MAKE A NEW INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION

Doing business in another country is much more than flying out, staying in posh hotels and eating different food.  It’s entering into a different world where everyday business events have different rules. Understanding how different peoples across the world go about their day-to-day business, how they conduct meetings, undertake negotiations, make a sales pitch – and even how they regard their boss – will help us all develop Cultural Intelligence and appreciate the value of cultural diversity.

It will make us more successful in our professional lives.

Individual culture shock is well-known but researchers
suggest that Eastern European countries are showing symptoms of ‘collective culture shock‘ as they undergo a transition from their communist heritage. Post-communist countries exhibit characteristics like an irritation about authority, diffusion (mix-up) of private and business spheres, a lack of confidence and orientation, a blockade to take action, rising xenophobia and fluctuating levels of self-esteem.

These reactions are the result of confrontation with a foreign culture – in this case foreign ideology. Unfortunately, this “collective culture shock” influences management and business relations and causes problems…

So, you are off on a new adventure! You’re moving abroad.
You’re going to explore new cultures, do new things and meet new people.  However, living or working in a completely different culture can leave you feeling a little homesick. Here are a few tips of what to do before you go to help you acclimatise.

What are the stages most people go through
in adjusting to a new culture?

In seven day’s time it will be “The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development” – giving us all an opportunity to link with others from different cultures and nations and learn something knew about them. Take the opportunity to link with someone across the other side of the world and ask them about their lives or work. Find similarities, find differences, but above all find a sense of community in this beautiful world of ours.

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING?

Here’s our chance to improve our cross-cultural understanding and become amateur interculturalists or anthropologists. Whether at home or work – why not find out about how other people do things, or how they think and feel about things?

UNESCO’s Diversity Day is an opportunity to help our communities to understand the value of cultural diversity and learn how to live together in harmony – one of the most pressing contemporary issues that we face as the human race.  The Day is intended to provide individuals and groups worldwide with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the values of Cultural Diversity and to learn to “live together” better, enhancing the potential of culture as a means of achieving prosperity, sustainable development and global peaceful coexistence.

Far from separating us, cultural diversity is a collective strength, which should benefit the entire world. In this sense, it should be recognized and affirmed as a ‘Common Heritage’ of Humanity.” UNESCO

Click here for the official website.