Successful Intercultural Communication“Soft” Skills for the International Professional

1-day WORKSHOP

Language level: Upper intermediate to advanced (Logik Placement Test 35+)

This one-day workshop is for professionals – managers and/or assistants who work with people from different cultures.

Good communication skills in English are essential when dealing with customers in the global market place. Here, the intercultural understanting plays an integral role in global business relations. Whether you are aware of it or not, first impressions do make a major difference in achieving business objectives. Any time you make contact with a person in business, you are making a mini-presentation of yourself, ultimately representing your company, service and/or products.

People skills (soft skills) are very important, in many cases even more important than technical and/or professional skills. Since the language alone is inadequate for effective communication, it is essential to grasp how the international partners “tick”.

By doing this, you have put yourself on their wavelength – this done, you are both “speaking the same language”. A feeling of trust arises when you develop empathy for the other culture – the way they think, work and, most of all, the way they express themselves.

If you are working with people from a different culture you will have noticed that they do and say things differently. It is important to understand that this is not the wrong way, but a different way of thinking and communicating.

This one-day workshop will make you aware of the differences in the way Anglo-Saxons and other cultures think and express themselves and how and why “communication breakdown” happens more often than you think, resulting in a “critical incident”. Although the emphasis will be on communication in English and contrasting the American and British communication styles, we will also be dealing with other aspects of culture such as concepts of time, body language, gift giving, etc.

  • You will learn:
  • The intercultural challenge, cultural dimensions, business communication
  • Culture and body language
  • Effective greetings, small talk, active listening
  • Entertaining and gift giving around the world
  • Culture and concepts of time around the world
  • Concepts of “contracts” and truth around the world
  • Giving feedback and directives
  • Making requests, polite questions and interviewing techniques
  • Tactful agreement and disagreement
  • Critical incidents – personal culture clashes – and what you learned from it about that culture
  • Working with the Americans, British, Dutch, French, etc..…
  • Methodology:
The purpose of the course is to help you become more aware of cultural dimensions through:
  • Self assessment questionnaires
  • Critical incidents – personal culture clashes – and what you learned from it about that culture
  • Critical incidents – reading and discussing the culture clashes described