Business Cultural Competence and Etiquette
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Learning Objective: To improve capacity to understand and negotiate around business and cultural expectations to increase interpersonal effectiveness. Executive manners refer to professional and corporate expectations. Cultural competence includes the capacity to apply and adapt executive manners in a wide variety of settings and cultures. We all make occasional cultural and business missteps and will likely agree that a better understanding of appropriate practices help protect and enhance our image. There are bad manners that can be avoided with awareness and education. This session is designed for both new and seasoned professionals to gain understanding of new ways to attract diverse talent, influence customers, and maximize interpersonal effectiveness. At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to: a. Identify and explore common business etiquette mistakes. b. Explore global cultural practices and blunders made by professionals. c. Identify personal and professional expectations based on cultural experiences. d. Explore opportunities to learn more about executive manners and cultural competence.
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Business Cultural Competence and Etiquette
- 1. BUSINESS CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND ETIQUETTE Understanding Culturally Sensitive Executive Manners
- 2. Our Team Beth Howell General Dynamics Land Systems Employment Compliance Officer (US-HR) Bryant D. Henderson Lockheed Martin Director of Flight, Maritime and Advanced Systems Melisa Fowler Exelon Corporation Senior Business Project Manager Pamela Harris Raytheon Company Director, Diversity and Inclusion
- 3. Executive Manners and Cultural Competence Objectives • Improve capacity to understand and negotiate around business and cultural expectations – United States and Global • Increase interpersonal effectiveness • Protect and enhance our image
- 4. Executive Manners • Professional and corporate expectations – Decision making process • Learn how it works! • Corporate office must understand the culture • Diversity impacts the bottom line! – Conflict resolution • Managed differently around the globe – Time zone differences • Why time matters – Australia, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United States – Labor laws • When is it okay to call? – France – Saudi Arabia
- 5. Cultural Competence • Capacity to apply and adapt executive manners in a wide variety of settings and cultures » Does “conducting business” mean the same thing around the globe? » In the United States, there is great cultural diversity! » International - change communication and interaction styles …like you change clothes! » In the United States, adapting to culturally diverse settings can reflect respect!
- 6. Common Business Etiquette Mistakes • China – Business card etiquette • Saudi Arabia – Be patient • What if you are in the United States? – Be patient
- 7. Global Cultural Practices and Blunders Made by Professionals • Seeing clients as the same as you. – If it works in Philadelphia, then it'll work in Riyadh – Assuming that all countries (or people from) within a particular part of the world have the same expectations • Middle East • British Commonwealth – Australia, United Kingdom, Canada
- 8. Personal and Professional Expectations Based on Cultural Experiences • Be flexible – personally and professionally! – Time for tea, time for prayer, time for reflection or even time for a nap – Adapt to circumstances, customs and culture
- 9. Opportunities to Learn More about Executive Manners and Cultural Competence • Consultants • Books – Don’t They Know It’s Friday? by Jeremy Williams/Handshaikh, Ltd. • Professional Organizations – SHRM’s Country Guides • Cultural Organizations – Local events at cultural centers
- 10. Outcome • Attract diverse talent – Appreciation of cultural diversity impacts recruiting AND retention • Influence customers – The customer appreciates being “understood” • Maximize personal effectiveness – Growth opportunity!
Editor's Notes
- Need bios of correct team
- I will be your Master of Ceremonies …or master of story-telling today! Sometimes, stories get the point across better than death by powerpoint! Points to ponder as we go through our discussion – What works here doesn’t work there. Know before you go! What if your counterpart comes to visit you in the US? This isn’t about giving you all the answers today – it’s about making you think! Learning about your counterpart’s culture will increase your effectiveness Learn a few words, greetings, appropriate customs – show you care! Use Kuwait meeting example – Ramadan greeting/change of tone in the meeting Fewer distractions from the task of conducting business Better than spending time and energy correcting mistakes Protecting and enhancing our image …image matters – trust matters – relationships matter – people matter WHO are you working with? Meet them where they are.
- Where in the world are you? Where’s Waldo? Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? Decision making Professional – Kuwait example of the woman who took charge and second example of the woman who didn’t say a word. In the US, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, it is acceptable for a woman to take the lead – in some countries, it depends. Now, does that mean you don’t do your job? No, it means you just need to take the right approach. Corporate - Can you really expect an answer if you ask on Friday? Not in Saudi! That is also your employee’s day off! Time zones – use clock examples QUESTION: MELISA – ASK ABOUT TIME ZONE DIFFERENCES Labor laws – knowing is a sign of respect …not to mention necessary!
- Depending on where you are depends on what type of business meeting you may have. Use Mexico example – American wishes to “conduct business” instead of laboring over long meal talking about family and taking multiple breaks. KEY: In Mexico, the relationship is important – you are conducting business by answering the “How’s the family” question. It’s about relationship building. Styles come into play Communication Levels of directness: Direct, Indirect, Evasive… Styles: Discussion (USA, UK), Engagement (Italy, Brazil), Accommodation (Mexico, China), Dynamic (Egypt) and depending on who has what cultural background Trust - relationship building
- # 1 mistake Not educating yourself! China example - Associates who were assigned to China shared that one should, when possible, give items (such as business cards) with two hands. It can be seen as a slight if you do not use two hands. People understand when you have something else you need to hold ....but if both hands are free, you should use both. Don’t just put the card in your picket when receiving a Chinese one but read it there and then, and find suitably flattering things to say about the title e.g. ' So: you are the SENIOR engineer.....‘ SHOW RESPECT – especially, to elders. Middle East example - not being PATIENT. Wanting to rush off to the next client. Not understanding that there are now big differences between the Older Arab and the Younger Arab. The latter may well keep to time (esp. Arab women who are fab!) and will understand TIME KEEPING but the former may well not. He may not even appear at the agreed meeting. Come across to an Arab client as a patient person, who understands quite a lot of the Arab country, and (NOT RAISING IT!) coming across as having a basic understanding of Islam. Program – three years on the charts! QUESTION: MELISA – ASK ABOUT COMMON ETIQUETTE
- The main story I've heard several times is that the Arab client (e.g. a government department or a big company) have told the seller government or big organization to change the person leading their team. 'We don’t like him; he has no idea about us, and he's rude to us....change him now...or the deal is off..' The secret is to come across as seeking to work with An Equal and not to come across as Colonial and Arrogant. Take care to select people who are briefed and aware that 'Arabs are NOT ALL THE SAME!' And that Iranians are NOT Arabs......................Iran will increasingly feature in Mid East Sales.......... Conflict resolution – give example of one way ticket home …via alternate route!
- Consultants Middle East Jeremy Williams, British diplomat, produces a Cross Cultural Guide for Business and Life in the Gulf Cultural Organizations International Club of DC Embassy events Local events at cultural centers