Cultural Friction Podcast
Short, practical episodes on the hidden dynamics of international teams — what quietly causes cultural friction, why it happens, and what leaders can do about it.
The Local Hire Quits: Why Our Best Regional Hire Leaves Sooner Than We Think
The person who becomes the bridge between head office and the region is the one you are most likely to lose — and least likely to worry about. Two hidden forces, and four fixes that cost nothing.
Listen & read the show notes →One Merger, Two Cultures: Why Merged Companies Stay Divided
On paper two companies became one — so why, months later, are there still two of everything? Lau & Murnighan’s fault lines, why “we’re one company now” isn’t true, and four structural moves to build across the divide.
Listen & read the show notes →Sophisticated Stereotypes: When Cultural Frameworks Backfire
Cultural stereotypes at work arrive as preparation, not prejudice — which is what makes them so hard to spot. Why even diligent, well-prepared leaders walk into them, and four ways to stay curious about the actual person.
Listen & read the show notes →Rules or Suggestions: Why Half Your Team Follows the Process and Half Doesn’t
Half your team follows the process to the letter; half treat it as a suggestion. Why “tight” and “loose” orientations collide over the same rule — and how to make the invisible contract visible.
Listen & read the show notes →You Said Your Door Was Open: Why Your Team Isn’t Giving You Honest Feedback
You say your door is always open, so why does the bad news still reach you late? The emperor problem, power distance, and four ways to make honest feedback cheap enough for the whole team.
Listen & read the show notes →Swift Trust: How New International Teams Build Trust Without a Shared History
Newly formed international teams have to trust each other before they have any shared history to base it on. How that swift trust forms, why it is more fragile across cultures, and how to stop it breaking.
Listen & read the show notes →What to expect
Practitioner-led
Grounded in 25+ years leading and advising international teams — not theory for its own sake.
Short and useful
Each episode ends with something you can actually apply with your team this week.
Read or listen
Every episode has written show notes, so you can skim the ideas even when you cannot press play.
Be a guest
Been on the wrong side of cultural friction?
Cultural Friction is built on stories, not theory. I am looking for two things in every conversation: what went wrong, and what actually worked.
Who I am looking for
- CEOs and founders leading across borders
- HR and People leaders who have had to fix something cultural, not just describe it
- Team leaders running multicultural or distributed teams day to day
- Or a similar role — the story matters more than the title
How it works
- Send me your story. A few lines is plenty.
- We have a short call. To see whether it is a fit and find the angle.
- We record. A conversation, not an interview — 30–40 minutes, no script.
The best guests have one specific story they can tell in detail: a merger that ground to a halt, a relocation that went sideways, a team that stopped talking and nobody could say why. I will share the three or four things I want us to cover beforehand so nothing catches you cold, and I handle the editing and send you the link before it goes out.
Pitch your storyHost a show yourself? I am open to guest swaps and cross-promotion with podcasts covering leadership, global teams, or working across cultures. Same address — hello@brendanthomasquinn.com.
Cultural Friction Podcast
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