Bridging the Culture Gap

Working internationally today is like putting together all the pieces of a complex jigsaw puzzle. No single group has all the answers.  Increasingly we depend on colleagues separated by space, time and culture to answer the complex needs of clients similarly separated by space and time and culture.  This presents a tremendous opportunity and a daunting challenge.  International organisations, companies and groups who address cultural issues successfully tend to gain a competitive advantage. They communicate more effectively, hit higher levels of customer satisfaction and achieve their targets more effectively and efficiently.  This course is about helping individuals and organisations develop the necessary mindset and skills to maximise their international potential.

Aims

By the end of this course, you will:

  • Better understand the impact of culture
  • Know how to analyse one’s own values and assumptions as well as those of other nationalities
  • Be better able to modify business behaviour to work more effectively with your foreign partners
  • Communicate more effectively in an international environment

Content

We design the training to match your needs. Typically the course would include:

  • Definitions of ‘Culture’, both organisational and country-specific
  • Cross-cultural communication skills: enactment and discussion of authentic cross-cultural business scenarios
  • An examination and analysis of current cultural challenges faced by the participants
  • Canning’s Personal Preferences Survey: a comparison of your own values and those of people from other cultures
  • As Others See Us: an exercise in perceptions and dealing with stereotypes
  • Offshore English: the rules for using the international language of business

Methods

This course is highly interactive. Through constant involvement of all participants in self-assessment, discussion and enactments, we guarantee an extremely focused and tailored training experience. Our trainers will provoke self-examination, stimulate open discussion of cultural issues and invite you to try out your newly-acquired skills. Courses vary from a 1/2 day to 2 days.

If this course interests you, contact us and we can start looking at the next step.

 

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