Intercultural communication training

During the training, participants will learn about the cultures they encounter in their work, whether they are customers or colleagues. They will also learn about the differences between the culture of a country and the Hungarian culture of behaviour. The aim of the training is to learn about the behavioural characteristics of the country, to develop cultural understanding and empathy, to prevent and manage conflicts in an intercultural context and to develop intercultural competence.

The training is recommended

• for managers of all organisations with a foreign parent company,
• managers and professionals who lead/coordinate/moderate/train teams of employees from other countries,
• for those who have a direct manager or colleague from another country,
• for those who regularly negotiate with representatives from other countries.

Working or business relationships that cross national borders can sometimes seem incomprehensible, and can leave us feeling insecure. How do we deal with a person from another culture in a way that shows acceptance, understanding and appreciation despite the geographical distance? Through real-life examples and exercises, the participant will learn about typical behaviours of the other culture, which will also help him/her to understand how conflicts can arise due to cultural differences and "misunderstandings". Tools will be provided on how to deal effectively with this type of conflict.

Stereotypes and prejudices

• Difficult, funny and surprising situations when different cultures meet
• Background of the perception of the other person
• How do foreign colleagues perceive us?
• Our typical prejudices about other nations
• Hungarians' behaviour at work from the point of view of others
• Workplace behaviour of colleagues of different nationalities from a Hungarian perspective
• Taboo topics in certain nationalities

Dimensions of culture (Hofstede)

• Individualism versus collectivism in different nations
• Levels of insecurity avoidance in different countries
• Power distance (and its impact on leadership)

Characteristics of multicultural working

• Understanding differences in cultural values
• Detailed presentation of ways to manage cultural differences
• One way of understanding one's own and a foreign culture
• Characteristics of written and telephone communication in different cultures

Intercultural differences in the workplace

• Organisational culture in different nations and its impact on management style
• Behavioural differences at individual level
  • Objectivity vs relationship orientation
  • distance vs proximity
  • single-function time management vs multi-function improvisation
  • rule-orientation vs creative treatment of rules
  • problem-solving strategies
  • autonomy and responsibility
  • team skills from the perspective of Hungary and other countries
• Possible responses to the other culture

Communication pitfalls

• Direct vs indirect communication style
• Differences in non-verbal cues across cultures
• Courteousness habits

Intercultural awareness

• Culture shock
• Possible conflict situations
• Culture and conflict situations
• Concrete cases and solutions
• Intercultural competences

After the training, 2-3 months after the training, a half-day facilitation workshop is recommended, where participants can reflect on concrete experiences they have already had. This is also an opportunity to learn from each other's experiences and to find solutions to difficulties, thus further developing intercultural competence.