Cross Cultural Communication
“Culture hides more than it reveals, and strangely enough, what it hides it hides most effectively from its own participants.”
Consider what happened when a major world airlines translated a slogan touting its upholstery “Fly in leather,” which in Spanish means “Fly naked,” or a large beer company came up with a new marketing slogan, “Turn it loose,” which in the local language translated as “Suffer from diarrhea,” or you have discovered after months of emailing your new team member in India that you have referred to him as Ms.
Globalization. People and goods are flowing freely across the world, East to West, North to South, and technology has brought us instantaneous communication 24/7. The reality of outsourcing and offshoring are common-place. Cultures and ideas are mixing constantly. We may find ourselves hosting a foreign national or working along side people from several cultures outside of our own either face-to-face or virtually. We may be accepting or considering a long term overseas job assignment or know someone who is. Perhaps, we are going overseas for a quick business trip in anticipation of off shoring manufacturing, or even developing overseas sales. Maybe you are a university student beginning your studies overseas. Regardless of the reason, the fact is that people around the globe have become more dependent upon each other, and the world has become a smaller place in which to live and conduct business. It is necessary, therefore, if companies desire to be successful globally, that their employees take a genuine interest in learning about people from other cultures.
Our cross-cultural business solutions include cultural consulting, skills development, brand localization, executive coaching, and program design/training which support a broader perspective and understanding of the cultural influences affecting strategic planning and implementation for competing successfully in this global market.