Why Working Effectively across Cultures? Success in today’s world economy depends on a number of factors. Globalised communications, media and movements of people make it harder for international organisations to assure their products and services stand out from the rest. Increasing your company’s international market share depends on your employees’ ability to read and react accordingly to the numerous cultural differences that affect your business. Communicaid’s Working Effectively across Cultures programme will help develop your employees’ cultural intelligence, the first step towards developing an international business strategy that factors in the risks posed by cross-cultural differences to global business.
Culture – values, assumptions and perceptions instilled early on in life - dictates all aspects of an individual’s behaviour. At times its influence is subtle, at others its impact is apparent, yet in both cases the effects are far reaching. In international business environments which bring together in competition or cooperation people from diverse cultures, being culturally aware and having the ability to work effectively across cultures is essential. A lack of cultural awareness will lead to misunderstandings and tensions in the workplace, ultimately deeply affecting your organisation’s overall performance. This makes it a key competency for 21st century employees at all levels.
The influence of cross-cultural differences on the success of negotiations, overseas assignments and mergers and acquisitions is becoming increasingly evident in international business. Ignoring the risks of cross-cultural differences is coming at a clear cost for multinational organisations, a cost that needs to be eliminated.
Communicaid’s Working Effectively across Cultures programme raises your cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity towards the cultural differences and issues that impact on the workplace, allowing you to communicate more effectively across cultures. Working Effectively across Cultures is tailored to your company’s international business needs, taking into account your specific market, sector and employees’ existing skill sets.
Benefits of Working Effectively across Cultures Course
Following a Working Effectively across Cultures programme designed by Communicaid provides you and your organization with:
- An understanding of culture’s impact on face-to-face and virtual business communication
- Increased cross cultural awareness and sensitivity, allowing you to decipher the cultural variables influencing attitudes, values and behaviours of counterparts from different cultures
- The ability to plan and adapt your business strategy and communication style taking into account the cross cultural differences in each business situation
- Improved ability to forge stronger and more profitable relationships with international colleagues and clients across cultures
Who should attend Working Effectively across Cultures?
Communicaid’s Working Effectively across Cultures is specifically designed for:
- Business people who work in an international environment
- Organisations that are expanding operations beyond national borders
- Management and staff working across cultures
- Employees communicating increasingly with colleagues in other countries, either face-to-face or virtually
- Organisations whose workforce is becoming increasingly multicultural
- Business people involved in multinational projects and programmes
Working Effectively across Cultures Course Content
- What is culture? Understanding of the layers of culture and how they can impact international working
- Key cultural drivers and attitudes: time, space, group dynamics, authority, risk, tasks, relationships
- Developing cultural awareness: why it’s important and how it can improve performance
- Cross-cultural communication: interpreting styles and adapting your own to others
- Virtual communication: fulfilling its potential
- Strategies for building successful cross-cultural relationships and working effectively across cultures
Cross-cultural Awareness Course Trainer
Detailed below is the profile of a member of our Working Effectively across Cultures cultural training team.
CR – Cultural Awareness Trainer
BA American Studies, Manchester
MSc Strategic Training and Development, Surrey
CR has over twenty years international management and intercultural training experience with corporate and non-profit clients in both the US and UK. She has worked with a number of major multi nationals across a wide range of sectors including engineering, energy, finance, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. Her areas of expertise include diversity training, intercultural coaching, UK and US business training and cross border communication.
After graduating in American Studies, CR moved to Chicago where she lived and worked for over ten years. She spent the first four years as Training Manager with International Orientation Resources recruiting and supervising trainers in addition to delivering training herself. She then moved to Bennett Associates where her projects included Train-the –Trainer, cultural adaptability, cross cultural awareness for international management and intercultural training for HR. CR’s final position in the States was as Project Manager for the Anti-Defamation League developing materials and seminars for diversity training.
On her return to the UK in 1996, CR completed her Masters in Strategic Training and Development and has since worked as an intercultural and global diversity consultant delivering cultural transition training, diversity seminars and intercultural training in support of European mergers and acquisitions and international HR. CR also regularly delivers workshops and seminars for a number of professional organisations such as SIETAR and CIPD. She has delivered Communicating Effectively across Cultures training for key Communicaid clients including L’Oreal and Cadbury. |
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