Living and Working in the UK

Foreign nationals coming to live and work in the United Kingdom face many challenges in their efforts to adapt to British culture and succeed in the UK working environment.  While you may be highly competent at work and very successful at home, the challenges of possibly working in a different language and adapting to a range of new cultural rules are likely to make social and professional interactions a challenging, at times frustrating, experience.

While English is the international language of business, there are a range of subtleties and nuances that are unique to British English and British culture.  These are integral to British behaviours and attitudes—part of a set of cultural rules that can only be appreciated through an understanding of British culture.  Failure to do so may have a serious impact on an assignee’s ability to adapt on a professional and personal basis.

Communicaid’s Living & Working in the UK courses are designed to respond to the needs of international assignees by providing practical information and advice on the various aspects of living and working in the UK, as well as conveying an understanding of the underlying elements that shape British culture inside and outside the workplace.

Benefits

A Communicaid Living and Working in the UK course will provide you with:

- A comprehensive insight to the United Kingdom and its historical, social and economic 

  development

- An understanding of  British culture or “way of doing things”

- Key communication tools and skills to understand—and respond to— business and social

  subtleties and nuances of British culture while living and working in the UK

  An awareness of culture and country “shock”—and ways of surviving it

  Essential practical and information to improve  your experience of “living and working” in the  

  UK

Who should attend

A Communicaid Living and Working in the UK course will be of benefit to you if: 

- You are about to or have recently started an assignment in the United Kingdom

- You work on short-term assignments with the UK and spend some of your time in the UK

Course content

All our Living and Working in the UK training courses are designed to meet the specific needs of our clients depending on their personal/organisational requirements and existing skills set.   A Living and Working in the UK course typically includes:

- Managing culture and country shock

- A geographical, socio-economic and historical overview of the UK

- The effect of British culture on society and personal interaction

- Practical information on living and working  in the UK

- Social and business etiquette

- Working with the British

- Attitudes and values in the British business culture

- Management styles

- Effective business communication

Approach

Living and Working in the UK courses are available seven days a week, 365 days a year, either at one of our training centres in London, Paris, Frankfurt and New York or at your offices in any location worldwide.  We usually recommend a one or two day course but can also offer a more flexible format to suit your schedule.

Suitably tailored materials will be used throughout your Living and Working in the UK course and your trainer will provide a balance of structured input and discussion of case studies and scenarios relevant to your own particular context.

The most appropriate training format, content and approach for your Living and Working in the UK course will be discussed during your diagnostic consultancy (please click here to read more about our approach).

Living and Working in the UK course trainer

Your Living and Working in the UK course trainer will be assigned to you following the results of your diagnostic consultancy according to your objectives and areas of focus.  Detailed below is the profile of one of our cultural awareness training team.

RD

RD is an intercultural trainer and management consultant with substantial experience of working in the UK, US and Italy.  He specialises in delivering business-focused training to senior managers and has an in-depth understanding of American and British culture.

RD lived in the US between 1991 and 2001 where he was President of a international consulting group working with blue chip clients to develop strategic marketing and brand development for automotive, hotel, banking and other sectors.  Prior to this RD spent time in the UK and Italy working on various marketing communications, segmentation and product development projects for consulting groups, advertising agencies and government agencies. He formerly worked at various UK Universities Management faculties including Birmingham, Aberdeen and the Open Business School.

RD has delivered numerous Living and Working in the UK courses for Communicaid clients including Cadbury Schweppes, Adidas, L'Oréal and Rio Tinto. He also delivers regular International Team Building programmes to the London Business School and GSK.