Intercultural Team Development

An intercultural team can be of great advantage when it comes to solving complex problems, as different points of view are coming together. At the same time, cultural diversity comes along with some diffculties. Entrepreneurs often underestimate the cultural implications of such a cooperation. We dive head first into joint projects, true to the motto: “I’m sure it will be fine,” without investing much time in the preparation of our employees or considering potential complications. Only well into the business relationship do we realize the problems of international cooperation.

Co-workers with diverse cultural backgrounds bring unique experiences and perceptions to the table in groups and work teams. Pooling the diverse knowledge and skills of culturally distinct workers together can benefit companies by strengthening teams’ productivity and responsiveness to changing conditions. Each employee in a diverse workplace possesses unique strengths and weaknesses derived from their culture in addition to their individuality. When managed properly, diversity in the workplace can leverage the strengths and complement the weaknesses of each worker to make the impact of the workforce greater than the sum of its parts.

Course Content

Effective teams see their diversity as a source of strength and creativity. It is why the participants will learn:

What does it mean to be a good team
Focus on the strengths of each individual member; and practice openness to difference. Maximize what works.
Focus on using diversity as a source of innovation.
Apply the underlying Principles Of Good Communication
Different ways to approach a decision
Be “other” focused in team member interactions with each other.

The factors that affect success in teamwork occur both within the team itself and in the work environment in which the team must function. It’s why in our workshop we are going to get something more than aspirin and band-aids. We will get substance and process and focus on the principles that bring long-term results.

Benefits of Intercultrual Team Development Training

Course Details

The following outline highlights some of the key learning points. As part of our workshop program, we will modify content as needed to meet your business objectives.

Underlying Principles of Good Communication

This workshop could begin with the introduction that exposes you to a method for improving your communication skills and achieves “Third Alternative” solutions. You will learn how to focus on the speaker, empathize with what is being said, analyze the message, and respond. The participants will also learn to identify the four Bermuda Triangles of idea decay and begin work to alleviate or eliminate them in your team.
Structural Constellation for Analysing Current Situation

Systemic Structural Constellations are a successful means for coping with change processes or conflicts. They are particularly suited, if the issue is to be expressed explicitly within the team. Each team member can take the position of each other member, thereby understanding it her/himself and all team members can experience the development process first hand.
Joining Forces

What does it meand to be a good team? This component of the workshop looks for the answer of the question: what does it mean to be a good team? It is important for all of you to know your team working strengths and weaknesses. This part helps you uncover common team working problems that you might be experiencing. Once you’ve completed the assessment, we start with a discussion of what makes a successful team and where the teams are falling short.
Strategic Framework: Team Values

Although most of us are not fully aware of our core values, these underlying values guide our decision-making process. They help establish our goals and give us the sense of purpose; they are the unwritten criteria for our daily actions and choices. Your teamwork is guided by your set of underlying fundamental core values. Not knowing our values is like not knowing why we do what we do. We have some simple and quick exercises to help you get past the sense of overwhelm when asked to do overly complicated exercises in identifying core values.
Six Ways to Approach a Decision

How many roads are they? This component of the course explores additional tools you can use to generate ideas and solve problems in new ways. It also includes actions you can take to incorporate creativity into your daily routines. Next, You will learn about Edward DeBono’s six thinking hats, and you will practice using the hats during a problem-solving discussion. Then they will look at some basic problem-solving tools and finally, you will apply these tools to a case study in a large group discussion.
Cultural Assimilator

The cultural assimilator is one of the best team developed method for the study of culture and social behavior. It uses a series of scenarios, or critical incidents, that involve some sort of culture clash or misunderstanding to prepare people for interacting effectively with culturally different others.
Teamwork Activities

Those team activities intentions are to better communication, cooperation, teamwork, trust, respecting others, responsibility, caring, uniqueness and perseverance in a fun format. They help illustrate the importance of collaboration and often ends with an aha! moment when teams realize they are not collaborating as well as they could be. Those team building activities can help your group understand the assets and challenges you possess when working as a team and serve as a useful lesson to teach about material limitations and working under timelines
Simulation Activity

This cross-cultural simulation that helps you understand how culture affects each person’s behavior and what is required of each person to live or work with people who have different values, work styles, and world views. This activity help you understand the meaning and impact of culture and demonstrate the potential for misinterpretation that arises when one evaluates another culture solely from the perspective of one’s own values. It can also prepare you and your corporation for an organizational change. It is an excellent exercise for analyzing problems and developing teamwork, cooperation, and creative problem solving in international context. Saving the world has never been so much fun!

Training Methods

In our long teaching praxis we recognise that each person prefers different learning styles and techniques. It is why we use a variety different teaching methods to get the same message across and make sure that no one is left out or falls behind. It is our way of making sure that all participants engage with all of the subject content, especially the key concepts and learning points. Our trainings consist of different sessions combining short lectures and practical exercises and involves a great deal of interaction. Simulations and team exercises aim to not only identify, but to fully understand the key differences in cultural behaviour.

In combining cognitive (didactic) and participatory (experiential) learning our relocation course program seeks to introduce to the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to live and work successfully in multicultural context.

Our methods chosen by cognitive, affective und creative dimensions of learning here.

Our Intercultural Approach

Our Intercultural Training is a In-House Training available seven days a week, 365 days a year at your offices in any location worldwide. We usually recommend a one or two day course but can also offer a more flexible format to suit your schedule.

The training needs assessment helps us find common training programs for your group of employees. The identification of training needs is the first step in a uniform method of instructional design. We suggest to perform the assessment in form of Personal Analysis. We will start to get to know our participants and their learning needs by sending them a short questionnaire before the start of the training. However the Organizational Analysis, in form of consultation with persons in key positions, and/or with specific knowledge could be also conducted via video conferences or done by phone call, if desirable.

Suitably tailored training materials will be provided and your trainer will provide a balance of structured input and discussion of case studies, critical incidents and scenarios relevant to your own particular context. The most appropriate training format, content and approach for your Intercultural Training course will be discussed during your diagnostic consultancy.

You may be also interested in our related courses

All learning solutions are designed according to who we are training. Some participants need assistance with the new work culture, some prefer help with how to overcome mental challenges, others need to learn how to work in an international team. The finial program depends on earlier collaborative consultations and our training needs assessment results. Bellow possible training proposal.