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.
What Is Cultural Friction? (And Why Nationality Is Only the Start)
The idea behind the show. Why cultural friction is quiet and easy to miss, why nationality is the foundation of how we work and experience builds on top of it, and three things to try with your team on Monday morning.
Listen & read the show notes →Promotion Bias: Why the People We Promote Remind Us of Ourselves
Two strong candidates, one team lead role. Why we promote the one who speaks up and asks for it, how strong people on multicultural teams get overlooked, what it costs, and four moves to make your next promotion decision fairer.
Listen & read the show notes →The Local Team Knew: Why Regional Knowledge Never Reaches the Decision
Head office makes a confident call; the regional team can see it won’t work. Why that knowledge never reaches the decision in time — decision rights and power distance — and what head office can change about when, how and who it asks.
Listen & read the show notes →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
Bring your experience of culture at work
I’m looking for CEOs, HR leaders, team leaders and managers to talk about how culture shows up at work: where the frictions are, what’s different, how people respond and react, and what we can do about it.
Who I am looking for
- CEOs and founders leading across borders
- HR and People leaders working with people from different cultures
- Team leaders and managers running global, international or culturally diverse teams day to day
- Or a similar role: the experience matters more than the title
How it works
- Get in touch. A few lines on who you are and the teams you’ve worked with.
- We have a 30-minute pre-call. To get to know each other and pick what to talk about.
- We record. A conversation, not an interview: about 40 minutes, remote, no script.
You don’t need one dramatic story. Your experience of working across cultures is the material. I’ll send a few questions beforehand so nothing catches you cold, and I handle the editing and send you the link before it goes out.
How to be a guest Download the guest guide (PDF) ↓ Or get in touch by email →Host 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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