Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “cultural competency”
Nobel laureate Kenneth Arrow once described trust as a “lubricant of a social system”. Economic exchange, in particular, is virtually impossible without at least some level of trust. While markets, shops and online traders attempt to reduce uncertainty through customer reviews or free returns policies, consumers have to decide for themselves whether to trust unknown trading partners calling themselves obscure …
Working with professionals from Japan, Mexico, and the USA For three decades Jack Parsons worked for a Japanese car manufacturer who is building vehicles in the United States. In fact, Honda was the first automaker from Japan which established a production subsidiary in the U.S. In his functions at Honda Jack was responsible for training and supporting his company’s network …
Why is foreign language study important? There are many benefits to knowing more than one language. For example, it has been shown that aging adults who speak more than one language have less likelihood of developing dementia. Additionally, the bilingual brain becomes better at filtering out distractions, and learning multiple languages improves creativity. Evidence also shows that learning subsequent languages …
Getting to “Yes” quicker and more often Success in business depends on your ability to connect with other people, earn their attention and trust, and eventually close deals with them. Doing this and deciphering how people make decisions in an international context is disproportionately more challenging than working with local customers and vendors. Are you finding that selling and marketing …
Learn, Engage, Connect, Exchange Ideas, Collaborate The Global HR Business series of conferences is coming to Atlanta, GA this April. Event organizer Edwin B. Cohen has been putting together an impressive speaker roster. This full-day event on April 11, 2018 will bring together professionals from various industries. Ed and his team have been connecting business people from across silos, from across …
When you are taking a brand abroad and start marketing globally, it would be wise to check whether your company name, logo, tag line, and marketing messaging mean something different in the regions into which you are expanding. Cultural differences in branding and marketing will impact your bottom line. Just ask our guest blogger Linda Tietje who is making the business …
Understanding the local negotiation style is key to getting the business outcome you want If you’ve ever tried to buy a carpet in a Turkish bazaar, you’ll know the ritual. The seller mentions a ridiculous price. You (if you are bold enough) make a ludicrously low offer. The seller expresses outrage. You haggle for a while. If your nerve is …
In his day to day professional life, Dwayne Richards serves as a financial advisor, finance director, and CPA to his clients in the Toronto area. One of his side projects is his podcast, Comm Cafe, which he uses to spread practical business advice and to share his guests’ informative and inspirational stories. Recently Dwayne invited Christian Höferle to be a …
Tami Savage is an Air Force veteran, a self-professed computer geek, and a process, automation & systems consultant in the Washington, D.C. area. She recently approached us to learn how The Culture Mastery uses assessment tools and personality profiles in order to serve our clients. The result of her inquiry was an interview Tami conducted with Christian Höferle, The Culture …
From Third Culture Kid to International Business Etiquette Expert She lived abroad as a child and as an adult; she studied, worked, and traveled to more than 70 countries on 7 continents; she speaks French and Czech. Today Sharon Schweitzer has built a career around understanding cultural differences and the tremendous role they play in building strong and successful international business …
Inquire Before You Hire a Cultural Training Provider In an interconnected world with a global economy, every company is now competing on an international level. Unless, of course, they fail to develop the cross-cultural skill set which is needed to be successful in today’s business world. Companies who fall behind on building cultural competency are leaving money on the table. …
Making the business case for cultural competence No matter whether you are expanding your business into foreign markets, trying to recruit the best candidates from a diverse talent pool, leading a multinational (and perhaps remote) team of people, or ensuring your marketing and branding messages are received in the intended way: cultural competence and having a global mindset – your ability …
Four countries, four cultures, four MBA universities Throughout his almost 20-year corporate career Matt Burns has had the opportunity of working for companies with operations around the world. Currently, he is in what he describes “the midst of a mid-career renaissance,” as he is completing an International Executive MBA program at four universities in four countries. This academic globe-trotting is serving …
You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure Most of you have probably heard this axiom before. It is attributed to leadership and management thought leader Peter Drucker who argues that without collecting and analyzing data we have no way of tracking whether and how we are reaching our goals. If your goal this year (notice that we’re not talking about …
Taking inventory and being grateful As 2017 is drawing to a close many of us are stepping back from day to day routines and work schedules in order to reflect on the year that was and to recharge for the new year. We take inventory and celebrate our successes. Among the biggest reasons to celebrate for our team at The …
Three countries in seven years For many Western expats the list of destinations for an overseas work assignment often include countries among the developed economies as well as the leading powers among the developing nations. So living in Australia and Indonesia might not be considered unusual for a student and young professional from Germany. However, relocating to Iran – a …
What makes leaders good in the workplace? That depends on where in the world your workplace is. But one thing is clear: in most situations today, good leaders need to be able to manage across cultures. This means listening to what people are saying and understanding it; reading between the lines, rather than simply reacting. Leadership today requires a high …
Rachel Smets shares her confidence hacks for moving abroad On this episode Rachel Smets, author of “Awaken Your Confidence,” shares her experiences of moving abroad and living in different countries. Born and raised in Belgium, she currently resides in the Netherlands. She left home in her mid-20s and moved to Spain where she landed her first job abroad. Over the years, Rachel has lived in …
“Speech is silver. Silence is golden” This is a widely-used saying that many people in many countries are familiar with. And silence also has many different meanings in cross-cultural communication. Silence can be used to intimidate; or to save face; to show respect; or it can simply suggest that the other person is relaxed enough in your company to enjoy a …
Global readiness to decide biggest site selection deal of the decade Ever since Amazon announced that the company is looking to build a second headquarter (HQ2) in North America the race is on among site selection professionals and communities in the United States and Canada. Aside from hard economic and infrastructural factors, cities will now experience that cultural readiness isn’t …
