Food for thought - Our Courses

We’re All Different, So What?

Understanding the true impact of culture on international business

We might know that it’s OK to spit in Beijing, walk when the light is red in New York or vital to start on time in Frankfurt but does this mean we “get” the impact of culture? Culture is more than skin deep, and it’s the parts we can’t see that cause unintended conflict or deadlock. Most businesses pride themselves on being international, but just because everyone might be using English, doesn’t mean they’re all speaking the same language. Whilst this workshop does introduce some cultural theory, the focus is on practicality, interactivity and finding solutions to bridging “the culture gap”. Areas covered include:

• Understanding what we mean by culture
• Seeing ourselves as others see us
• Using cultural theory to gain objectivity and tolerance
• Learning to read between the lines
• Recognising where conflicts might arise in international business
• Developing a communication style and structure to uncover and deal with cultural differences