In international business, cultural differences are manifested in many areas of corporate conference rooms. International conferences are the most visible and difficult to control areas of cultural values, etiquette, professional behavioral interpretation and corporate rules.
At international business meetings, cultural differences between professionals can and do occur, although they cannot always be avoided, but the negative impact of cultural differences can be minimized through careful and effective planning, organization and consideration before the meeting.
Culture affects our behavior, for example, thinking and believing. Cultures are different in different countries and contexts. In the context of international business, it affects how people approach, perceive and promote meetings. Some examples include:
Time
Not all cultures live by time. A time-oriented culture, such as the British or German, will adopt a rigorous approach to the way the conference works. The start time, completion time and all the different phases between the two will be carefully planned. Other cultures consider start time as an approximation, end time as non-fixed time, and all the different stages are flexible.
Hierarchy
The hierarchical nature of culture has a huge impact on the investment in international conferences. For those from a hierarchical culture, thinking, criticizing opinions, publicly opposing, providing feedback and reporting problems in front of a boss or manager are areas where they feel uncomfortable. Criticizing the manager's ideas will be seen as a failure of managers and critics.
Purpose of the meeting
After a few pleasant things in the conference room, the common term in the West is, "Let's start doing business." Western conferences usually have a tight schedule with an organized, pre-planned agenda. The meeting is for business. On the other hand, different cultures see meetings as a stage for building personal relationships and strengthening connections. Further business in the list of priorities.
When hosting an international business meeting, it is always recommended to remember the participants ' culture and background. Is it a very diverse group or does most participants have cultural similarities? Think about their meeting method. How did they attend the meeting before? Can you determine the cultural reason?
Here are some guidelines to help you get closer to cultural diversity in your next international business meeting.
Satisfy etiquette and habits
In highly diverse international companies, people can find participants in conferences in four corners of the world. Everyone has their own cultural etiquette, gestures, manners and expressions. It is possible to yell, wave, and even rush out of the meeting. In such companies, it is best to provide cross-cultural awareness training to employees to minimize misunderstandings. If the difference is less serious, it may be up to you as a chair to understand how certain etiquette, gestures and general room strategy are perceived, and how to minimize any adverse effects.
Expectations for the meeting
Before the meeting, make clear what the purpose of the meeting is. What is the goal of the meeting? Why do you ask each waiter? What are your expectations for them? Contact participants and discuss meetings and the needs of everyone. If you are ready, please send them the agenda. If it is a brainstorming session, you can ask each participant to have at least three suggestions. If you are convening meetings in different areas within the company, ask each waiter to know what people want to hear from them. Once the framework is in place, people will know where they fit the picture.
Take an easy meeting to attend a meeting
Many people find business meetings daunting. This may be a combination of the market, sitting in front of the boss, feeling worse than the cluster. This will lead to anxiety, tension, tension and general discomfort. Try to introduce different differences in the meeting to reassure people. The icebreaker provided a good release of tension at the beginning of the meeting. Warming up offers similar benefits. Try using an alternate setting instead of a meeting room. Consider lighting or changes in the atmosphere.
Group size in the meeting
In short, the team will work more effectively in the meeting. Smaller groups offer greater security and allow for more participation. In international business meetings, the use of smaller groups can be used in two ways.
First, determine who will come and what contributions they can make before a large international business meeting. Does the meeting cover different topics? Does it require input from different business areas? If your organization is adequate, you can hold small meetings where you can group participants who feel comfortable with each other or have expertise in the same field. Ask the team to submit their recommendations to the next larger meeting. Participants there are now satisfied with their contributions and ideas.
Second, feedback and open discussion may be easier to move if the company culture allows for meetings to be divided into smaller groups. Then ask the responsible person of each group to summarize their findings. This may give an opinion to those who would not normally speak up in front of a large group.
Multicultural conference
One of the main mistakes made in dealing with different cultures in a conference room is to suggest that people with similar backgrounds work, group or organize. This will have the opposite effect, rather than making the meeting more fluid. Once their cultural groups feel comfortable, participants will fall into their cultural patterns. Confusing meetings is crucial. Another benefit of this approach is that it allows for the development of intercultural relationships and employee relationships.
Alternative communication methods in the meeting
Most international conferences adopt a basic format and structure, while an agenda is set up, and participants discuss the issue verbally. If your participants may be very quiet and don't participate, then consider some alternative communication methods.
For example, before the meeting, send an email to the staff asking questions about upcoming topics. Give them an open question about their opinions. Ask them to reply to their responses via email and then use them to encourage them to contribute to the meeting.
If you know that some participants are not comfortable talking, why not let them write? Use the whiteboard or quote to take advice and comments on paper?
Always confirm the meaning in the meeting
Different cultural assumptions about the meaning of words, phrases, symbols, pictures or agreements may cause confusion before and after the meeting. After reaching a certain topic or reaching a consensus on a topic, the subject always confirms that agreement has been reached and the general meaning is understood. If there are potential problems in the explanation, then the means are always simplified. If the meeting will deal with complex language or concepts and consider a consensus on the meaning that all participants will be satisfied, then distribute it for review before the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, summarize and capture the main agreements and differences. Make sure everyone is happy with them.
If you want to successfully deliver effective results, international business meetings need to be well planned, organized and considered. Always consider the cultural variants you will be dealing with and consider ways to overcome potential problems. The above tips are just basic instructions and are expected to help you start thinking about how culture affects international conferences.
For more information on the role of culture in business, please visit http://www.kwintessential.co.uk
Orignal From: Effective multicultural international business conference
No comments:
Post a Comment