I help people communicate successfully
in their own language, a foreign language, and across cultures.
Events and News
Global DISC & Growth 2.0 assessments, Global DISC report, coaching sessions, and Quest self-paced online learning program
From $350
Contact me for details:
www.RenataUrbanTraining.com/contact/
WHAT IS GLOBAL DISC?
It is an ICF accredited, multi award-winning behavioral model explaining how personality type AND cultural background influence all three layers of identity: WHAT, HOW, and WHY: WHAT we do, HOW we behave, and WHY we act, feel, and think the way we do. The assessment is the basis for communication skills training that enables you to communicate effectively with others in business and in daily life.
WHAT IS Growth 2.0?
Measure, visualize, and optimize the three invisible forces that make or break a team: cognitive diversity, psychological safety, and motivational drive. A 100% anonymous assessment and team debriefing ensure psychological safety while providing invaluable awareness and strategies for growth.
WHO BENEFITS FROM A GLOBAL DISC ASSESSMENT?
Companies (executives, colleagues, international teams, individuals) and private individuals/ couples/ groups.
HOW CAN GLOBAL DISC AND THE GROWTH 2.0 PROGRAM HELP ME?
Self-awareness is always the first step in successful communication at home and abroad, in business or in your private life, for yourself or for teambuilding. This is particularly important for virtual teams and businesses collaborating online. The lack of in-person contact makes trust and relationship building and communicating successfully even more important these days. Once you understand WHY you feel, behave, and react in a certain way, you can avoid conflicts with others, benefit from improved collaboration with others, and build successful teams. The intercultural aspect of Global DISC is particularly important for international teams, companies that have subsidiaries and/ or clients abroad, or individuals who work in an international environment.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AND WHAT DO I GET?
The cost for one person is $350 (+$150 for every additional person). Larger teams and groups on request.
- Online Global DISC questionnaire to do the assessment
- Extensive Global DISC report (approx. 40 pages) with your personal profile
- Teams will also do the Growth 2.0 online questionnaire to measure, visualize, and optimize psychological safety and motivational drive
- 90/ 120 minute Zoom coaching session with me: a certified Global DISC practitioner and highly experienced intercultural and communication skills coach. This debriefing coaching session enables you to understand your Global DISC report and start your journey of communicating successfully with others.
- Access to Quest, a 3-month online training program to hone in on your newly acquired skills
- 30-min follow-up coaching session with me to discuss your progress
- Additional reports (country comparisons and comparisons with others), deep-dive coaching sessions, teambuilding sessions, or one-on-one coaching sessions are available on request for an additional charge. Or book the Advanced Program that includes more reports and coaching sessions. Pricing on request.

ICQ Global – Global DISC, Growth 2.0 – Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times
by Csaba Toth
FREE Webinar
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsd-6grjIvG9xMA3RKJk52uPkzeVx2e0sT
Mon, January 17th, 2022 (10 – 11am EST)
The three invisible forces that make or break a team: cognitive diversity, psychological safety, and motivational drive. Learn about the ICQ Global tools that enable you to measure, visualize, and optimize those three invisible forces and start the Growth 2.0 program in your team or with your clients. Meet Csaba Toth online, the founder of ICQ Global, inventor of Global DISC and Growth 2.0, and the author of ‘Uncommon sense in unusual times’. The webinar provides background information from reasearch, presents the tools, and shares valuable insights. The webinar is designed for coaches, trainers, consultants and leaders who want to be able to bring out the best in themselves, their teams and clients.

The Culture Chat (bi-/ tri-weekly) hosted by the Interchange Institute
FREE platform for intercultural trainers and those working in an intercultural environment
Different topics every time.
Watch a video of a recent culture chat in which I participated:
https://interchangeinstitute.org/culture-chat
Learn more about the Interchange Institute:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-interchange-institute
New meetings start in January 2022 after the year-end break:
Wed, January 12th, 2021 (10:00 am – 11:00am EDT) (topic tbd)


Join me for one of my FREE ONLINE Meetup Zoom sessions.
Group 1: FREE ONLINE International Language and Culture Meetup Group
https://www.meetup.com/Deerfield-Beach-International-Language-Culture-Meetup-Group/
This group of like-minded polyglots and global citizens meets online every last Friday of the month. Our meetings are currently on hold and will resume shortly.
currently no meeting scheduled
Language & Culture Meetups will resume shortly
I usually present a language and culture related topic, which leads to comments, questions, and group discussions. We cover topics related to multi-lingualism, different countries and cultures, relocating, or experiences abroad, and we share stories and help each other with recommendations, tips and tricks. Everybody is welcome!
If we have enough participants who speak another language and want to practice that language, I split the group into breakout rooms according to participants’ languages and interests.
SPECIAL TOPICS in recent months:
DECEMBER 2021: HOLIDAY FOOD & TRADITIONS
Due to the holidays in November and December, I am combining both events into one: Fri, Dec. 17th. Our special topic is ‘Holiday Foods & Traditions’. I will provide some interesting information and my favorite ‘Lebkuchen’ recipe (German gingerbread), and then invite the participants to share their own experiences, insights, and holiday food preferences with everybody else. Come and join us to find out how we all celebrate and what our favorite holiday foods are!
JANUARY 2022: CALENDARS AROUND THE WORLD & NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
Back at the last day of the month (January 28th), this meeting will look at different calendars used all over the world and we will discuss popular New Year resolutions. Participants can then share their experiences and their own New Year resolutions. Come and join us to give this new year a great start!
Learn something new and share your experiences with others.
Interested? Click on the link above, become a member of my MeetUp group, and register for a meeting. All meetings are ONLINE (Zoom) and FREE.
Group 2: ONLINE Meetup Language and Intercultural Training
https://www.meetup.com/Online-Language-Intercultural-Training-Test-Preparation/
I offer different courses on this platform. They may change throughout the year. Set up a Meetup account for free, become a member of my group, and get updates about upcoming events on a regular basis. In 2022, as of today, the following courses are available:
(1) FREE weekly ONLINE German beginners course – proficiency level A1/ part 2 (continuation of last year’s course)
restarted on Saturday, January 8th, 2022 and
will run throughout the year almost every Saturday (2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Eastern time)
We started from scratch in January 2021, finished A1/ part 1 and will cover A1/ part 2 in 2022. If you already have some basic knowledge of German, you can still join the group.
These free sessions are my way of giving back to the community and offering an opportunity to practice a foreign language in a safe, professional, and fun environment.
(2) ONLINE weekly German beginners course – proficiency level A1/ part 1 (no previous knowledge required)
started on Tuesday, January 11th, 2022 and
will run throughout the year almost every Tuesday (6 pm – 7 pm Eastern time)
$300 for half a year (Jan. – June) or $500 for the entire year
YOU CAN STILL JOIN – SPECIAL OFFER: pay as little as $50 for one month to try it out
This course starts from scratch and is ideal for those who have always wanted to learn German and have very little to no previous knowledge of the language.
• Fulfill your dream of finally learning German
• Build a solid foundation (vocabulary & grammar)
• Meet other learners and practice with them
• Work with a native German speaker, trained and experienced language teacher to guide you through the course
• Get training materials to review sessions, ask questions during sessions, and use plenty of opportunities to actively participate and practice the language
Interested in any of the groups? Click on the link above, become a member of my MeetUp group, and receive news about new groups throughout 2022. Or contact me directly, if you have any questions.
Watch the recording of this webinar
Doing Business with Another English-Speaking Country – Pitfalls and Solutions – Part 1: the US and the UK
Two Countries Divided by One Common Language
A saying often attributed to Anglo-Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950), which is still very applicable today. I am taking a closer look at this topic in my webinar series for the World Trade Center Palm Beach starting with an economic, linguistic, and cultural comparison of the US and the UK, why there are so many unsuccessful business ventures and failed expat assignments between those two countries, and how some major linguistic and cultural pitfalls can be avoided.
To learn more about this topic, you can READ MY ARTICLE HERE:
https://www.wtcpalmbeach.com/post/doing-business-with-another-english-speaking-country-pitfalls-and-solutions
And to watch the recording of the webinar, CLICK HERE:

How to apply for a Job in the EU
Watch the recording of this FIU event on cultural differences, resume writing, and interviews
I was invited to be a speaker on a panel of experts to talk about intercultural communication, pitfalls of cross-cultural commuinication with Germans, and tips and tricks for the application process in Germany including resume writing and interviewing.
I was joined by two more experts, Annabel Endo (Spain) and Stefano Vetralla (Italy), to share their insights as well as our moderator, Nelly Leon (USA), for a lively discussion. You can watch the recording of this event on the FIU website or directly on YouTube:

Recording of my Webinar
Doing Business in Germany and Communicating Successfully with Germans
Germany is an important trading partner for the US. Many companies headquartered in Germany have subsidiaries in the US and vice versa. After China and the United States, Germany is the world’s third-largest exporter and its highly developed social market economy makes it the largest consumer market in the European Union with a population of just over 83 million as of Jan. 1st, 2021. However, there are pitfalls of doing business with Germany ranging from EU restrictions, different environmental standards, and lengthy bureaucratic processes to linguistic challenges and cultural differences.
Learn more about Germany, German language and culture, and how to do business and communicate effectively with your German business partners and colleagues. Also learn how to build intercultural competence and thrive in a global business environment.
This webinar was organized by the GABC (German American Business Chamber) in Miami. Watch the recording on their YouTube channel:

Recording of my Webinar
Benefits of Diverse Teams and How to Manage Them Well
Diversity – one of the top 10 buzzwords today. Everyone wants it, but very few really understand what this means, how to deal with ‘diversity and inclusion’, and how to really benefit from having a diverse team or staff. The visual representation of diversity on the surface does not provide any advantages other than a ‘photo-op’ for an image campaign, which might even backfire. The true advantages of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) can only be achieved by what I call “living and breathing the lifestyle of DEI” and the attitude of “do it like you mean it”. This is a long journey that requires a lot of effort and commitment, but it is well worth it. According to two McKinsey reports, ‘Why Diversity Matters’ (2015) and ‘Delivering through Diversity’ (2018), diverse companies and teams that manage their diversity well consistently show increased profits, more creativity and innovation, better customer insight, more objectivity and less cognitive bias, higher level of employee satisfaction, a boost in recognition, value, and global image, and a higher success rate in employee retention and attracting new talent.
READ MY FIRST ARTICLE HERE:
https://www.wtcpalmbeach.com/post/diversity-and-inclusion-what-is-it-and-why-do-i-want-it
While well-managed diverse teams are the highest performing teams, poorly-managed diverse teams show the worst performance. So, what can managers do to reap the benefits of their diverse teams and how can they build successful diverse teams from scratch?
READ MY SECOND ARTICLE HERE:
https://www.wtcpalmbeach.com/post/benefits-of-diverse-teams-and-how-to-manage-them-well
If you want to learn more about this topic, watch the recording of my webinar in collaboration with the World Trade Center Palm Beach.
WATCH THE RECORDING HERE:

3-day Webinar – Watch the Recordings
Communicating successfully across cultures: 3 days – 3 trainers – 3 perspectives
by Renata Urban (the West), Sameeh Gadallah (the Middle East), and Kirtika van Hunen (the East)
This 3-day webinar series provided a unique insight into intercultural communication from three different perspectives. Country-specific training or cross-cultural communication training often focuses on one particular country (host country) from the perspective of one country (home country). This gives a very limited perspective, whereas intercultural competence training provides an enlarged comfort zone and a wider perspective for successfully doing business abroad and effectively interacting with others.
Watch PART 1 of the webinar series (Renata Urban – the West) here:
Watch PART 2 of the webinar series (Sameeh Gadallah – The Middle East) here:
Watch PART 3 of the webinar series (Kirtika van Hunen – The East) here:

Watch the interview
Intercultural Communication for Brazilian and Hispanic Entrepreneurs in the US
Watch the recording of my presentation for https://brazilianbeat.us and my interview with Suzanne Thorson, Mary Sol Gonzalez with https://www.heiflorida.org, and Aloysio Vasconcellos. Thank you for inviting me, Suzanne! What a pleasure to speak with you and the other panelists.

Recording of my Webinar
Doing Business in Germany and Communicating Successfully with Germans
by Renata Urban
German communication style, leadership style, preferred way of presenting, negotiating and problem-solving, their need for privacy, space, and consensus, their desire for formality and following rules, their love for knowledge and details, and their need to take things seriously can easily derail business negotiations when you come unprepared.
I covered many aspects of “Doing Business in Germany and Communicating Successfully with Germans” as well as developing intercultural competence to communicate more successfully across cultures.
Read my article on this topic here:
https://www.wtcpalmbeach.com/post/doing-business-in-germany
Watch the recording here:

Recording of my Webinar
Master Cross-cultural Communication When Doing Business in the Middle East
by Renata Urban
Did you miss my webinar? The recording is now available online:
https://vimeo.com/546095310
Cross-cultural training for a particular country and general intercultural awareness and competence training to effectively communicate with others can help you avoid pitfalls and increase your success rate of doing business across borders and cultures.
This webinar focuses on intercultural communication when doing business in the Middle East. The purpose of this event in collaboration with the WTCPB was to explore culture, cultural perception, and intercultural communication in general as well as discuss examples and practical applications of concepts of intercultural communication for doing business and communicating successfully in the Middle East in a dialogue with my special guest, Rose Sager, the Trade Representative at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Listen to the Interview
What does a language teacher, intercultural coach, and communication skills trainer do?
I often get that question and was able to answer it on the Brian Rusk ESPN Radio Show ‘The Rusk Report’. Brian also spoke with Al Zucaro about our webinar series for the World Trade Center Palm Beach.
Click here to listen:
https://www.radio.com/espn1520/hosts/the-rusk-report-with-brian-rusk (scroll down to March 28th, 2021)

Recording of my Webinar
Cross-cultural Communication and Global DISC
When communicating with others, what is more important – culture or personality?
by Renata Urban
Did you miss my webinar? The recording is now available online:
Learn more about personality, culture, cross-cultural communication, intercultural competence, Global DISC, and how to communicate successfully with others. In collaboration with the World Trade Center Palm Beach, I am offering a webinar series on cross-cultural communication, intercultural competence, and international business.
To read the article (part 1), click here:
https://www.wtcpalmbeach.com/post/culture-or-personality
To read the article (part 2), click here:

Recording of my Webinar
Intercultural Communication
I was invited by the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce to speak about what is culture and intercultural communication, how to build intercultural knowledge and competence for successful communication in international business and teams, and to provide stories, details, and examples about practical applications of intercultural communication.
Watch the recording here:

News
Articles on International Business and Cross-cultural Communication on the WTCPB website
As a partner of the World Trade Center Palm Beach (WTCPB) and a contributor, I am publishing articles on the WCTPB website on a regular basis starting January 2021. All articles are about international business, cross-cultural communication, and related topics. The articles will be accessible from my WTCPB profile page:
https://www.wtcpalmbeach.com/renata
Read my articles here:
https://www.wtcpalmbeach.com/post/protocol-vs-cultural-competence
https://www.wtcpalmbeach.com/post/the-1001-tales-of-normal-in-international-business
https://www.wtcpalmbeach.com/post/culture-or-personality
What’s next for remote work: an analysis of 2,000 tasks, 800 jobs, and nine countries
Cultural Awareness – a must-have trait for C-suites executives and board members
Why the French love to complain
What I wish my Japanese colleagues knew about working as a foreigner in Japan
Speaking multiple languages at home – a speech and language therapist talks about bilingualism
https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/multiple-languages-slt/zj8fxbk

Book recommendation (Diversity & Inclusion)
Use your difference to make a difference by Tayo Rockson
The best description of the book are Tayo’s own words about his book. He says: “The goal of Use Your Difference to Make a Difference is to strengthen self-awareness, acknowledge biases, connect with others in a meaningful way, and celebrate the differences around us all. […] This book is a roadmap for navigating the path towards moral courage, compassion, and accountability. […] Culturally intelligent communicators realize that not everyone views the world through the same cultural lens, they do not perpetuate biases and stereotypes. […] This book provides you with the knowledge and the practical skills to transcend barriers, bridge cultures, and cultivate strong relationships with anyone, anywhere.”

Book recommendation (in German)
I think I spider (Ich glaube ich spinne) by Andreas Hock
This is a brilliant and quite entertaining book for everyone who speaks German or knows someone who does and would like to surprise them with a neat little gift. This well-researched and skillfully written read pokes fun at the unstoppable rise of the English language and its invasion of the German language. Readers can also enjoy funny comparisons of both languages including cognates and false friends, misunderstood translations, and failed attempts of advertising messages in English used in Germany. Enjoy reading!
Contact me for a free consultation