Identifying the Challenges/Opportunities:
Time management studies indicate that critical business time and manpower are wasted because of cultural misunderstandings between levels of global corporate culture. The cost of prevention is less than a cultural collision. Can you afford not to give employees the time to develop cross-cultural communication skills? It may be your best investment in the 21st century. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, people need to develop greater cultural diversity skills. In fact, when two or more people interact, a culture clash may occur. Times have changed. It is critical to learn...
How to be CROSS-CULTURALLY INTERDEPENDENT and PRODUCTIVE by understanding:
- How to avoid cultural collision?
- How to become competent in another culture and build relationships across cultures?
- How to communicate effectively with people from other cultures?
- How to recognize conflicting values and avoid conflict?
- How to know if what you are communicating is being received accurately?
- How to keep harmony - WA?
- How to move from an environment of control and operate in an environment that respects the natural order of things and yet still moves forward?
- How to save your face and theirs?
- When a smile is not one of satisfaction?
- How to work with different styles of leadership and group thinking - consensus circles?
- How decisions are made? What is the cost of delayed decisions?
- How to manage cross-cultural negotiations?
- How to manage cross-cultural conflicts?
- How to communicate across cultures and be understood?
- Culture is like an iceberg. You see the tip. How does the invisible iceberg affect your working relationships?
- How to understand cross-cultural non-verbal communication?
- How to see things from someone else's point-of-view?
- How to know when "yes" is really "no"?
- How can you influence someone from another culture?
- When to talk and not to talk? Learn to respect silence and non-verbal communication. Talk less. Listen more. Be patient.
- How to move from a familiar culture to an unfamiliar culture successfully?
- How to return home and cope?
The answers to these questions will give you and your employees some clues about the effectiveness of your communication skills and the care with which you may be able to move through conflict.