“Managing more effectively in a foreign environment”

1. “Managing more effectively in a foreign environment” Sabine Wagner Communication is life

2. Expectations of participants, needs assessment, objectives • The objective of this training is to support all of these areas: the performance, the adjustment and the development. Each participant should gain the ability to form positive, mutual respectful, trust relations with local nationals and people of diverse backgrounds in the country of assignment. Sabine Wagner Communication is life

3. What is culture? • “Culture hides more than it reveals and strangely enough what it hides, it hides most effectively from it’s own participants. Years of study have convinced me that the real job is not to understand foreign culture but to understand our own.” (Edward T. Hall) Sabine Wagner Communication is life

4. Benefits of Cultural awareness / of cross-cultural adaptability • 1.Increase self awareness • 2. Build cross cultural understanding • 3. Adapt skills Sabine Wagner Communication is life

5. Differences in cultural values • Orientation to time • Orientation to activities • Orientation to relationships Sabine Wagner Communication is life

6. The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity • Denial Defense Minimization Acceptance Adaptation Integration ”Another person becomes fully human to the extent that we are able to let the other be different from ourselves” Sabine Wagner Communication is life

7. Ecotonos/ a role play • to teach teambuilding, • to improve the productivity, • to gain a better understanding of the impact of different cultures, • to train alternative problem solving methods Sabine Wagner Communication is life

8. Levels of Competence • Unconscious Incompetence • Conscious Incompetence • Conscious Competence • Unconscious Competence Sabine Wagner Communication is life

9. Artos • Awareness • Resilience • Tolerance of Ambiguity • Openness • Self Assurance Sabine Wagner Communication is life

10. Communication styles “ How do you say something? Style refers to how one speaks not what one says!" • Low context - High context • Direct - Indirect - Storytelling • Faster pace - Slower pace • Formal - Informal • Rational - Emotive – Intuitive Sabine Wagner Communication is life

11. Learning styles • Concrete Experience Learning from feeling • Reflective Observation Learning by watching and listening • Abstract Conceptualisation Learning by thinking • Active Experimentation Learning by doing Sabine Wagner Communication is life

12. Most Common Stereotypes of Americans Held by Foreigners • The goal is to increase the awareness of how the Americans are perceived by foreigners • Even if these stereotypes are untrue, unjustified, or if you personally are not guilty, you will be blamed for them Sabine Wagner Communication is life

13. The German Ways • Politeness • Communication • Punctuality • Presentation Sabine Wagner Communication is life

14. Listening is a Key Skill • Believing that listening to people is important and worth taking the time • Being “Other Person” focused • Believing feelings are as important as facts • Believing that people are capable of solving their own problems • Believing that empathy is important • Believing everybody has something valuable to say Sabine Wagner Communication is life

15. Expats Success Factors • The ability to communicate respect • The ability to be non-judgemental • The ability to accept the relativity of one’s own knowledge and perspective • The ability to display empathy • The ability to be flexible • Understanding the protocols of discussion • Understanding and tolerance of ambiguity Sabine Wagner Communication is life

16. Seven Habits of Global Executives: “Exemplar global leaders are constantly curious, they seek for new information, investigate the world and challenge what other people take for granted.” Sabine Wagner Communication is life

17. Conclusion, expectations reached? • Evaluation of program: “Old habits can’t be thrown out the upstairs window. They have to be coaxed down the stairs one step at a time.” (Mark Twain) Sabine Wagner Communication is life

18. Closing “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I have ended, where I intended to be!” Sabine Wagner Communication is life