If you are called upon to provide your expertise in foreign lands...lucky you! What a wonderful and broadening experience to enhance your cultural and professional capabilities. However, it is not easy to find the right references or resources for making your trip 100% effective, and "getting it right" the first time. The following tips can provide a framework to start you thinking and planning your international visit.
Rule # 1: Don´t Think Like You Do
The easiest and most difficult thing to do! Don´t think like you do. Rather, be aware that sometimes "how you think is, well... how you think." We in the U.S.have assumptions about what good communication is; how to facilitate a meeting, run a seminar or consult with professionals on worker issues. These preferences are probably shaped so long ago, that it is easy to forget that essentially all they are: preferences shaped by local custom. As effective as they might be in the States, they may not be effective outside of the U.S. Marquardt and Engel write about delivery of training programs around the world with: "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." * Open your mind to flexing your design ideas to more closely match local preferences and customs.
Rule # 2: Consult With Your Host Prior To The Visit
Whenever possible, talk to your counter-part or colleagues in the country you will be visiting before you travel.
The research done by Geert Hofstede** provides a conceptual framework that professionals may find useful in preparing specific questions to the host based on your assignment. The study looks at four areas:
- Power Distance - the degree to which a society accepts the idea that power is to be distributed unequally (e.g. the manager is expected to have the answers and/or make the decisions vs. there can be consensus);
- Individualism - the degree to which a society believes individuals´ beliefs and actions should be independent of collective thought and action (e.g. the lone voice has valuevs. group traditions and group precedents guide us);
- Uncertainty/Risk Avoidance - the degree to which a society feels threatened by ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them by providing rules or requesting detailed information before making decisions.( e.g. the group needs time, ritual, and a formality customary to their rules vs. embracing new ideas by people who are not authenticated) and finally;
- Task Orientation - the degree to which a society focuses on assertiveness, task achievement, and acquisition of things as opposed to the quality of life and relationships (e.g. building and expecting that relationships will be important to the process vs. making fast decisions, and/or focusing only on the task at hand).
Review your design ideas or meeting agendas in light of the goals you have, while also taking into account the preferences or precedents you uncover. For example: is participation desired? Is seeking consensus needed? Is there a decision to be made or a new policy to be implemented? Ask your host to help you understand how decisions are typically made, or who to include in your communication plan. You might discover there is a lower level of willingness to share opinions or express disagreements in a large group setting. You might decide that pre-meeting reviews with managers make sense, small group work might stimulate discussion or more collaboration in sharing the podium with the local leader might work best.
Rule #3: Err on the Side of Politeness
There is not a guide book large enough to explain every interaction you might encounter or a blueprint for how you might deal with it. Use your best communication skills (and manners) to confirm your understanding, validate someone´s experience, use encouraging language and enthusiastically present your material. Americans by and large, are a casual group. Edward Stewart and Milton J. Bennett, authors of American Cultural Patterns; A Cross Cultural Perspective write: "Americans, assume that given an opportunity, everyone else would be just like themselves."*** It is an erroneous assumption, and often shows up in our tendency to treat others with an informal air, or with a lack of ceremony. Our speech, body language, attire or ways of addressing strangers can reflect this casual approach. A simple manner I was taught as a child is to stand up when an older person was being introduced to me. How amazingly well this habit has served me, in greeting international colleagues for the first time!
Complex Subject; More Tips
Michael J. Marquardt and Dean W. Engel * provide some other tips that I have condensed somewhat, while still highlighting their invaluable advice. I use these principles religiously.
a) If you are unable to speak the local language, try at least to learn some of the basic phrases ("good morning," "I am happy to be here," "thank you" etc.) Your colleagues and co-workers will be pleased with your interest in their language.
b) Watch for, and be attentive to the body language, meeting manners and non-verbal cues of your in-country colleagues. To some extent, you will want to emulate what you see.
c) If the program is conducted in English and English is not the first language of the participants, be sure to assess their language abilities and respond accordingly. Do not assume they understand you. Many can read English more effectively than listen to it. Therefore, use more visuals: flipcharts, PowerPoint or overheads to help with comprehension. Shorten your lectures and encourage break-out sessions in their native language.
d) Avoid jargon and colloquialisms like: "Does anyone have feedback?" Feedback is not a word recognized in many cultures.
e) Speak slowly and clearly. Americans tend to speak rapidly and our regional accents are a challenge for many.
f) Plan for your meeting, class or discussion to take longer than you expected. Be prepared to cut parts of your message to its essential elements.
g) Whenever possible, distribute background information, pre-reading on your topic, etc. PRIOR to the event. Many participants will use this time to familiarize themselves with the concepts, work on the English translation etc. to present themselves more competently in your meeting.
Final Tip
Attendance in your meeting is usually an honor for the individual. The participants want very much to present themselves in a professional, competent way. Use your good judgment to provide and create a respectful, face-saving environment.
References;
* Michael J. Marquardt and Dean W. Engel, Global Human Resource Development. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, pages 50 and 53, ISBN # 0-13-357930-1, 1993
** Geert Hofstede, Culture´s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values, Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc, ISBN- 0-8039-1306-0, 1980
***Edward Stewart and Milton J. Bennett, American Cultural Patterns; A Cross Cultural Perspective. Boston, Mass.: Intercultural Press, 1991 ISBN 1-877864-0-13
Sharyn Mosca is an international management consultant, speaker and executive trainer. She has led seminars in Europe, Asia, Latin America, as well as the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Her seminars and keynotes focus on helping others clarify and align their values to more authentic leadership practices and career goals. She uses emotional intelligence as a foundation to teach key competencies such as influence, managing change, facilitating and coaching. Sharyn may be reached at 973-492-1681 or info@smosca.com Additionally; more information can be obtained through her website and newsletter articles located at http://www.smosca.com
