The 10 Benefits of Cross Cultural Training

Cross cultural differences can and do impede upon communication and interpersonal relationships. In the business world this occurs daily, where people from different cultures interact and are expected to perform and make decisions. Cross cultural training aims to develop awareness between people where a common cultural framework does not exist in order to promote clear lines of communication and better relationships.

Cross cultural training has many benefits to be gained by both participants and businesses. For participants in cross cultural training, the 10 main benefits are that it helps:

People Learn About Themselves: Through cross cultural training, people are exposed to facts and information about their own cultures, preconceptions, mentalities and worldviews that they may otherwise not have contemplated. Cross cultural training helps people learn more about themselves through learning about others.

Encourage Confidence: Cross cultural training promotes self-confidence in individuals and teams through empowering them with a sense of control over previously difficult challenges in the workplace.

Break Down Barriers: All of us have certain barriers such as preconceptions, prejudices and stereotypes that obstruct our understanding of other people. Cross cultural training demystifies other cultures through presenting them under an objective light. Through learning about other cultures, barriers are slowly chipped away thus allowing for more open relationships and dialogue.

Build Trust: When people's barriers are lowered, mutual understanding ensues, which results in greater trust. Once trust is established altruistic tendencies naturally manifest allowing for greater co-operation and a more productive workplace.

Motivate: One of the outcomes of cross cultural training is that people begin to see their roles within the workplace more clearly. Through self-analysis people begin to recognise areas in which they need to improve and become motivated to develop and progress.

Open Horizons: Cross cultural training addresses problems in the workplace at a very different angle to traditional methods. Its innovative, alternative and motivating way of analysing and resolving problems helps people to adopt a similarly creative strategy when approaching challenges in their work or personal lives.

Develop Interpersonal Skills: Through cross cultural training participants develop great 'people skills' that can be applied in all walks of life. By learning about the influence of culture, i.e. the hidden factors upon people's behaviours, those who undertake cross cultural training begin to deal with people with a sensitivity and understanding that may have previously been lacking.

Develop Listening Skills: Listening is an integral element of effective and productive communication. Cross cultural training helps people to understand how to listen, what to listen for and how to interpret what they hear within a much broader framework of understanding. By becoming good listeners, people naturally become good communicators.

People Use Common Ground: In the workplace people have a tendency to focus on differences. When cross cultural communication problems arise the natural inclination is to withdraw to opposing sides and to highlight the negative aspects of the other. Cross cultural training assists in developing a sense of mutual understanding between people by highlighting common ground. Once spaces of mutual understanding are established, people begin to use them to overcome culturally challenging situations.

Career Development: Cross cultural training enhances people's skills and therefore future employment opportunities. Having cross cultural awareness gives people a competitive edge over others especially when applying for positions in international companies with a large multi-cultural staff base.

The above benefits are but a few of the many ways in which cross cultural training positively affects businesses through staff training and development.

Neil Payne is Managing Director of Kwintessential. Visit their site at: http://www.kwint essential.co.uk/cross-cultural/cross-cultural-awareness.html

---

How To Finally Unlock Your True Potential And Discover The Secret To Lasting Success

Did you know that there is one critical difference between... Read More

Positioning Your Company for Debt Financing

Positioning Your Company for Debt Financing:There was a time in... Read More

Home Furnishings in India : How to Find an Exporter,manufacturer or Supplier ? Beyond a Database.

Looking for a manufacturer or supplier of home furnishings in... Read More

The 7 Keys to Business Success

Do you run a business that seems to run you?... Read More

Famous Business Strategies

Either simply a looker-on or a player in the world... Read More

1 Step Program to Achieve All of Your Goals

In Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen's original "Chicken Soup... Read More

Ten Ways To Sell Your Ideas To Anyone

You have a great idea you know is a winner.... Read More

I WANT IT NOW - 10 Tips for Freight & Drayage at Trade Shows

Gas prices continue to go through the roof and increased... Read More

Top Seven Questions for Starting Projects More Effectively

We all are project managers. Some of us manage projects... Read More

Ten Steps To Better Listening

Talking is the least important half of any conversation. Listening... Read More

After Hurricane Katrina - Seven Things You Can Do

If you are like me, you are living some distance... Read More

Top Ten Things to Do to Make your Signature File Sell

Always include a powerful signature on every email you send... Read More

10 Things To Do Before You Start Your Business

If you are thinking of starting a new business, or... Read More

7 Tips on How To Prepare for Business Events

Are you scratching your head after business events wondering why... Read More

Top Ten Listening Skills for Speakers

Good Speakers need good listening skills to become Great CommunicatorsSpeakers... Read More

How To Make Money With Your Junk Mail

The term "junk mail" is a well-known term. To... Read More

How To Take Daily Big Rock Actions To Jumpstart Your Business Into Massive Momentum

Do you know exactly what actions you need to do... Read More

How To Use Bartering To Gain An Advantage Over Your Competition

If you have a business on the Internet you should... Read More

Top 7 Business Tips For Small Business Starters For Online Business

1.) Brainstorming for an idea - You must select what... Read More

How To Make $20.00 For Every $1.00 Invested

It has been said you can lift the Rock... Read More

10 Tips for Effective Proofreading

Proofreading may not be terribly fun, but it's one of... Read More

Ten Ways to Strengthen Your Reading Habit

Most people wish they read more. It is an activity... Read More

Are You a Project Manager Or a Project Mangler?

Which one are you? An effective IT project manager, able... Read More

Business Goals - The 10 Commandments

The Ten Commandments of Goal Setting While it's good to... Read More

7 Online Banking Success Stories

You have seen their ads and you may have wondered... Read More

Top 7 Ways to Profit from Foreign Trade

Here are seven excellent ways to earn income from international... Read More

The Warning signs of Online Fraud and How To Avoid It

The number may seem grim for Web-based commerce. In 2004... Read More

The 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make Managing Organisational Performance

mistake #1: rely just on financial statementsProfit and loss, revenue... Read More

Performance-Stress-Motivation: 7 Sanity Saving Business Boundaries

The lack of strong boundaries is one of the chief... Read More

Top Ten Reasons to Write a Sales Letter for Each Product? - Part 2

Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. Entrepreneurs know... Read More

Ten Tips for Working at Home

1. Maintain regular working hours and stick to them.2. Get... Read More

10 Dos and Donts Of Customer Services

Email etiquette is the key to help calm down anxious... Read More

7 Reasons Why Training Doesn?t Produce the Desired Results and What You Can Do To

Seven Reasons Why Training Doesn't Produce the Desired Results and... Read More