People skills - Cultural awareness in business - Jan Robberts

Jan Robberts - "Influencing for Global Impact"

IBGR.Network - PROFIT Radio. Everything a business owner needs to start, grow or exit a business. Come grow with us.

Introduction
Good morning, you are listening to IBGR.Network, the International Business Growth Radio Network, I am your host, Jan Robberts, Global Influencer, Co-Founder of Ki Leadership Institute and founder of JRs Speakers Club. For more information about me, go to the IBGR website and check out my profile. There you will also find all the links to follow and get in touch with me.

Show Objectives 
Do you want to be successful? There are many different, important aspects of being a well-rounded, successful business owner. Today’s show will explore cultures, and how these influence the way you build your business and connect with people who are different from you. 

By the end of our time together today you will...
Hopefully have a better understanding of the need to become more culturally aware and how you can use this to positively influence the outcome of your business and social interactions.

Let’s first talk a little more into what cultural awareness actually is. Then we will discuss further how and why this is important in business as much as in your personal life; Especially your social interactions with people who are culturally different from you.

In Fact, Let’s take another step back first and look at culture itself and what it means!
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. ... The word "culture" derives from a French term, which in turn derives from the Latin "colere," which means to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture

Cultural awareness is all about recognising and understanding that we all have different values shaped by our diverse cultural backgrounds. What we consider to be 'normal' behaviour in one country can be entirely different in another.

Cultural awareness is essential for all employees working across cultures. ... By providing your employees with opportunities to participate in a cross-cultural training programme, or Diversity & Inclusion awareness training, you will increase their cultural awareness which will help them avoid the risk of major miscommunication  or even  international failure.

Cultural sensitivity, also sometimes referred to as cross-cultural sensitivity or simply cultural awareness, is the knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of other cultures and others' cultural identities.

Culture
Understanding 'culture' is essential because, otherwise, it's easy for people to underestimate the impact cultural differences can have. 

Underestimating culture is the point at which things can start to go wrong. 

Although it may be easy to learn facts and do’s and don’ts about different cultures, this is not necessarily being culturally aware.
If you think of culture as an iceberg, what we see of a culture is tiny in comparison to what we cannot see. It is the unseen elements of culture such as values and beliefs, that are usually hardest for people to understand and deal with. When we interact in cross cultural situations, a lack of awareness can lead to bad or poor decisions.

​

Cultural awareness helps us reduce the chances of making bad decisions and increases the chance of us making more insightful, considered decisions.


Items discussed in today’s sessions:

• What exactly is culture? – A brief look into different cultures around the world.
  
• What can different cultures teach us?
  
• Culture awareness in the workplace
  
• Understanding cultural awareness in business
  

We are always talking about our differences in many ways and, as we are firmly involved in a global economy, it has become increasingly more important to understand our differences, our different habits, our different cultures…and how we can connect and build better relationships at all levels.

Let us take a closer look at culture itself and what it means!
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. ... The word "culture" derives from a French term, which in turn derives from the Latin "colere," which means to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture

I have looked briefly into the following broad cultures:

1. Western Culture
   
2. Eastern Culture
   
3. Latin Culture
   
4. Middle Eastern Culture
   
5. African Culture
   

Constant Change
No matter what culture a people are a part of, one thing is for certain, it will change. "Culture appears to have become key in our interconnected world, which is made up of so many ethnically diverse societies, but also riddled by conflicts associated with religion, ethnicity, ethical beliefs, and, essentially, the elements which make up culture," "But culture is no longer fixed, if it ever was. It is essentially fluid and constantly in motion." This makes it so that it is difficult to define any culture in only one way.

​

The Cultural Lens is a good way of thinking about differences - we all wear a pair of invisible glasses that shape how we see things around us. 
​
When we come from the same culture, our colours are closer together than when we come from different countries.


What can different cultures teach us?
Here's what cultural diversity can teach us:

• A diverse environment can make us more creative and innovative. ... 
• A diverse environment can make us more diligent. ... 
• A diverse environment can broaden our worldview. ... 
• A diverse environment can increase our adaptability.

We will look into those a little deeper in this session;

Diversity can be intimidating and can sometimes lead to anxiety and conflict. A study by Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam concluded that diversity lowers social trust. His survey of 30,000 Americans found that if you live in a more diverse community, you’re less likely to trust the people in it. While these findings may be true, the benefits of cultural diversity can overshadow the drawbacks if we each do our part to increase our cultural awareness and sensitivity. Here’s where I will talk a little into cultural diversity and what it can teach us.


Culture Awareness in the Workplace

• Why Is It Important to Gain Cultural Literacy in International Business? 
• Examples of Diversity in an Organization 

The Importance of Cultural Awareness

• These sorts of misunderstandings happen at all levels. The business world is full of examples of where companies have ventured into foreign countries and completely failed to understand the local culture.
• What these sorts of examples clearly show us is how culture can and does get in the way when it comes to how we see others and the decisions we make. 
• Cultural awareness helps us move beyond this.
• An important learning point, that we must stress, is that being culturally aware is not about compromising your own culture or sacrificing your values or identity for ‘another’s’.
• It is simply about helping us understand how we can best adapt our approaches, thoughts and decisions to ensure we create positive outcomes in cross-cultural interactions.
• It is about respecting others’ cultures as well as our own.

The workplace is changing rapidly. People from many countries are represented in the workforce in the United States and all over the world. Not only that, businesses often deal with clients and partners from different parts of the globe. There are many benefits to diversity: Multiculturalism provides businesses with a limitless pool of talent, ideas, viewpoints and opinions.

A person’s culture can affect how they behave in the workplace, from the way they speak to the way they interact with colleagues. It’s important to be aware of cultural differences so you can avoid conflicts that are related to diversity. By ensuring that your employees know the importance of understanding cultural differences in the workplace, you can maximize your business’s potential by uniting everyone to focus on achieving your goals.                                                                                                    
I will address these areas when talking about Cultural awareness in business:

• Create Cultural Awareness Guidelines and Policies
• Celebrate Diversity and Cultures
• Communicate Clearly and Avoid Misunderstandings
• Learn From Differences

Understanding your own culture, and how it shapes your behaviour, is also an important part of being culturally aware. For example, if you’re faced with a cultural behaviour that’s very different from your own, think about how and why you behave the way you do. This deeper understanding of your own culture can provide insight when learning about other cultures.

Understanding cultural differences is essential in the workplace, both internally and externally. Get it right and you lay the foundations of great working relationships. Get it wrong and you can cause offense, lose trust and jeopardise a lucrative contract.

As more and more firms employ people from diverse cultures and serve clients with business operations in multiple countries, there is a constant danger of inadvertently committing a cultural faux pas.
​
While minor insensitivity may be brushed off with an embarrassed smile, cultural insensitivity can seriously irk employees, customers, partners and suppliers, especially when they think you should know better.

Finally, I will discuss the following tips to help, guide, and support you to become more sociably aware of different cultures which will really support your business and personal interactions.

• Reading the air
• Learning from experience
• Doing your homework
• The importance of training
• Asking the right questions.

Final thought:
They still haven’t found what the human brain is capable off so why do most of us live with self limiting beliefs? Why do so many of us think we can’t do certain things? Why do so many of us already defeat ourselves before we even start something? 

Your goals, your aspirations, your destiny …it’s all waiting for you with open arms.

Connect with us in real time during the show. Look for the pulsating orange question mark in the lower right corner of most pages on our website. Click it to ask questions or share comments about the show. Your questions are important and, Remember, YOU will decide what we cover from next season..

….True On Demand Programming from our IBGR Network

Previous: Episode P1.04.3 There is no impact in your comfort zone – Get out!
Next: Episode P1.06.3 Entrepreneurs and Leadership

Written by Jan Robberts – Global Influencer
Contact me on: jan.robberts@kileadershipinstitute.com for any questions about how I can be of service to you and your organization.

Keynote Speaker, Coach, Mentor, Trainer, Facilitator.
Leadership Solutions Provider
Values Based Leadership Specialist
Behavioural Analysis Consultant and trainer

You can also download a free e-book from our Ki Leadership website with successful case studies from some of our international programs and processes.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janrobberts/
www.kileadership.com 
www.jrspeakersclub.com

​

P1.05.3PM