Reaping the Full Benefits of Foreign Investment Requires ICE-Q

The nature of a multinational company (MNC) is to invest capital in markets outside of the country in which it began its operations. Typically, this business activity is called foreign direct investment (FDI). For open economies to flourish, cross-border trade is essential. Another critical factor for successful international business is ICE-Q – a combination of three essential, durable skills: subject …

Communicating with Cultural Sensitivity in a Zoom World

We are curious about your feedback on this podcast. Allen Koski and Andrew Jernigan interviewed TCM founder Christian Höferle for their New Nomad Podcast. They talked about efficient communication in times of remote work and across cultures. Christian had a chance to share some useful tips on how to navigate the world of virtual meetings and conferences while still being …

Should You Change Your Corporate Culture?

Chances are, if you’re asking yourself this question, the answer may very well be yes. On the popular and well respected Decision Vision Podcast, hosted by Michael Blake for Brady Ware & Company, Christian Höferle is sharing some insights on corporate culture, creating cohesion with employees scattered around the world, and the importance of developing ICE-Q for global business success. In the …

Learning to Go 120 Miles Wide and 2 Inches Deep as a California Expat

Back from California’s beaches Martin Brem reflects on expat life He works for one of the most global businesses in one of the most global industries. Yet, when Martin Brem made a professional move from Central Europe to Southern California for the music business, his Red Bull wings didn’t fully prepare him for the cultural change he was about to …

The Culture Moment 32+33+34

The Culture Moments 32+33+34

A lot of our clients work in a global context between English-speaking North America and German-speaking Europe. That’s why we compiled nine tips on how to improve your transatlantic communication with people from the United States and Canada, if you are a foreigner from the heart of Europe. Would you like these 9 tips explored in more detail and combined …

Russell Harlow

Adapt. Don’t Adopt. [The Culture Guy Podcast]

Russell Harlow on why even monkeys fall from trees Can you be “too Japanese” as a foreign professional in Japan? Apparently you can. On this episode Russell Harlow tells us how his success in adjusting to his new environment in Tokyo initially had a detrimental effect on his effectiveness as a leader of a multinational organization in Japan. Russell is …

The Culture Moment 31

The Culture Moment 31

Let’s say you want people to better unterstand the culture of the country or region with which you identify most (could be your home country or adopted home). How do you create commonality with people from other cultures and countries? Here are some tips for questions and conversational topics you can use. The chat evolving from these will highlight your …

The Culture Moment 30

The Culture Moment 30

Suspend your judgement and observe keenly. Whenever you travel take the time to observe your surroundings. You’ll encounter people from all walks of life. This will allow you to practice your knowledge about cultural differences. Remember the Mark Twain quote about how travel is the antidote to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness? It can truly be, if you observe with eyes, …

The Culture Moment 29

The Culture Moment 29

People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.What is your WHY? Here’s mine. Find out more about the power of WHY with Simon Sinek. What is The Culture Moment? The Culture Moment is our short-form video format: every clip is a bit more than three minutes long and contains a complimentary intercultural nugget, presented by Christian …

The Culture Moment 28

The Culture Moment 28

How do you deal with difference? Here’s a radically simple way to tackle your fear of the foreign, the uneasiness with otherness: Take the other to lunch, ask these three questions, and suspend your judgment in favor of listening to relate. What is The Culture Moment? The Culture Moment is our short-form video format: every clip is a bit more …

The Culture Moment 27

The Culture Moment 27

Here’s an answer to the question why our company is called The Culture Mastery. There are four stages to learning anything and we’ll take you through all of them so you can master the new skills: Unconscious Incompetence ❯ Conscious Incompetence ❯ Conscious Competence ❯ Unconscious Competence What is The Culture Moment? The Culture Moment is our short-form video format: …

The Culture Moment 25

The Culture Moment 25

There is a way to find out whether a cultural training firm is right for you and your organization. Seven questions you should ask. Inquire before you hire! We also have a blog post on this topic. What is The Culture Moment? The Culture Moment is our short-form video format: every clip is a bit more than three minutes long …

The Culture Moment 24

The Culture Moment 24

Companies that capitalize on culture do better in reaching their goals. Are you leaving money on the table by insisting on doing business “your” way? Or are you open to the idea of adjusting your approach? Either way, you should be aware that when businesses embrace a global mindset they get better results. What is The Culture Moment? The Culture …

The Culture Mastery 23

The Culture Moment 23

Are you planning to go to the C-Suite? Are you expecting it to be a sweet/suite ride? That road might be a bit bumpy, if you are missing the key “Vitamin C” ingredient: a healthy organizational culture that is in alignment with your corporate goals and with the diverse cultures of the markets in which you are doing business. Are …

The Culture Moment 22

The Culture Moment 22

When global executives outline key pillars for making expat assignments work I pay close attention. Of the three things I learned from a senior leader, No. 3 should make you think. Especially considering that less than 15% of HR professionals have worked abroad. And still many HR departments think they can cover expatriate support programs with in-house solutions. Three things …

The Culture Moment 21

The Culture Moment 21

Time for some real talk! Whenever people tell you cultural training initiatives “don’t work,” here’s how you respond: You won’t look like The Rock after one visit to the gym. You won’t cure tonsillitis with one antibiotic pill. And you certainly won’t build cultural competence in your organization with one training program! It’s a process. You present new knowledge, you …

The Culture Moment 20

The Culture Moment 20

What is it like to work with a Culture Coach? People often have wrong ideas and expectations around that. Let us help you bust five of the myths about what a cross-cultural coach offers. 1. Working with a cross-cultural coach means I am incapable to figure this out on my own2. Your coach will fix all of your problems3. Your …

The Culture Moment 19

The Culture Moment 19

How realistic is it to expect that one culture can (or even: should) learn something from another? And how does comparing cultural norms help you adjust to different environments? This Culture Moment takes a look at the fallacy of supposing that the behavioral norms of one culture “should” apply to another. What is The Culture Moment? The Culture Moment is …

The Culture Moment 18

The Culture Moment 18

When was the last time you interacted with people from another culture? Remember how you stepped on someone’s toes? Or that time you committed a cultural faux pas? We want to encourage you to share YOUR culture moments. Leave a comment below and get a chance to talk about your experience on a future episode of The Culture Guy Podcast. …

The Culture Moment 17

The Culture Moment 17

This Culture Moment comes with a bit of a myth buster: Cultural training, in and by itself, will not make your global business challenges disappear. So now what? What is The Culture Moment? The Culture Moment is our short-form video format: every clip is a bit more than three minutes long and contains a complimentary intercultural nugget, presented by Christian …