Cross Cultural Sensitivity Training

Why is Cross-Cultural Sensitization important in today’s business environment?

With more and more multinational enterprises crowding marketplaces across the B2B and B2C spectrum, there is an immediate and deeper need for us to understand the nuances of Cross-Cultural Sensitization.

We are on a daily basis talking either face to face or virtually with our overseas counterparts on technical topics that also demand layered emotional understanding of their points of view that rides on their past history, present culture and heritage.

How to demonstrate the importance of Cross-Cultural Sensitization?

Cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity is a widely researched topic with academic frameworks that guide real-world application. One contemporarily cited model is Milton Benett’s development model of intercultural sensitivity which describes six stages a person goes through to become cross-culturally sensitive – denial, defense, commonality, minimization, cultural awareness, culturally sensitive – relativity, adaptation and integration.

What are the traps if Cross-Cultural Sensitization training is absent?

The visitor or the overseas person may feel alienated when he or she observes to be a stranger in the group. When we first interact with individuals from a new culture our attention is drawn towards the differences before we recognize the similarities, they share with us. Typecasting or stereotyping is also a common occurrence when we mingle only occasionally with a new culture. Deeper connections only happen when Cross-Cultural Sensitization aspects like religion and traditions are understood mutually.

What does Bodhih’s Cross-Cultural Sensitization training cover?

At its core, Cross-Cultural Sensitization is about understanding business etiquette rooted in specific cultural contexts, discerning social etiquette and traditions that govern behaviour, deepening India’s culture and tradition cognizance to become great ambassadors for overseas visitors, establishing business dynamics, and calibrating what stands for “professionalism” across cultures.

Kicking off with class exercises and presentations, Bodhih’s Cross-cultural sensitization training program educates participants on how to develop an appreciation for the importance of culture in different countries and the implied business and organizational impacts.

Learners through class discussions and working off insightful case studies, approach the various aspects of different cultures, customs, ideologies, and differences that make them unique. Participants thereafter go into detail to comprehend the demands of approaching cross-cultural aspects of the ongoing business dynamics.

Bodhih’s facilitators are seasoned professionals who create linkages between skills picked up in the workshops and then to apply them in participant’s current roles. This is done through specific illustrations and analogies and is true for the next session at the cross cultural awareness and sensitization training program –Communication dynamics and Professionalism across cultures.

This session uses class exercises, group activity, and presentations instructs participants to see how professionalism fits in the context of different cultures and the relevance. When the appropriate communication dynamics (ideas conveyed at the right time in a right way) are practiced, the barriers of communication that happens because of people’s moods is reduced. Furthermore, class videos provide an overview of specific business cultures, social etiquette, telephone and email customs that bring higher levels of clarity and precision.

At Bodhih, Cross-Cultural Sensitization Training and awareness workshop is a popular session that is part of a larger Human resources skills training suite.

The session draws richly from research done on intercultural integration practices and also published literature on social psychology.

The heart of the cross cultural sensitivity training program lies in the powerful session that highlights the interpersonal effectiveness in a multicultural environment.

The powerful session delivered through video and class presentations, scenario explorations educates participants to believe in the potency of interpersonal effectiveness by building winning relationships. Learners experiment with tools and techniques to build rapport, manage conflict creatively, and demonstrate the right balance of assertiveness in high stakes situations.

How would you gain from Cross-Cultural Sensitization and awareness training workshop workshops at Bodhih?

Bodhih customizes its Cross-Cultural Sensitization training programs along the ADDIE model. Workshop experiences are analyzed, designed, developed and delivered that are solution focused and include a range of blended training pedagogy such as role plays, group exercises, self-assessment tools, management games, individual activities, videos, case studies, facilitation, discussions and more.

In addition to the ADDIE model, the Cross-Cultural Sensitization examples take advantage of the experiential adult-learning process of concrete experience – reflective observation – abstract conceptualization – active experimentation.

The edge in Bodhih’s Cross-Cultural Sensitization training classes comes from researched industry learnings, current best practices and academic insights. The workshop takeaways ensure that learnings are grasped and applied at all levels within a company and its individuals. The long-term benefits are to institutionalise Cross-Cultural Sensitization skills by embedding effective communications, developing cross-cultural etiquette that is country-specific, and cognizant of cultural nuances.

What is Bodhih’s promise on cross cultural awareness and sensitivity training workshops?

Managers across industries and functions and executive level participants who have attended Bodhih’s sessions on cross cultural awareness and sensitivity talk of the changed individual and team behaviours, namely, applying smarter appreciation of cross cultural sensitivity aspects – that leads to fewer arguments, reduced efficiency losses because of lesser instances of culture shock and promotes intelligent coping techniques.

Frequently asked questions