Team development for international companies

Cultural awareness

High performance through cultural competence, personality and company values

Cultural differences pose a challenge for us all. This is not because we are closed-off or uninterested, but because cross-cultural situations are often unexpected or we don’t even notice them at first. Especially in multinational companies, cultural competency is the key to good teamwork and economic success. The impact of different cultures on teams in the workplace is often underestimated, yet failing to consider it can have serious implications for your company. In international business, effective communication between and within teams depends on individuals’ sensitivity to both national and company culture.

Cross-cultural simulation

High performance through cultural competence

At EnglishBusiness, we work with a team-building exercise that takes the form of a cross-cultural simulation in which managers and international team members are plunged into an immersive foreign-culture scenario.


Workshop details

Our cross-cultural simulation is a teambuilding event at which your employees can experience cultural differences from different perspectives up close and personal. To facilitate an open and prejudice-free approach we have created two “cultures” including rules of behaviour, gestures and linguistic expressions. Participants can visit the other culture in a game-like environment and experience the challenges that arise from meeting with another culture. From the resulting exchange of experiences, participants learn business-relevant lessons for communicating with each other and with international clients. Last but not least, the participants have the opportunity to critically reflect on their own company’s culture.

Without leaving the conference room, and in less than five hours, participants …

  • Experience the impact of encountering a culture that may be entirely new to them
  • Feel what it is like to understand neither a foreign language nor the accompanying body language
  • Appreciate what it is like to believe you understand a situation yet be ostracised for unknowingly breaking a cultural norm
  • Experience relief upon returning home, where everything is familiar

As a result of the simulation, participants …

  • Identify the practices, values and attitudes that make it difficult to take full advantage of team diversity
  • Are shaken loose from stereotypical ways of thinking, and develop new awareness and appreciation of people from other backgrounds
  • Identify and create common ground with their teammates, which contributes to the overall teambuilding effect
  • Are more effective when working in international teams, which contributes to better bottom-line results
  • Have fun and enjoy a more relaxed and constructive team atmosphere

How it works

The moderator explains the concept and divides the participants into the two different cultures. The participants study and practise their assigned culture. And then it’s time: some participants visit the other culture and try to communicate and operate there. Once they get back to their own culture, they report on their experiences. The simulation then ends and the groups come back together to analyse.

Framework

  • 18 participants and up
  • A cross-cultural simulation takes about half a day
  • Can be integrated into other events

Give us a call or send us an email – our consultants would be delighted to talk about options with you.

Working to our Strengths

Understanding personalities and utilising strengths

We believe that personal differences can be an advantage. That’s why we offer this special teambuilding event. You can only use your strengths if you know what they are! After a short personality test we will analyse tendencies in motivation, communication, work behaviour and decision-making with the participants. This knowledge improves understanding of strengths, commonalities and differences as well as an awareness of the best ways to communicate with colleagues. The result is a team that communicates effectively, utilises strengths and is more than the sum of its parts.

How it works

Participants fill out the personality test online in advance. This takes less than 15 minutes. The results are divided into 16 personality types, which can be further split into four groups: Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels and Explorers. The test analyses how we interact with our environment, how we make decisions, our approach to work and how we appear to others. The profiles give the moderator important information about the group dynamic. The workshop presents in detail how the employees’ personalities can be complementary and how to minimise friction and misunderstandings. The participants talk about self-perception, outward impressions and priorities in small groups.

All participants receive a booklet detailing the different personality types and giving important tips for communication and cooperation.

Framework

  • Number of moderators depends on size of group
  • 5 participants and up
  • Duration: at least 3.5 hours
  • Can be integrated into other events

Set up an appointment with our consultants to book this workshop.

Core Values Game

Company values made real

Do you want to share your company values with your employees in an effective and applicable way? The best way to do that is in an interactive, game-like environment. This is why EnglishBusiness developed the boardgame Master of Core Values. By completing a variety of tasks players will address the values and culture of the company. Changes of perspective and creative challenges mean the participants have to prioritise identification and understanding over passive intake of information.

How it works

The design and contents of this high-quality board game will be adjusted to the specific needs of your company. In order to do this we need your four most important company values, your Core Values.

The playing cards assign tasks to the participants in which they must display knowledge, reflection and resourcefulness. Whoever completes the tasks and has a bit of luck with the die wins the game and becomes the Master of Core Values.

Framework

  • Number of players per game: 4
  • Any number of groups
  • Duration: 45–60 minutes
  • Can be integrated into other events

We can also provide advice on how to integrate the Master of Core Values game into larger projects.

Start with a personal consultation

Would you like to find out more about how you can prepare your team to work successfully in a global setting? We would be delighted to help you with an individual consultation. Give us a call or set up an appointment.

Your contact person:

Marlen Schrader

Get in touch with Marlen:

Phone: +49 (0)40 650 5253

Email: training@englishbusiness.de