Farnham Castle Intercultural Training FAQS
What do we do?
We are Cultural Training Specialists, training people and teams to communicate, influence and build more successful business relationships internationally and across cultures, in order to work more effectively in the global workplace.
By understanding the cultural values, beliefs, behaviours, similarities and differences that affect international business practices and communication preferences, we help people improve their cultural intelligence and increase their potential.
Our training promotes cultural awareness and a global mindset, encourages inclusion, achieves better collaboration and co-operation for international teams, and supports individuals and businesses to address cross-cultural challenges and achieve goals.
How do international assignees and their families benefit from cultural training for global mobility?
The cost of assignment failure and premature returns from international assignments is immense, not only to businesses, but also personally to individuals and their families. The two most common reasons for assignment failure are severe family problems, when the assignee’s partner or family fails to adapt to the new country and culture, and failure of the assignee to adapt to the new country and business culture (after what is commonly called the ‘honeymoon’ period). Often, assignees and their families are under-prepared, with an understanding of the bare minimum of what interculturalists call the tip of the cultural iceberg, which are those aspects of a culture commonly understood or stereotypical.
The best cultural training (which can include a family programme) offers a deeper understanding of a culture (what lies beneath the surface). It encourages individuals to be self-aware, whilst providing them with the cultural intelligence and practical advice that properly prepares them for living and working in a specific country or culture. It helps assignees set expectations prior to arrival, and to understand what may be a different approach to business, developing the cultural awareness that will help enhance relationship building. It provides assignees with improved confidence in their interpersonal effectiveness and communication skills, by highlighting similarities and differences, and addresses potential cultural challenges, offering strategies to adapt for success.
How is identifying and understanding the key ‘drivers’ that influence attitudes, behaviours and communication styles in the global workplace of practical benefit to international business?
Our Cultural Training Programmes are delivered by Interculturalists and Country experts. Their experience in international assignments, intercultural management and business skills training, combined with in-depth country expertise, knowledge of business culture, and the specific cultural values, attitudes and behaviours of target nationalities, enable them to offer invaluable insight, practical advice and skills training, across all roles and seniority.
They identify the key ‘drivers’ and teach participants how to use this knowledge to adapt message, information and working style. The practical benefits to business are achieved when individuals recognise, analyse and manage differences, for example in radically different thinking styles, approaches to time, feedback, deliverables, deadlines, negotiations, handling meetings and presentations, and understanding decision making and project management.
Can cultural training be effective in improving the performance of cross-cultural teams (remote or co-located)?
In our increasingly digital and globalised world, engagement across cultural borders is an absolute necessity for effective and connected international teamwork. There are many potential benefits arising from inclusive diversity, including co-learning, talent development and innovation. Working in different cultural environments can also generate numerous challenges for team members, managers and global leaders.
Those developing, leading and working in international teams need both self and cultural awareness in order to operate effectively and to establish shared meaning and common purpose. Even when individual team members are enthusiastic, different approaches to communication and issues such as trust, hierarchy, motivation and managing conflict often cause unintentional ambiguity, misunderstanding and frustration.
Cultural training not only brings greater awareness and understanding of cultural differences, but improves cooperation, collaboration and performance for cross-cultural teams, helping team members to build better, more connected relationships and greater levels of understanding, trust and respect.