Course Introduction

This Intercultural Communication training course offers key tools and techniques participants can use to optimize international best practice by understanding how international management styles differ and learning how to adapt or get others to adapt. In doing so it reflects one of the most important trends in contemporary management; the need to build lasting relationships and trust in a globalized economy dominated by information and communication technology. It demonstrates how to enter new markets and manage multicultural teams, in short, how to become a multicultural manager.

Led by subject matter expert, this training course teaches you how to overcome challenges in dealing with clients, colleagues, and business partners from different cultural backgrounds. Moreover, the training course focuses on the challenges faced by participants themselves in entering new markets, managing teams and running supply chain management and dealing with issues raised by multinational colleagues and management within their organization.

This Oxford Management Centre training course will highlight:

• The key contributions of intercultural theory and principles to international management
• How to manage different client and partner expectations based on their values and attitudes
• How to recognize and adapt to different communication styles
• How to deal with organizational differences hat impede efficiency and international cooperation.
• How to recognize and adapt to different leadership styles
• How to build a reputation as a multicultural manager

Objectives

At the end of this Intercultural Communication training course, you will learn to:

• Communicate successfully with international colleagues, clients, and business partners
• Work successfully with new and existing overseas markets
• Adapt successfully to different organization styles
• Analyze and adapt to different management styles
• Apply practical tools and techniques to help you manage internationally

Training Methodology

The training course uses a workshop approach involving all participants individually, in pairs and groups. It works on practical examples provided by participants and related to the participant’s industry and the markets they are interested in. It encourages participants to solve practical problems in international management through case studies and critical incidents. It teaches practical tools to understand and resolve cultural differences.

Organisational Impact

This Oxford Management Centre training course can transform international business and government by:

• Achieving smoother communication
• Building good relations and trust
• Resolving misunderstandings
• Understanding how to deal with new or under performing markets and organizations
• Building the management team’s confidence in working internationally
• Learning tools to understand management communication and leadership styles and how to adapt

Personal Impact

Participants on training course will be equipped to deal with a number of challenges, and will be able to attain the following:

• Business challenges resolved
• Communication skills and confidence increased
• Specification, delivery, and budget targets met
• Knowledge of markets and what to look for increased
• Access to international companies and organizations increased
• Adaptation to foreign working environments eased

Who Should Attend?

This Intercultural Communication training course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Managers working with overseas markets. These may be new markets, local, regional, or global
• Multicultural teams working together in the same location
• Virtual International teams communicating electronically or by occasional face-to-face meetings
• Senior management teams and board members
• Departments focusing on international markets or of multicultural composition

Course Outline

DAY 1

The Importance of Cultural Awareness and the Key Theoretical Principles

• Why culture matters
• The culture filter
• The islands activity
• Key principles in intercultural theory
• How to apply the key principles in practice

DAY 2

Managing Client Expectations

• Key theories influencing client expectations and how they work
• Analysis of critical incidents regarding client expectations
• principle of client expectations
• Critical incident methodology and how to use it
• Adapting successfully to cultural differences

DAY 3

Communication

• Key theoretical issues in communication
• Key national communication issues
• The RADAR Communication tool
• Dealing with Presentations
• Dealing with Meetings
• Dealing with Negotiations
• Dealing with Networking and Relationship Building

DAY 4

Operations Management

• Key theoretical points and application
• Adapting to different attitudes to timekeeping and delivery
• International teamworking - key issues and how to adapt
• Adapting to company and national differences regarding working hours and routines
• Analysis of critical incidents

DAY 5

Leadership

• Key theoretical issues in intercultural management and how to apply them
• The INCA project – qualities of a successful international manager
• Management and leadership styles
• Gender issues in management and leadership
• The RADAR profile