Intercultural Training
“For those who work in international business, it is sometimes amazing how different people in other cultures behave. We tend to have a human instinct that ‘deep inside’ all people are the same - but they are not. Therefore, if we go into another country and make decisions based on how we operate in our own home country - the chances are we’ll make some very bad decisions”
I facilitate 2 closed-group workshops aimed at developing intercultural intelligence, that is
- Recognising how cultural differences (national, professional, company, generational ...) impact the process of building effective international relationships
- Identifing you preferred style of communication and becoming aware of how you come across to your international partners
- Developing the personal qualities required for working effectively across cultures
"WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES"
Understanding the challenge of working across cultures
- The main reasons for misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication
- Cultural dimensions and preferences which affect the process of building effective working relationships: monochronic vs.polychronic; high context vs. low context; universalist vs. particularist; individualist vs. collectivist; high power vs. low power distance …
Meeting the challenge
- How to build trust
- How to influence others: push and pull
- How to work virtually (by e-mail, conf. call, videoconf.) taking cultural preferences into account
- How to achieve goals (task-orientation) whilst flexing behaviourally (relationship-oriented)
"MANAGING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS"
Project managers and team members potentially face challenges in terms of differences in core value systems, communication style and varying expectations of leadership and teamwork.
According to needs of the participants, we will study some of the following critical incidents in the life of an international project team:
- Getting to know the team – building rapport and understanding
- Direction – working to common goals
- Organisation – structuring team work
- Roles – clarifying expectations of individual team members
- Coaching – developing individual team members
- Feedback – motivating and inspiring team members
- Representing – managing the interface between the team and the outside
- Conflict – handling conflict between team members
- Cooperation – working together and influencing people.
Methodology
- Analysing critical incidents in the life of an international project, using a training video and group tasks, to develop an understanding into cultural dimensions that impact communication
- Establishing good practice for working in a multicultural context
- Roleplay to experiment with good practices
- Feedback from peers and the facilitator
participants
Anyone who works with people from other countries, or works on an international project, or who wants to develop their intercultural intelligence…
Number of participants
4 to 6 people
LEVEL OF ENGLISH REQUIRED
B2 minimum (CECRL)
LENGTH
2 or 3 days depending on the participants' needs