WELCOME

Intercultural diplomacy centers the process of collaboration. By increasing our capacity for deep listening, we foster trust and relationships.

At IID, we train leaders to cultivate an intercultural mindset and integrate practical and effective communication skills to achieve targeted outcomes.

Our Mission

  • To empower leaders to navigate conflict that result from cultural difference, change, and diverse perspectives. 

  • To deliver individual and organizational assessments, customized programs, and individualized and group coaching to ensure multi-leveled success.

  • To provide an informed starting point for individuals and organizations to cultivate an intercultural mindset.

  • To develop diplomatic leadership that works.

How often do we find ourselves frustrated or bewildered when we learn that our well-crafted communication landed in the worst possible way? Or we thought we had a well-developed plan, but our good intentions were met with judgment, silence, resistance, rejection, or even complaint. Where and when did things go awry?

When people across cultures feel valued and engaged, relationships are strengthened and dynamic collaboration and success follow.

Culture is so implicit that we often don't realize how it drives our dynamics at work, in school, and in our communities. In an increasingly globalized world, understanding and adapting to intercultural differences is an inevitable and critical necessity in business, academia, and life.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

By developing our intercultural capacity, we can create and maintain thriving relationships where decisions and actions come from a more informed place.

WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER

Program and Learning Opportunities Wherever You Are in the World

At the Institute for Intercultural Diplomacy, we pride ourselves in collaborating with experienced facilitators and coaches who lead from their lens of intersecting identities to include race, ethnicity, nationality, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, generation, socio-economic class, religion, language, and trauma.

Assessment

As Qualified Administrators of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory (ICS) we provide individuals and groups a reference point along your intercultural journey. Results of these assessments can inform appropriate next steps customized for your individual and group’s leadership development.

Programs

  • Programs are customized based on intercultural and development goals.

    Themes may include: microaggressions, bias awareness, communication styles across cultures with globally dispersed teams, conflict styles across cultures, design and delivery of global staff training, and change management: disarming change and managing resistance.

  • Foundations to Intercultural Diplomacy: Tools for developing meaningful collaboration across cultures

Coaching

We provide coaching to both individuals and groups aimed at developing your leadership strengths through an intercultural lens and targeted practice.

What It’s Like to Work With Us

  • "[IID] is intuitive, compassionate and displays cultural humility needed to make a meaningful impact on our students, faculty, and staff."

    Deborah Breiting has a grasp on the concepts that made her a great selection when I was in need of a consultant to support the diversity and inclusion education work at the University of Southern Maine. My observation of her delivery of sensitive and complex concepts was validated when constituents came back to me to report how wonderful she is to work with.

    Idella Glenn, Ph. D., CDE
    Vice President, Equity, Inclusion and Community Impact
    University of Southern Maine

  • "[IID] centers connectedness, curiosity, and reflection in this work while promoting a growth mindset for participants."

    Thrilled with the outcomes from our in-person, multi-day engagement with Deb and [co-facilitator] Catherine [Making Space, LLC]. Their gentle style and inquisitive questions allowed for introspective [and] reflective discussions across our staff. We have continued to receive positive feedback from the virtual sessions, signaling that both the concepts and delivery from both facilitators continue to be strong and effective, regardless of modality.

    University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Admissions

WHO WE ARE

Meet Our Core Team

Deborah Breiting

Founder, Facilitator and Intercultural Coach

Deborah (Deb) Breiting has over 25 years of experience in group facilitation, program design, and student case management in industry sectors including higher education, non-profit organizations and public school systems both domestically and internationally.

She earned her Certificate in Intercultural Studies and her Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and German from the University of British Columbia and holds a Master’s degree in Adult and Higher Education from the University of Southern Maine.

Deborah builds on transformative learning practices and critical thought approaches with a focus on culture and context. She inspires those she works with to re-evaluate assumptions and preconceived notions of their worldviews to achieve growth and transformation.

  • Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and Intercultural Conflict Style (ICS) Inventory

    Certified Trainer of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) Model

    Trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

    Trained in Coaching Foundations using the IDI (through an accredited ICF firm)

Congratulations, Iris, on your success of being appointed to the U.S. Foreign Service!  All of my sincerest gratitude for all of your creativity, brain power, and sheer dedication to IID.  We (I) will miss you dearly and wish you all the very best on your exciting journey ahead!  Warmly, Deborah and IID collaborating partners (July 2024)

Iris Michaud

Manager of Operations and Program Development

Iris serves the Institute as partner for business vision, development, and operations. She was born in Germany, spent her childhood in Togo, her adolescence in Germany, and was raised bilingual in German and French cultural settings. As a former U.S. Army spouse, she also spent several years immersed in military culture. With 10+ years’ experience in international exchange and law school student affairs, Iris’s professional experience spans a combination of roles in international client management, global operations, study abroad advising, sales, and program development, and administrative and student support. She has facilitated intercultural development for youth at the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute and facilitated IDI® debriefs at Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants. She is an IDI® Qualified Administrator.

Iris has earned her M.A. in Global Diplomacy at the University of London SOAS and her B.A. from the University of Southern Maine in Sociology and Tourism. She also has a vocational certificate in Germany as foreign language secretary.