Sheida Hodge

Mastering the skills of cross-cultural communication and negotiation is essential for succeeding in business in today’s highly competitive marketplace. Knowledge of etiquette and protocol is not enough. In order to get results—to bring home contracts that don’t fall apart—executives have to become skilled cross-cultural negotiators. You need to understand how other cultures negotiate; how they differ from American approaches in their strategies and tactics; how they handle conflict; and the ways different thinking patterns and styles of decision-making influence the negotiating process.
This topic is presented as a key note, structured as a seminar or as one-on-one coaching format. The presentation is always tailored to reflect the specific needs and challenges of the audience.

People communicate differently in different countries, and recognizing these differences is an important asset when working with people from other cultures. What might be a successful communication style in your country might backfire in interacting with other cultures. However, an awareness of the values and behavioral norms of the target culture can help ensure a successful business relationship. This program is most useful for individuals working with international associates, or traveling to other countries to do business.

This program thoroughly analyzes team dynamics and business objectives to ensure effective performance in a multicultural and global organization.

Effective teams have at least two common characteristics: (1) individuals’ behavioral styles and skills are complementary, and (2) individuals are aware of how cultural differences affect cooper¬ation and interactions. This knowledge will enable team members to work together to assimilate into new teams and quickly become effective. In today’s multicultural business environment, high-performing multicultural teams can out-perform homogeneous teams when their diverse skills and contributions are maximized.

For those that have done business in China for a while, you have probably had the experience where you are talking to a prospective client or partner about your business proposal and it appears that you both agree on the details and the opportunity. Your meeting concludes with handshakes and beaming smiles. From your perspective, “yes” means “yes, we have a deal,” while you’re Chinese colleague is thinking “yes, I need to talk to more people about this idea.”

So, here’s the deal on doing business in China: besides having a sound business idea, you need to anticipate what your Chinese partner is thinking about the opportunity and understand the para¬meters of his authority. What are the steps (and how many steps are there) between discussion and decision? In a Chinese banquet, you know the end of the party is near when the fruit arrives. But in the realm of business, what would be analogous to orange slices in gauging where you are in the process?