Expatriate Intercultural Program

Why are Expatriate Intercultural programs important?  A successful expatriation requires the ability to adapt and thrive in a new culture.  This adaptation can take time, mainly because of the many different intercultural challenges which need to be overcome.

To succeed in a new culture, expatriates need to be equipped with the relevant intercultural skills and strategies in order to correctly decipher and react to their counterpart’s values and behaviors.  An awareness of expatriates’ own core cultural values is also important as it will help them to have a better understanding of the possible challenges and cope with them.  A comprehensive overview of other cultural aspects such as communication styles or key do’s and don’ts will also help expatriates during their expatriation.

Communicaid’s Expatriate Intercultural programs will help expatriates to avoid cultural faux pas and critical incidents through a comprehensive review of their culture and host culture.   Expatriates equipped with this knowledge will then be able to socialize more easily and work more effectively by knowing the specific cultural practices, enabling a smooth expatriation process.

Benefits

A Communicaid Expatriate Intercultural program will provide you with:

• In-depth cultural awareness and understanding of the impact of cultural differences
• The intercultural tools and knowledge needed to settle and thrive in another culture
• A better understanding of the intercultural pitfalls awaiting you on expatriation
• The opportunity to enhance intercultural sensitivity and competence for a more successful expatriation
• Intercultural strategies to encourage positive relationships in both a professional and personal context

Who should attend?

A Communicaid Expatriate Intercultural program will be of benefit to you if:

• You are leaving for an expatriation
• You are following your partner to another county
• You are planning to live and work abroad for a long or short-term expatriation
• You are trying to adapt a new cultural environment

Course Content

All our Expatriate Intercultural programs are designed to meet the unique needs of our clients depending on their specific requirements and existing skills set.   An Expatriate Intercultural program typically includes:

• An overview of intercultural communication and its impact on business and social life
• Intercultural values and attitudes and their impact on the workplace and everyday life
• Social and business etiquette and good practices: how to avoid intercultural faux pas
• Communication styles: how to decipher them and adapt your own style to ensure effective communication
• Language issue: how to adapt your language to an international audience and avoid intercultural misunderstanding
• Intercultural tips and strategies to ensure a good expatriation process

Approach

Expatriate Intercultural programs are available seven days a week, 365 days a year, either at one of our training centers in London, Brussels, 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 cultural awareness materials will be used throughout your Expatriate Intercultural program 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 Expatriate Intercultural program will be discussed during your diagnostic consultancy.

Expatriate Intercultural Program Trainer

Your Expatriate Intercultural program trainer will be assigned to you following the results of your diagnostic consultancy.  Detailed below is a sample profile of a member of our Expatriate Intercultural program training team.

RF – Cultural Awareness Trainer US/UK

BA & MA in Anthropology

RF has eighteen years professional experience in education and corporate training in both the US and the UK.  He is a qualified trainer and has trained individuals and groups in communication skills, project management, coaching skills and cross cultural communication.

On his arrival in London during the mid 1990s RF held a number of academic positions with American universities including Dean of Students at Schiller International University and Director of Career Services at American InterContinental University.  Responsibilities included recruitment and supervision of teaching staff, overseas marketing and business development, curriculum management and conducting workshops and seminars.

In 2002, RF joined KPMG, London as Career and Resource Manager providing group and individual training on project management, presentation skills, and interpersonal skills among other programs.