Mastering Diverse Business Communications
Whether you are in Des Moines or Dubai, 21st century business requires you to competently interact and communicate with clients and colleagues of different cultures. On a plane, at a meeting, on the phone or by the water cooler, you simply cannot afford to make a misunderstood gesture, drop an ill-placed phrase, or use uninformed judgment. What you don't know can, and indeed will, hurt you.
If you question whether you need intercultural training, simply determine if any of these statements apply to you:
Click here for statistics regarding the critical need of this training in U.S. society today.
Understanding, appreciating and maximizing the benefits of cultural differences due to geography or generation are critical to achievement in the domestic or global marketplace - and, of special importance for organizations that wish to be seen in the marketplace as leaders in example and best practice.
The professional in today's world faces a multitude of high level challenges and questions daily due to culture and diversity. To help you meet and exceed these challenges, Tero workshops dive deep into the subjects of intercultural competence, international protocol, domestic diversity and generational difference in an interactive format applicable to garnering business results.
Program Length: one-day
National Culture/Diversity Focus or Generational/Diversity Focus
Don't let this be the question you find yourself or anyone in your organization asking when working cross culturally or cross generationally. All too often, our cross cultural learning occurs only after we have found ourselves unaware of something we should have known, or in the midst of a negatively charged situation that could have been avoided, as in the loss of business or personnel.
When business meets cultural difference, the questions we want to be asking, as well as finding answered in our behavior are:
How do we leverage cultural experience for business gain?
The scope of information about cross cultural communication is vast, yet Tero realizes the needs of our clients with regard to global or generational proficiency are more often than not very specific. To address this reality Tero offers World Class, a full day interactive workshop providing the fundamentals every one needs to function effectively across cultures whether internationally or domestically, spanning generations, in house or abroad.
In World Class participants will experience and take away knowledge of five key tenets of culture that influence our interactions and our success. This session will inform participants of five key areas of how cultures differ, and the effects on organizational interactions.
The five elements are:
Time Values
How we view time differs and determines how it is used and often times seen as misused cross culturally or by generation.
Communication Styles
The cultural differences in communication influence what gets said, and whether things are spoken in a way that promotes common understanding or creates conflict.
Task vs. Relationship
Task vs. relationship is a cultural driver that influences what and how things get done, and how effectively people complete work or work together.
Equal Power vs. Hierarchy
How power is perceived and addressed varies around the globe and age groups. Whether power is viewed as shared by all or given to a designated few determines how people operate.
Individual vs. Group Orientation
Whether we see the world through an individualistic lens, or a group orientation affects how we are motivated and what responsibilities we will take.
These tenets directly affect all of the interactions operating within an organization, and whether they lead to productive results or problems. World Class is customized to address either national culture or generational difference according to your objectives. Customized, this workshop will aid in understanding the root of many of the daily challenges presented to us in the workplace due to culture and diversity, and inform of strategies to use to leverage difference for employee and organizational effectiveness and business gain.
Program Length: each module is one half-day
Prerequisite to these optional modules is successful completion of Tero's World Class one-day workshop. Select the modules that meet your specific goals.
Tero's World Class curriculum digs much deeper than the surface-level "do's and don'ts" that constitute most cross cultural training. This is because at Tero we know simple information might get you in the door, but it won't keep you there. Tero International includes optional modules to further address the complexity of cross cultural interactions. To add to the expertise you will gain in World Class, customized half day optional modules have been designed to build excellence in the area or areas most pertinent to you and to meet your unique cultural challenges.
Seat, Meet and Greet
Learn the practicalities of international protocol that are required for credibility in a world marketplace. Formality in the U.S. is a lost art - but it's a business necessity in other countries. The critical information in this class is a "need-to-know" not a "nice-to-know" for working with internationals at any level. Customized to the country or region of your choice.
Course Elements:
Smart Business Practices
It's not realistic to assume your company's mission, vision and organizational expectations will be clear and understandable to a diversified employee base. Achieving maximum productivity requires employers to take specific action toward assimilating their employees. Effective cross cultural communication is key. Customized to address national culture difference or generational difference.
Course elements:
Worried about Working WITH the U.S.?
This course demystifies the U.S. way of doing business for the international partner or venture capitalist. Interactions in the U.S. may appear informal, but there is a distinct way businesses operate that shrewd internationals understand.
Course elements:
Closing the Deal: International Negotiations
How do you get to yes in international deals? Master the fundamentals of conducting successful negotiations.
Course elements:
Virtual Team Communications
Understand what it takes to be an effective team player (and leader) when distance and difference are in play. Learn effective communication strategies for teams working across cultures and continents.
Course elements:
Worried about Working IN the U.S.?
The international that works for a U.S. organization has a special challenge. Assumed cultural expectations are difficult to decipher and can sometimes mean success or failure for otherwise talented individuals.
Course elements:
Country Specific Studies
Specialized, all-inclusive country specific information can elevate your business communications, interactions and transactions and turn them into lasting, effective relationships. Tero customizes World Class to be country specific, and has country specific modules available as a follow up to the World Class curriculum.
Click here for a partial list of countries that targeted cultural training can be provided for.
In addition to the one-day World Class and Global Proficiency Option Modules Tero also offers:
Individualized Global Executive Coaching
Tero believes in the value of personalized coaching as an extension of training. Applying skills and knowledge learned in a coaching setting maximizes individual and organizational return on investment. Coaching candidates have an option of gaining the skills presented in World Class in a group or semi private or private setting. Once the skills are addressed, coaching provides specific application to the individual's context, roles and responsibilities.
Expat Preparation
Do you have employees facing overseas assignments? Tero is unique in its ability to provide highly customized and personal expat training and follow up to prepare and care for your employee and his/her family through the expat experience.
IDI: Intercultural Developmental Inventory Assessment and Coaching
Gain the competitive edge with a personal assessment that measures your existing ability to effectively manage difference found in diversity. This assessment, follow up coaching and development of a professional success action plan provides crucial and invaluable insight for anyone whose profession involves managing or doing business cross culturally.
Cross Cultural Strategic Plan Development
Do you need to determine the elements of cross cultural best practice for your organization or team? Is there a need for assistance in facilitation to ensure culture is addressed and leveraged for meeting effectiveness and business gain? Tero is unique in its ability to offer strategic planning and facilitation assistance to accomplish this mission. We can review your existing business functions and work with you to implement protocol and/or facilitation procedures to ensure best practice with regard to cross cultural communication and strategies.