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Intercultural Workshops
Cultural Awareness: Building Your Intercultural Competency
1 day
Half day
Face to face
Online
Business professionals and executives who work across cultures face to face and / or virtually
Students in a culturally diverse academic setting
Educators in a culturally diverse academic setting
Cultural Awareness: Building Your Intercultural Competency
The Language of Service & Culture provides “Cultural Awareness: Building Your Intercultural Competency” workshops which recognise that in today’s global environment, many executives, business professionals, educators and students are working, teaching and studying across cultures and languages, and the need to do so more effectively is greater than ever. Culture can influence all aspects of an individual’s attitudes and behaviour, including one’s values and norms, assumptions and perceptions. Raising awareness of cultural differences and how they impact the workplace and the academic environment, as well as developing critical intercultural skills, can result in more successful communication and greater cooperation.
Business professionals and executives, who are on or who lead multicultural teams, and anyone interacting with clients or colleagues in other countries, as well as students and teachers in culturally diverse settings, can develop intercultural competencies which help to minimise the challenges and to maximise the rewards that come from collaborating across cultures. A lack of cultural sensitivity and a failure to understand the values that often drive how one conducts business and how students learn and behave, can lead to miscommunication, team / group project ineffectiveness and interpersonal tension and conflict, which can significantly affect overall performance and morale. Cultural awareness is a key competency for 21st century global business professionals at all levels, as well as educators and students in today’s multicultural learning environment.
Learning Outcomes:
- Increase understanding of the impact of culture and how key cultural differences influence day to day face to face and virtual business and academic interactions
- Cultivate “cultural intelligence” by looking at one’s own cultural preferences for communication and working styles and recognising and respecting how they differ to others’ while considering adapting or cross-culturally “code switching”, when appropriate
- Build verbal and non-verbal cross-cultural communication skills in order to improve effectiveness when conversing with both native and non-native English-speaking colleagues, students and classmates from diverse cultural backgrounds
- Experience fewer communication breakdowns as a result of one’s increased intercultural competencies and know how to resolve misunderstandings for more trusting relationships and enhanced teamwork
- Profit from greater efficiency and productivity in a respectful and inclusive environment, which leverages and celebrates cultural similarities and differences
Working Effectively on Multicultural Teams
1 day
Half day
Face to face
Online
Business professionals and executives who work on a multicultural team face to face and / or virtually
Working Effectively on Multicultural Teams
The Language of Service & Culture provides “Working Effectively on Multicultural Teams” workshops to help global team members who are collaborating with colleagues from around the world, whether face to face or online, to achieve greater success. It is important for team members when cooperating to reach goals and targets to understand that culture incorporates one’s values, assumptions and perceptions and can have an effect on all aspects of an individual’s attitudes and behaviour, including one’s favoured communication and working styles. Raising cross-cultural awareness of the similarities within the multicultural group is the first step to enhanced relationship building and teamwork. This is the easy part. Sensitively identifying the cultural differences that impact the workplace is the more challenging task, which can bring the greatest benefits for improved cultural empathy and understanding and consensus driven strategies for new and improved ways to work more effectively and harmoniously.
Cultural views and norms can vary regarding time, authority, task versus relationship focus, what is considered polite or impolite, what is the best way to give constructive feedback or to make a request. How one says no or disagrees, makes a decision or problem solves can all be influenced by culture. Additionally, English may be the “official global language of business”, however, many members of the multicultural team may be non-native English speakers. This can also often lead to unintentional communication breakdown. Interacting virtually can bring its own increased challenges to the intercultural group as well. By developing a global mindset and intercultural competencies, it is easier for all to communicate more successfully and to build trusting and respectful relationships to reach shared objectives.
Learning Outcomes:
- Cultivate “cultural intelligence” by increasing awareness of culture's impact and how key cultural differences influence day to day face to face and virtual business interactions and working practices in the team
- Develop intercultural communication skills and tools in order to improve intercultural competence when speaking with or writing to team members from diverse cultural backgrounds and understand how to interpret styles and to adapt or cross-culturally “code switch”, when appropriate
- Reinforce and strengthen collaboration with colleagues, while leveraging both cultural similarities and differences
- Decrease misunderstandings and cross-cultural tensions and conflicts and develop new ways to resolve miscommunication when it occurs for strengthened teamwork
- Improve group performance with greater efficiency and productivity, as well as morale through increased cooperation and a sense of inclusivity and belonging
Developing a Global Mindset & Intercultural Leadership Skills
1 day
Half day
Face to face
Online
Business professionals and executives who lead multicultural teams or global projects
Developing a Global Mindset & Intercultural Leadership Skills
The Language of Service & Culture provides “Developing a Global Mindset & Intercultural Leadership Skills” workshops because one of the most valuable skills for the 21st century manager is the ability to lead effectively across cultures. Successful business professionals and executives understand the importance of having “cultural agility” and of developing and leveraging their intercultural competencies. Values, attitudes, preferred communication and work styles vary among cultures and can significantly impact business relationships and team performance.
With enhanced knowledge about these key differences, a non-judgmental perspective and strengthened cross-cultural communication skills, intercultural managers can develop practical tools and strategies to lead with greater "cultural intelligence" and inclusivity. Openness, flexibility and curiosity are essential traits for today’s global leader. Important intercultural leadership skills include knowing when to negotiate significant differences and how and when to adapt or adjust one’s management style or cross-culturally “code switch”, for maximum effectiveness. Virtual management can also bring additional challenges when working across cultures. Being interculturally competent can help significantly to achieve business goals and to ensure a sense of belonging is felt by all team members in the culturally diverse environment.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the impact of culture and how cultural differences influence perceptions, expectations, motivations, interactions and working styles across the multicultural team
- Enhance intercultural communication skills and tools, including active listening, cross-culturally “code switching”, delivering feedback effectively, as well as ensuring understanding when working face to face and virtually with non-native English speakers
- Build trusting relationships in the team while leveraging both cultural similarities and differences
- Decrease misunderstandings among team members and manage cross-cultural conflicts when they occur to foster effective collaboration and achieve objectives
- Enjoy greater efficiency, productivity and cooperation from members of the diverse team who feel understood, respected, included and that they belong
Inclusion & Belonging: Celebrating Our Differences
1 day
Half day
Face to face
Online
Business professionals and executives who are interested in fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace:
- Individual
- Group
Inclusion & Belonging: Celebrating Our Differences
The Language of Service & Culture provides “Inclusion & Belonging: Celebrating Our Differences” workshops to create awareness and understanding of the importance of fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where there is a sense of acceptance for all. The challenges that are often faced by individuals in the organisation, when they feel they cannot be their authentic selves, are also explored. Identity shapes our values, views and perceptions, personally and professionally. The workshops focus on how everyone in an organisation can play a role in contributing to a workplace where there is respect, fairness, dignity, trust, acceptance, appreciation, sensitivity and empathy toward any difference, including, but not limited to cultural, generational, religious, gender, sexual orientation, racial, ability, educational and socioeconomic. This can contribute to a feeling of belonging, increased job and overall organisational satisfaction.
Self-reflection and honest discussions lead to better understanding of how an inclusive work culture can improve relationships and performance and how new strategies can be created to accomplish this. Hidden biases frequently exist and may need assistance to be uncovered and managed. They can often be expressed through behaviour, and even if unintentional, can have an impact, making others feel excluded, unappreciated and possibly disrespected. By working together, talent diversity in an organisation can be increased, and inclusion and a sense of belonging for all members can be achieved.
Learning Outcomes:
- Celebrate and champion difference and view diversity with openness, curiosity, and respect, where each perspective is considered in the pursuit of common organisational goals
- Attract highly talented professionals from diverse backgrounds based on a corporate reputation for an inclusive work environment where people can be their authentic selves
- Improve staff motivation and efficiency, as well as collaboration among team members
- Enjoy more creativity and innovation as diverse views are given a voice
- Enhance communication skills, verbal and non-verbal, which are accepting and withhold judgement
