Cross Cultural Sensitivity is Essential to Success in Cross Cultural Communication

Dear Cyberweek 2009 Participants,

Again I express sincere joy in writing responses to each person who experienced the cross cultural simulation experience. The title for today comes from writing to each participant and continually highlighting the fundamental power of cross cultural sensitivity in being successful in your cross cultural communications and/or global work experience.

The simulation can tell each participant where he or she is on a scale that gives an initial assessment of one's cross cultural sensitivity. With the initial idea of where one is at this time, each participant can grow in cros cultural sensitivity through increasing one's knowledge in a guided manner.

Yesterday I spoke about the power of values as the foundation thtat informs each culture. Today I add that the four cultural dimensions that Geert Hofstede hs expressed in his work directly identify a culture's values. When an individual can identify a culture's values, one can then begin the process of working in a truly collaborative, effective manner with each person and his/her culture.

So I go back to my example I shared earliuer this week with you, of the Swedish project manager living with his family in Jakarta, Indonesia. What ideas have you been forming as to why the Indonesians did not accept the initial dinner invitation to the project manager's home for a dinner, where all could come to know each other better and then hopefully form a more and more collaborative team?

Warm regards,

Jane

Jane E. Smith, Esq.
LiSimba Consulting Services, Inc.
Building Relationships for International Business Success
www.lisimba.com
jsmith@lisimba.com