Working in a multicultural environment

 

Working in a global company forces us to work closely with people who come from a cultural background which is different than ours, sometimes we run into situations which are not clear to us and we are not sure how to behave in them.

 

Why did the joke that made my Israeli colleagues laugh didn't amuse my Japanese colleagues?

Why did my sales presentation work so well in Israel but doesn't seem to convince the Americans?

Why is my directness which is so valued in Israel not appreciated in England?

Why is my Swiss colleague so uncomfortable with me being 5 minutes late?

 

Business relationships are first of all relationships between people, the need for closeness, feeling comfortable and trust between individuals is a primary need creating personal contact.

 

The initial difficulty when working with people from another culture is first of all realization that we are different. Understanding that and willingness to accept that a learning process is required is not clear to everyone.

Only by truly understanding the Israeli culture and how our culture is percieved by other cultures will enable employees to understand conflicts and gaps.

This understanding will not only enable understanding the gaps but will also provide us with tools to bridge over those gaps.

 

Seminar Topics:

What is culture

Dimensions for comparison between cultures

How to identify and deal with cultural differences

How does your cultural background influence your behaviour  at work

The role of culture in the success or failure of relationships at work

Differences between Israeli  and other cultures

Business communications challenges facing different cultures

Collision detection and the right approach to solve them

Developing cultural sensitivity

Creating from the Dialog resolve conflicts