Intercultural Management

We offer consulting on an organisational and personal level for both cross-national and intercultural management issues. Our emphasis is:

Integration of Foreign Executives in Germany

Due to the demographic development and the world-wide network, the need for foreign experts and executives will continue to increase. A critical key factor for success is here an effective integration, both for individual companies and for Germany’s entire location of industry and commerce.

We support you during the selection, preparation and integration of foreign executives. As a main focus, this comprehends:

Test methods that have been scientifically tested and proven in practice allow a first survey where an individual is situated with respect to intercultural openness and expertise. However, these test procedures are not our sole means of assessing the suitability of a candidate for an assignment to a foreign country, but we see them as a snapshot to begin the dialogue, the self-reflection and the definition of a possible need for coaching. Naturally, the family situation should also be part of the decision process.

The most important priority is to create a general intercultural competence. This is based on a thorough examination of the own cultural conditioning as well as the personal value system. Only thus it is possible to deal with the ‚alien‘ elements without prejudices and preconceptions. In our work, we attach great importance to self-reflection and avoid recommending rigid activity patterns. Using modern interactive methods, we make it possible for the client to experience foreignness and thus enable our client to remain authentic even in difficult situations.

We support you actively during your first steps in the unfamiliar environment by establishing a communication plan with you and by analysing together your first interactions. At this point there is still the possibility to counteract misunderstandings or even mistakes. You will learn to watch for early warning indicators and will be sensitised to the typical developments of your personal state during an integration phase. The so-called culture shock can thus be softened considerably and you can target your energy at your actual job.

Preparation of German Executives for an Assignment in France

At first, the focus is on the increase of awareness for misunderstandings and sources for conflict through the identification of individual perception patterns as well as the acceptance of existing prejudices.

The creation of a general intercultural competence is based on a thorough examination of the own cultural conditioning as well as the very personal value system. Only thus it is possible to deal with the ‚alien‘ elements without prejudices and preconceptions In our work, we attach great importance to self-reflection and avoid to recommend rigid activity patterns. Using modern interactive methods, we make it possible for the client to experience foreignness and thus enable our client to remain authentic even in difficult situations.

Results from scientific long-term monitorings prove that the initial euphoria and the subsequent culture shock are subject to certain laws. The better the individuals are prepared in the foreign country, the better they know the significance of some indicators, the better are the chances for a positive long-term development of the integration. In our consulting activities, we follow you closely and support you during a optimum preparation – also during mental preparation.

No culture in the world can be accessed exclusively via dry runs or ‚Do and Don’t‘ recommendations. Since we all automatically search for points of contact in unfamiliar situations (such as a stay abroad), we would like to support you in this in the forefront. Of course, all Frenchmen are different, but with some orientation aid the predictability of certain situations and developments increases for you.

If you observe a representative number of Germans and Frenchmen, you will detect highly visible differences between the two groups. These differences represent a huge opportunity to create diversity of ideas and solutions which also contains a significant economic potential. But particularly if we are under stress, as happens often in business life, we easily relapse to our typical behaviour patterns. Thus, the success of many previous negotiations is often undone. We would like to sensitise you to such frequently occurring situations so that you do not subconsciously confirm possible prejudices.

Preparation and Monitoring of German-French Co-operation (with English as Lingua Franca)

• Preparation of business meetings
  
• Coaching and consulting of German-French project teams
  
• Conflict management
  

All issues and problems that we know in one-nation teams naturally also or especially occur in international teams. The international or intercultural situation increases the complexity and the number of possible sources for conflicts. Therefore it is important to clearly separate purely personal from intercultural aspects. A conflict between an American and a Spaniard need not necessarily be of intercultural origin. With our expertise from the Strategic Coaching, we confront this frequent misinterpretation.

Team Building (also as Kick Off Event)

• Kick Off for team development and team spirit (5 phase model)
  
• Roles and targets
  
• Team composition and team structure
  
• Team rules and work processes
  
• Transparent and efficient communication flow
  
• Instruments to secure knowledge transfer
  
• Special features of intercultural teams
  

Team Development

• Based on results from team building
  
• Initialisation and monitoring of the team development process
  
• Regular adjustment of structure, roles, processes, rules
  
• Perfecting the team‘s communication (meetings, distribution lists, frequency)
  
• Optimisation of the team’s creativity

Team Interventions for Special Problems

• Team diagnosis (team structure, distribution of power, resources)
  
• Strengthening the sense of belonging
  
• Restoration of a favourable inner climate
  
• Verification of the instruments for measuring success
  
• Verification of the team’s values
  
• Clarification of inter-team conflicts (e. g. R&D vs Marketing)
  
• Constructive and solution-orientated conflict management