting and thinking, and remain authentic in your management style. I hope you'll enjoy this conversation, full of reflections and practical tips for all who want to be better leaders in today's world. (Polish)

How to break the silence in a virtual team? 4 ways to build commitment

In a webinar hosted by ClickMeeting, I talk about psychological safety in a virtual team.

Watching the recording (Polish), you can learn:
- How to get your virtual team to speak up during meetings,
- How to ensure a lively exchange of ideas,
- How to stimulate your colleagues' creativity during online meetings,
- How to build a sense of community in remote collaboration,
- How to understand what your people need the most from you as a leader.

How to prepare managers for international challenges?

How to prepare managers for international challenges? - article and interview in Personel Plus, a leading HR magazine in Poland (Polish)

How to build your resilience as a leader?

How to build and keep your resilience as a leader? - guest expert in The Charismatic Podcast (Podcast Charyzmatyczny). What does mental toughness of a leader comprise of? How much resilience do leaders need? How to work on your mental toughness? (Polish)

What should you know about working together in international teams?

What should you know about working together in international teams? - guest speaker in podcast Reach Out for More! ("Sięgaj po więcej") by Malwina Faliszewska (Polish)

How to shape your intercultural competence online. Best practices.

Ensuring good flow of communication in multicultural teams is a challenging task. In a webinar hosted by ClickMeeting, I present key concepts on developing cross-cultural competence.

Watching the recording (Polish), you can learn:
- Why intercultural competence is important in business,
- What is intercultural competence,
- How to competently collaborate internationally in a virtual environment,
- What aspects of intercultural competence are particularly important in the online world,
- Examples and best practices that you can use in your organization.

Career development in international setting

Recruitment and development in international setting - guest expert in a podcast dedicated to recruitment and career management Career Scenarios (Scenariusze Kariery). We discuss how to learn working in an international environment, how to prepare for a job interview for an international company, and how to develop own intercultural competence. (Polish)

How to build trust in online collaboration? Plus, across cultures!

Trust is the foundation of successful collaboration. It plays an even greater role in remote teams, especially if their members come from various cultures. In this webinar hosted by ClickMeeting (Polish), I talk about:
- What happens when there is a lack of trust in virtual collaboration,
- What trust actually is,
- How our brain chooses who to trust (and who not to trust),
- What building trust in an international team means in practice,
- How trust is built by Polish people and what we can expect in other cultures,
- How to create trust in the leader-team connection, and how we build trust with a leader or colleague from another culture.

Assertiveness - in international cooperation, in virtual teams

A conversation with Anna Zdzieszynska about what being assertive means and how it is perceived in various cultures and in virtual cooperation. I name examples from countries such as the US, Germany, Czech Republic, Nordic countries, Mexico, as well as from Asia - Korea, Japan, and India. We discuss to what extent and how assertiveness supports working at a distance, in virtual, diverse teams. I am pleased to have the opportunity to share my experience of working with international clients in the excellent podcast “Assertiveness over coffee.” (Polish)

Cultural differences in business. How to win trust of foreign business partners

Guest expert in Small Big Business (Mała Wielka Firma), the most popular business podcast in Poland, hosted by Marek Jankowski. We discuss topics like How to make first business contacts in a foreign country? How to reach the decision-makers? What can I do to be perceived as a reliable business partner? (Polish)

What competencies does multicultural onboarding require?

What competencies does multicultural onboarding require? - expert comment on intercultural competence for those who make the onbording happen, for the team welcoming a new international colleague, and for the newhire themselves, in an eBook on multicultural onboarding, including employees from Ukraine and people from other countries who join companies thanks to the remote collaboration mode - Gamfi Onbaording (Polish)

Cultural differences. How to attract and properly welcome colleagues from Ukraine?

Cultural differences. How to attract and properly welcome colleagues from Ukraine? - a guest expert interview in the biggest Polish job portal pracuj.pl (Polish)

Mentor Talk - Poles and Ukrainians in mixed teams

Mentor Talk - Poles and Ukrainians in mixed teams. How to manage cultural diversity? - guest speaker in a mentoring series, HR Power Mentor (Polish)

Polish people are open to working in a diverse and multicultural team

Poles are open to working in a diverse and multicultural team - expert comment in Sodexo report on compensation & benefits (Polish)

From COVID into the virtual world. Lessons learned

From COVID into the virtual world. Lessons learned - a guest speaker webinar for SIETAR Italia, Society for Intercultural Education, Training, and Research. In duo with Katarzyna Romanowicz. (English)

Power Distance Across Cultures

Power Distance Across Cultures - an expert article for Ukraina Foundation, promoting intercultural understanding and collaboration (Polish)

International Teams. Smart Management

International Teams. Smart Management - an article with tips and hints on hiring international staff, for Personel Plus, a leading HR magazine in Poland (Polish)

Refugees from the East in Polish companies. Did managers pass the test?

Polish leaders are gradually realizing that they need to show empathy towards their employees, in particular towards those from Ukraine. However, the need for psychological safety applies not only to those who arrived to Poland from war zones. It's a role of any and every manager to create work environment where each member of the team, regardless of their background, feels comfortable on a daily basis. Psychological safety means that even when a team member says something strange or funny, it will be accepted by colleagues as a valuable attempt of communication. In the article, I also suggest some ways in which foreigners in Poland who speak Polish as a second language can be helped. This advice is universal for all international teams whose members use a language other than their mother tongue! (Polish)

A trusted employer means...? Interview for pracuj.pl

What builds trust in an employer? What is particularly important to Generation Z in terms of building trust to an employer, and what do older generations pay attention to? How can a job candidate check whether an employer is reliable and trustworthy? How can team members support each other? What strengthens mutual trust? - these are some of the questions I answered in an interview for Pracuj.pl, Poland's largest job portal. (Polish)

Profitable Multiculturalism

Profitable Multiculturalism - an expert article for Ukraina Foundation, promoting intercultural understanding and collaboration (Polish)

How to Make People Want to? Soft Tools of the Project Leader

How to Make People Want to? Soft Tools of the Project Leader - an expert article on motivating people for Strefa PMI, a Project Management International quarterly magazine (Polish)

Invest wisely. Tips on cross-cultural project teams

Invest wisely. Tips on cross-cultural project teams - an expert article for Strefa PMI, a Project Management International quarterly magazine (Polish)

Managing in a Cross-Cultural Team - Who is This Treat for?

Managing in a Cross-Cultural Team - Who is This Treat for? - an expert article on intercultural competence and team formation in Personel Plus, a leading Polish HR magazine (Polish)

Managing an International Team - an Opportunity or a Curse?

Managing an International Team - an Opportunity or a Curse? - an expert article in Osoby Zasoby, online portal for HR (Polish)

Cultural strategies in international mergers and acquisitions

Cultural strategies in international mergers and acquisitions - expert article in HR Polska portal (Polish)

Foreigners as an opportunity for demographic decline

Foreigners as an opportunity for demographic decline - expert article in inPlus Media (Polish)

The HR Personality

The HR Personality - a guest interview on leading across cultures in HR News, portal for HR (Polish)

On International Project Meetings

On International Project Meetings - an expert article in Benefit, a specialized magazine on compensation and benefits (Polish)

Will Polish Managers Conquer the World?

Will Polish Managers Conquer the World? - an expert article in Biznes Tuba online portal (Polish)

Development is Joy

Development is Joy - an expert comment on trends in the Learning & Development area in Nowoczesna Firma portal for leaders and HR (Polish)

War in Ukraine - from Inside and Outside

Cross-cultural and social considerations of the impact the war in Ukraine has had on people in Poland and in other countries. Searching for roots of fraternity, compassion, values. Session hosted by Victoria Spashchenko, a SIETAR Europa Board member sharing her insights on the values and thinking in Ukraine. A facilitated discussion on dependencies and perceptions gave us all insights on the impact the war in Ukraine has brought to Europe and to the world. (English)