Business Market

Cultural Challenges

All businesses today face the reality of a global market and changing demographics at home. They stand to lose contracts and competitive positioning by not having the capability to maximize the benefits and minimize the challenges of interacting with other cultures.

International assignments can cost a company in excess of $1-2 million/year and failed assignments can be even more costly.

Employees assigned overseas and those traveling internationally for business perform best when they are culturally competent.

That is, they have gained awareness of their personal and cultural filters, understand how these filters impact interaction in international situations, and act appropriately given the cultural situation. Companies who recognize the significant return on investment from preparing employees for global work will be the competitive leaders of the future.

Organizations need cost-effective ways to enhance employees' cultural competence across the board. They need training or coaching that is consistent, concrete and directly applicable to the business at hand.

Real World Solutions 

Our programs offer professional guidance to increase multicultural awareness and sensitivity of business professionals in organizations that are either global or that service multicultural constituencies.

The Real World Solutions' tool kit - practical tools tailored to each of our clients - strengthens interactions of managers and leaders with culturally diverse clients, partners and employees.

The RWS tool kit:

  • Gives employees a framework for understanding their own cultures as a critical baseline from which to learn about and appreciate other cultures.
  • Promotes an understanding of the difference between cultural generalizations and cultural stereotypes, thereby defusing intercultural tensions and conflicts.
  • Provides practice operating in real world scenarios involving cross-cultural communication.
  • Supports corporate initiatives to recruit, train, evaluate and retain a culturally diverse workforce.

For an example of tailoring intercultural competence to a specific industry and function, click here to read "The Wisdom of Cultural Sensitivity." This article originally appeared in the fall 2007 issue of The Professional Skier, and is used here with the permission of the author and the Professional Ski Instructors of America Education Foundation.