Why Building Your Own Global Cultural Calendar Is Risky
Most companies wouldn’t hand a new pilot the controls on a transatlantic flight, and most wouldn’t let an untrained employee […]
Most companies wouldn’t hand a new pilot the controls on a transatlantic flight, and most wouldn’t let an untrained employee […]
A closer look at what Lent is for, where it began, and why giving things up for Lent still matters
Ramadan shows up on global calendars every year, yet many workplaces still feel unsure how to respond to it. Meetings
Imagine you work on a global team. Your week fills up with meetings across regions. Early mornings. Late nights. Global
Anyone who doubts the impact of culture needs look no further than current news headlines, which center around the Middle East. And perhaps the primary cause of ongoing conflict in the region is Muslims wish to retain their culture. Indeed, in his keynote speech at last week’s annual conference of the Muslim World League (MWL) in Makkah, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called upon Muslims to be modern while respecting their cultural heritage.
Jean Moncrieff exemplifies the unprecedented proliferation of global, multicultural teams.
“I work with a truly global team,” the marketing consultant wrote in a recent blog post. “I’m drafting this post from a coffee shop in Toronto, my partner is in Santiago and the rest of our inbound marketing team spread across Romania, the U.S. and South Africa.”
There are many facets that affect cultural perceptions of time, and one of them is calendars. Here are some key events in February from our 2015 intercultural calendar:
Anyone who doubts that intercultural training is an essential part of business and the workplace, need look no further than current articles in mainstream publications, from the Harvard Business Review to Entrepreneur Magazine.
And a key facet of an intercultural competence training program is values and beliefs. As people differ on the outside – from appearances to languages – they also differ within, with diverse beliefs and ways of looking at the world.
To be successful in cross-cultural negotiation, you need to put together the right team.
First your crew should be comprised of people who are skilled in cultural competence. You’ll need people who are calm and patient when unexpected obstacles arise. When possible, pick team members who have experience dealing with a particular culture or speak the local language.
Body language and physical gestures are one of the most important – and misunderstood – facets of communication, one of the 7 cultural factors that impact the workplace. From posture to tone of voice, it’s important to learn which gestures and other forms of physical communication are appropriate – and which aren’t.
To communicate effectively, it’s increasingly essential to have intercultural communication skills, as evidenced from news reports from the world’s largest government to local college campuses.
One of the main differences in intercultural communication is style, or the manner in which people speak in communicate. Here are 3 essential differences in style:
In the West we say “give it to me straight.” Generally speaking, people in the United States tend to be direct, and North Europeans even more so. If confronted by a North European, it’s okay to be firm about your opinions.