Cross-Cultural Communication & Intercultural Fluency

Objectives

• to develop a style of communication that reaches a wide range of cultures & personalities
• to understand the different ‘tacit agreements’ different cultures have
• to learn to distinguish between what is said & how and what is meant
• to break down barriers and promote understanding between cultures

Take-Aways

• more effective cross-cultural communication 
• fewer misunderstandings
• smoother workflow
• increased confidence & efficiency

Rationale

In today’s globalized work environment, we often find ourselves working with a multitude of different cultures - whereby culture is not only determined by nationality, even organizations, institutions and families often have a culture of their own. 

So we need to develop a style of communication that works across a range of cultures, one that does not cause or take offense unnecessarily, that allows us to build trust and work efficiently. If we take responsibility for both understanding and being understood, then we become more productive and efficient - and we have better relationships with colleagues and clients too. If we can clarify rather than assume - i.e. “I thought that you thought that I thought...” - then interactions become a lot easier and more effective.

Content

During this highly interactive workshop, we will assess the strengths and skills participants already have in the area of communication and build on them to achieve a high level of intercultural fluency and cross-cultural connection. 

SESSION 1

• assessing communication skills & strengths of each participant
• presenting an overview of skills needed
• introducing Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
• taking a look at stereotyping 

• is there such a thing as a positive stereotype? 
• taking Jack out of the box

SESSION 2

• introducing the basics of NVC (Non-Violent Communication)
• practicing a new communication style
• reaching efficiency
• creating awareness of obstacles to cross-cultural communication
• removing said obstacles

SESSION 3

• taking responsibility for understanding & being understood
• organizing complex information to convey it across cultures
• small talk & humour across cultures 
• conclusion: bringing it all together

LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED

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