Managing Across Cultures

Our culture defines many aspects of how we think, feel, and act. It can be challenging for managers to bridge cultural differences and bring employees together into a functioning team. This course will give supervisors and managers easy-to-use techniques for communicating across cultures, building teams, promoting multiculturalism in the organization, and leveraging the global talent pool.

At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Define what culture is and how it shapes the workplace
• Identify how stereotypes shape our perception
• Develop useful cross-cultural attitudes
• Communicate effectively across cultures
• Effectively manage employees from different cultures
• Help teams overcome cross-cultural and virtual barriers
• Promote acceptance and awareness in an organization to help create a multicultural environment

Course Topics:

Session One: Course Overview

Session Two: What Is Culture?

• Defining Culture
• About Stereotypes
• Making Connections
• Globally Useful Attitudes

Session Three: Communicating Effectively

• High and Low Context Culture
• Communication Differences Across Cultures
• Communication Skills
• Handling Miscommunication

Session Four: Team Building Across Cultures

• The Five Stages of Team Development
• Tips on Working with Virtual Teams

Session Five: Managing Across Cultures

• The Cornerstones of Diversity
• How Far Do You Accommodate?
• Dealing with Culture-Based Conflicts between Employees
• Giving Culturally Sensitive Feedback

Session Six: Building a Multicultural Organization

• Making Connections
• Creating Inclusive Programs for New Employees

Session Seven: Working with the Global Talent Pool

• Recommended Reading List
• Personal Action Plan