Cultural Competence: Skills

Cross-Cultural Skills

“People of different religions and cultures live side by side in almost every part of the world, and most of us have overlapping identities which unite us with very different groups. We can love what we are, without hating what–and who–we are not. We can thrive in our own tradition, even as we learn from others, and come to respect their teachings.”

                         ~ Kofi Annan, Former Secretary General, United Nations

It’s no secret that today’s workplace is rapidly growing. Business environments have expanded to various geographic locations that include numerous cultures. People’s cultural backgrounds play an enormous part in the working environment, both in obvious and indirect ways. Names, appearance, language, and accents, are apparent. However, an individual’s commitments, accountability, teamwork, personal boundaries, attitudes towards time, and social interactions are not immediately clear. To be an effective manager, professionals need strong cross-cultural skills, not only to manage the various personalities, but also to get along with the people they interact with and help integrate them into the working environment.

Most people hone their cross-cultural skills through exposure in life and work environments. [1] What can be difficult, however, is understanding how to communicate effectively with individuals of other cultures who are from a different generation, are of the opposite gender, from another social environment or speak another language.

Do you want to increase your ability to succeed in global management? Are you seeking to make your multicultural teams more effective? Are you trying to define an appropriate management style for your global business? If so, use this guide to build your cross-cultural skills.

Ten Key Cross-Cultural Management Skills [2]

* Self-knowledge: understanding your own cultural values and how they affect your attitudes and behaviors

* Global thinking: staying informed on global trends and events.

* Cultural curiosity: observing cultural behaviors in a non-judgmental way

* Flexibility: adapting gracefully to a wide spectrum of operational practices, business styles, and social environments

* Inclusivity: making people of different backgrounds feel at ease, understood, and valued for their perspectives

* Managing diversity: getting people who are from different backgrounds to work together effectively as unified teams

* Interpersonal communication: expressing yourself persuasively while genuinely hearing what others are communicating to you

* Motivational leadership: leading in ways that inspire employees to take responsibility and initiative, collaborate, and contribute the creativity of their differences

* Credibility: exercising integrity, openness, trustworthy behavior, and candor in all your interpersonal dealings

* Patience: working with other people’s needs and timetables, keeping your focus on long-term goals, and not wasting your goodwill capital on getting immediate results

Cross Cultural Textbooks

 

Overview

 This participatory training material is designed as a comprehensive program to introduce multicultural skills necessary in today’s fast changing workplace. It explores the underlying issues of culture and cross-cultural relations in a work team. The training also provides tools for harnessing cooperation and for managing conflicts within a multicultural team. A supplementary participants’ workbook is also available.

Cross Cultural Skills Training by Kinoti Meme Ph.D

Overview

Want to reach out to multicultural customers? Cross-Cultural Selling For Dummies is packed with everything you need to know to tap into multicultural markets, from establishing solid relationships to adapting your advertising to meeting the needs of your new clientele. You’ll acquire key cross-cultural skills and build a coordinated effort that engages all aspects of your business.This practical, easy-to-understand guide shows you how to measure the purchasing power of other cultures and change the way you market to them. You’ll learn how to do multicultural research, develop a marketing campaign with wide appeal, pick the right media, tune your materials to the market, and establish a presence in the community. You’ll find tips on identifying generational differences with in a culture, pronouncing names correctly, and determining customer motivation. Discover how to:

• Reach out to multicultural customers
• Develop strong relationships
• Adapt your sales presentations and techniques
• Clear language barriers
• Boost your street cred
• Present appealing financing options
• Create a foundation for long-term success
• Handle negotiations with skilled hagglers
• Recognize and overcome objections
• Adopt techniques to close the sale
• Create a strong referral base
• Avoid cultural conflicts
• Maintain a diverse sales team

You can realize the incredible untapped potential of the multicultural market to send your sales soaring and your profits off the charts. Cross-Cultural Selling For Dummies shows you how!

Cross Cultural Selling for Dummies by Michael Soon Lee

References:

[1] http://cindyking.biz/cross-cultural-skills/

[2] Siliconindia Magazine January – 2000 issue > Global Management Ten Key Cross-Cultural Management Skills, Saturday, January 1, 2000