When studying the development of individuals, it is important to recognize the need to consider both their personality and the culture in which they have developed their personality type. Culture is likely to influence training with any personality assessment in the following ways:

• How people respond to completing a personality inventory
• How people react to the notion of individual differences
• How the professional explains the preferences and how the audience understands the explanations
• The design and delivery of the training program

If you plan to conduct a training session in a culture different from your own, you should gather information and think through the following three influences:

• Your type
• The normal training styles in your culture
• Information about the country and culture with which you will be working

It appears that every culture has preferred types or type preferences that are different for males and females.  Below are creative ways to explain personality preferences when you are working in a culture very different from your own:

• State explicitly that your definitions and examples have been developed with your culture.
• Use them briefly, limiting idioms and jargon.
• Ask participants to identify examples of the preferences in there culture.

When you begin training in cultures different from your own, you will be afforded a truly humbling and enlightening experience.