Sep 02

Cross Cultural Training: How to Compete Successfully on the Global Market

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

Organisations increasingly send employees abroad on international assignments all over the world. While this has several advantages such as an increased global reach for the organisation and access to a broader talent pool, it also creates a large array of new challenges for international assignees who have to adapt to new working practices and communication styles. Helping international assignees to develop their intercultural skills through cross cultural training is crucial for global organisations that require successful communication and collaboration across cultures.

Globes Mike Bentley i1 Cross Cultural Training: How to Compete Successfully on the Global Market

© istockphoto.com/ Mike Bentley

Understanding the impact of culture on business and working practices is vital. Our behaviours and values are widely influenced by our cultural background but this can sometimes be difficult for foreigners to decipher without the right cultural tools and understanding. A comprehensive analysis of cultural values in specific countries can significantly help employees to decipher key cross cultural attitudes towards aspects such as time, hierarchy or risk. Culture also influences how we communicate verbally, non-verbally and virtually. All these cultural elements can hinder effective communication within international teams and cause cross cultural misunderstandings and frustrations if not understood or managed.

Being aware of cross cultural business practices is sometimes not enough. When organisations decide to send employees to work on short or long international assignments, it’s important that they consider the support options to ensure that expatriates understand the impact of culture on their daily life. How to socialise, hints of the country’s environment and useful information for the other members of the family are just a few examples of what a cross cultural training course can provide international assignees. These elements must be taken into consideration as they can greatly reduce the culture shock upon arrival.

A lack of cultural awareness can harm business opportunities and cause organisations to lose large amounts of money and time spent on human resources. Communicaid’s cross cultural training courses are specifically designed to provide key information and insight needed by the international assignees and their family, enabling an easier adaptation process which is essential for a successful personal and professional experience on the global market.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Aug 20

The Will to Live… Abroad – Intercultural Training is Key to Global Success

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Human Resources No Comments »
Globes Mike Bentley i1 The Will to Live… Abroad – Intercultural Training is Key to Global Success

© istockphoto.com/ Mike Bentley

According to the 2010 Hydrogen Global Professionals on the Move Report, top executives and managers are increasingly willing to go on international assignments in foreign countries. Why are these highly qualified workers so eager to work in a different country? The report shows that they are not fleeing the economic crisis but they are in fact, trying to advance their career and stand out in this competitive global market.

It is true that being an expatriate has many advantages. From a career perspective, working abroad has always been a valued experience and enhances any CV. The experience international assignees gain in key positions in subsidiary companies or divisions abroad can significantly help to boost career opportunities later in their life.

In addition to improved career opportunities, expatriates also traditionally have higher wages and an improved status in their company. Although increased wages and status are attractive, the report indicates that these two aspects are not the main factors motivating employees to go on an international assignment. Instead, the report suggests their interest is increasingly around the challenging aspect of expatriation and the opportunities they would have to develop their skills in an international context.

One of the best examples of this is the quick rise of Philip Clarke through the Tesco Group. Clarke held several posts abroad, particularly in Asia where he was impressively successful, before being chosen as the next CEO of Tesco by Sir Terry Leahy. There are no doubts that he was chosen because of the skills he developed abroad and in his many roles at Tesco where he showed a great capacity to adapt to each new environment and choose the best suited option to ensure the success of the stores under his supervision.

Top executives, managers and team members who recognise the opportunities an international assignment can bring, like Philip Clarke did, should be aware that it takes more than being good at their job. Future expatriates need the expertise and social skills necessary to accomplish their business objectives and responsibilities but this along is not enough.

International assignees have to possess a global mindset which allows them to lead and manage their foreign counterparts effectively. Flexibility, adaptability and cultural awareness are also important skills to have. While these skills can be developed slowly through experience, going through a tailored intercultural training programme will ensure they avoid any cultural faux-pas and help them to reach their full potential in their new cultural environment. Intercultural training is key to helping them overcome the many different cultural challenges awaiting them in the target culture which can hinder their progress and performance.

Working effectively in a new country takes time and requires cultural knowledge and insight which can only be gained through a combination of experience and intercultural training delivered by qualified trainers with ‘dirt under their nails’. Intercultural training courses like Communicaid’s Living and Working in Brazil or Living and Working in India are designed to help top executives, managers and team members settle and adapt to the new work and social environment of their expatriation through intercultural knowledge, tools and strategies.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Aug 12

The Importance of a Global Mindset for Success Overseas

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

In the current worldwide economic situation, being culturally aware and interculturally competent is a must for success in this highly competitive international market. Successful business people from all over the world are competing for top positions in international organisations. Being business savvy and having a good track record at home is no longer enough to secure the best roles in the global arena.

Globe Kasia i The Importance of a Global Mindset for Success Overseas

© istockphoto.com/ Kasia

According to new research published by the Harvard Business Review, a ‘global mindset’ is what candidates need to be successful in a global role in which they will need to be capable of adjusting to different environments and have the ability to work effectively with international colleagues. This ‘global mindset’ is defined as having three key elements: intellectual, psychological, and social capital.

Looking at how two people, one with and one without a global mindset, deal with cultural difference and international situations can give us a very good idea of how important having a global mindset is for anyone in a global role.

Alan, a promising employee at a US-based manufacturer was sent to Beijing as general manager for consumer products. He was excited by the challenge and looked forward to helping his company through a difficult period which was due to internal tensions that were interfering with the growth of the company. Before he started his new role he researched Chinese culture and read that the Chinese tend to think collectively and prioritise the interests of the group. As he started his work in China he emphasised the need for cooperation and teamwork amongst his employees in order to improve the situation and achieve the desired results.

After 60 days however there were no visible improvements and Alan found that although his employees had agreed to all of his suggestions, they had not committed to any specific action and were also not holding anyone accountable for the lack of improvements. Alan soon started to lose confidence in his abilities, took a dislike to Chinese food and Chinese culture and ended up returning to the US before the end of his international assignment in China costing the company wasted time and money.

Debra, Alan’s colleague, had a completely different experience when she was sent to Sao Paulo under similar circumstances. She was expected to turn around operations affected by low productivity and poor staff morale in a short timeframe. Unlike Alan, Debra was born in Venezuela to US military parents, had travelled extensively throughout her life and was fluent in several languages. Debra quickly embraced her new position and sought input from the local staff about what needed to be done to improve productivity. She did her research and took every opportunity she could to reach out to her staff. Within months, her project was back on the right track.

So although Debra’s background was more international than Alan’s, why were their experiences so different?

According to experts, the intellectual, psychological and social capitals that make up a ‘global mindset’ are each comprised of three key attributes that can guarantee organisations that their assignees are ready and likely to succeed in an international assignment. These attributes are:

Intellectual Capital: Global business savvy, cognitive complexity and a cosmopolitan outlook.

Psychological Capital: Passion for diversity, thirst for adventure and self-assurance.

Social Capital: Intercultural empathy, interpersonal impact and diplomacy.

Debra’s previous experiences abroad and her knowledge of other languages and cultures helped her to better understand her new employees and how she needed to deal with them in order to increase staff morale, confidence and productivity. She possessed, apart from talent, the ‘global mindset’ required for the international assignment set by her company. While Alan was talented as well, his skills weren’t as transferable to another culture given his lack of previous exposure to an international environment.

Debra was born into a different culture and had international experiences from an earlier age than Alan. However, the skills necessary for success in international assignments are not necessarily skills you are born with but can be acquired through cross cultural awareness training and international exposure.

Cultural awareness training programmes can equip you with the relevant tools and strategies to communicate efficiently with foreign counterparts and reduce the stress coming from a new and international context. They can also help you to adapt your management styles and understand the motivation factors and expectations of your new counterparts, ensuring a good working atmosphere. Getting familiar with their cultural values will also help you to decipher their behaviours and thus avoid critical incidents which can jeopardise a project or a profitable business opportunity.

Communicaid’s specialist courses such as cultural training for Relocation, Managing International Teamsor Effective Global Leadership can provide you and your company the necessary knowledge and skills required to thrive in the international arena. By being culturally aware and prepared to work across different cultures, employees of international organisations who posses this ‘global mindset’ are invaluable assets to their company, capable of increasing their chances of success and of profitable international assignments.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Mar 03

Cross Cultural Training for Relocation

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Human Resources 1 Comment »

Cross cultural training is extremely important for employees being relocated to another country. Intercultural training programmes for relocation provide the cultural preparation and strategies without which international assignees and their family members could struggle when adapting to life and work in the target country.

The intense cultural transition that follows being relocated to a foreign country can, without adequate preparation, result in significant culture shock. Instead of hitting the ground running, employees may struggle to integrate into their new environment and be unable to effectively cope with their new international assignment. This leads to potentially huge costs for the organisation and a negative impact both on the employee’s emotional resilience and ability to perform well in the future.

iStock 000007068543Medium 300x199 Cross Cultural Training for Relocation

© istockphoto.com/ Neustockimages

In the 2008 Global Relocation Trends Survey Report conducted by GMAC respondents rated cross cultural training for relocation as the third most important initiative to increase ROI of international assignments, claiming that “cross-cultural preparation has a direct impact on the financial success of a relocation/assignment”.

Cross-cultural training for relocation programme such as Living and Working in Japan can significantly reduce the risk of international assignments by providing international assignees with the intercultural knowledge and skills required to be successful when working across cultures.

Despite this, many companies still fail to make cross-cultural training for relocation programmes mandatory and therefore risk huge financial loss from early returns or damage to relationships with international counterparts through cultural faux-pas and misunderstandings.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Nov 30

What is Culture Shock?

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture 2 Comments »

Culture shock is a natural state of psychological and physical disorientation that can occur upon encountering a new environment and culture. Loss of social support networks, independence, and the ability to communicate combined with the differences and challenges of entering a new culture are all factors that contribute to feelings of culture shock.

Culture shock occurs at different times and to different extents for different people. Some symptoms of culture shock which cross-cultural training helps international assignees understand include:

  • Depression, fatigue, insomnia
  • Loss of self-confidence
  • Anxiety, confusion, frustration
  • Fear and insecurity
  • Grief – mourning for old life
  • Loneliness and isolation
  • Annoyance and over-sensitivity
  • Impatience

Numerous studies have been conducted on the phases of adaptation during international assignments and the impact of culture shock. Traditionally, culture shock and the emotional adjustment phases have been described as a U or W-Curve and have been divided into distinct phases starting with the ‘Honeymoon Phase’ during which people are really happy and excited about their new cultural experience.

While an increasing number of scholars doubt the validity and exactness of these culture shock models due to their simplicity and lack of empirical support, many international assignees say that they help them understand what they might go through during their adjustment to another culture.

The impact of culture shock, which everyone experiences differently, can be quite serious if not recognised and dealt with accordingly. Country-specific cross-cultural training such as Living and Working in China can help you understand the impact of culture shock and develop strategies for dealing with it during an international assignment in China.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2009

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