Shonda Rae Kohlhoff

Nationality: American

Residence: Munich (Germany since 2000)

Languages: English, German, French

Areas of expertise

• - Intercultural communication management
• - Cross-cultural adaptation
• - Intercultural team-building

Corporate and Management Experience

Shonda has been working hand in hand with Human Resources managers to create intercultural communication training solutions since 2000. During this time, she has provided result-focused training design and delivery experience for corporate and academic clients such as Coca-Cola, IKEA, Deutsche Telekom, Bausch & Lomb, Berlitz Cross-Cultural, Bremen Hochschule Master's of European Studies and the Verwaltungs- und Wirtschaftsakademie, Berufsakademie Berlin.

Additionally, Shonda has gathered experience working in international PR as a Marketing Specialist for Oppenhoff und Rädler/Linklaeters and Alliance, an international law firm; for the U.S. Government in the Foreign and Commercial Service of the American Embassy in Brussels, Belgium; as a White House Intern with security clearance, Office of Public Liaison, Washington, DC; and as Program Associate for the International Visitors Program, Institute of International Education, Washington, DC.

Academic Qualifications

• - Intercultural Communication, Specialization in Cross-Cultural Training for International Business, Master of Arts (M.A.)
• - Communication and Modern French Studies, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Training

• - Deutsch für den Beruf, Goethe Institut, Berlin 2004 (sehr gut)
• - Intensive Korean Level 1 Yonsei University, Seoul 2005
• - Berlitz Business French Proficiency Berlitz, Berlin 2006
• - Advanced Intercultural Management Courses for Professionals Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication, Portland, Oregon USA 2005, 2002 and 2001

Training Approach

The main focus of Shonda's work is to empower clients to solve intercultural communication challenges/problems in their personal and professional lives. She uses creative and highly interactive methods to create a heightened awareness of potential misunderstandings and their cultural roots and to increase intercultural competence through improved communication skills including listening more actively, describing behavior neutrally, increasing tolerance of ambiguity, and working to consistently encode messages that are appropriate and fair considering the communication partner's level of language and cultural adaptation. Clients consistently report greater professional confidence, comfort and efficiency working with teammates and colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds as a result of her work.

Shonda brings her extensive international and intercultural experience living in Korea, France, Belgium and Germany to bear when teaching her seminars.

Other Activities

• - Member of SIETAR (The Society of Intercultural Education, Training and Research) Conference, Bulgaria 2007, France 2005, Speaker and participant, Berlin, 2004
• - Member of European Network for Communication Development in Business and Education (EnCoDe), conference Munich, 2003
• - Translated (German to English) two books published by Beltz On Top Publishing, Interkulturelle Kompetenz-For a Better Understanding and Muslime in Beruf und Alltag verstehen
• - Translated the training manual, Intercultural Management Competence into English for the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen Federal Affairs, Europe and Development Co-operation, 2004.