Cross Cultural Training

• Cross-cultural training is a type of instruction for employees who work for

global organizations that acknowledges differences in communication styles,
body language, and work ideals among different cultures.
• The goal of cross-cultural training is to help employees understand and adapt
to different cultures, especially in virtual workplaces where borders are
removed. It helps employees feel seen, understood, and empathetic to their
coworkers, and is essential for effective teamwork in international
organizations.
• While you’re brainstorming new ways to keep your team engaged and
connected, don’t forget to consider the cultural ramifications of your
international organization. Cross-cultural training serves to help employees
feel seen, understood, and empathetic to their coworkers, no matter where
they are.
Why Cross-Cultural Training?
• While that may be true, different cultures approach work in different
ways, which can result in employees feeling frustrated or stressed if
there’s a lack of sensitivity to cultural norms. Taking the time to help
colleagues understand each other makes all the difference in setting
expectations and building a rapport among employees from different
cultures. Still not convinced? Here are some of the issues cross-
cultural training can solve for your organization:
Addressing Communication Issues.
• Some cultures tend to address issues by focusing on the positive, while
others offer negative feedback when there’s a problem. In the same
vein, some cultures prefer to soften the blow with their language while
others are straightforward and blunt. To be clear: There is value in
different types of communication. Still, helping coworkers understand
differences in cultural communication can help them adapt, ensure
clarity, and reduce hurt feelings.
 Teaching Policy and Etiquette

• Certain cultures have specific ways of doing business. Whether

addressing a professional greeting or topics that should be avoided in
casual conversation, cross-cultural training helps coworkers learn
more about their colleagues and how best to interact with them.
Reducing Stereotypes. 
• In the past, cross-cultural training could sometimes fall into a pattern
of creating and reinforcing stereotypes. Stereotypes like “all German
professionals are extremely unemotional,” or “all Japanese employees
are very respectful” aren’t necessarily hurtful, but they aren’t
particularly helpful, either. Good cross-cultural training helps dispel
stereotypes by offering context, using real-life examples, and helping
employees remember that their colleagues are individuals regardless
of their culture.
Adapting to a Global Workforce.
• For some organizations, rapid growth into a global workforce can
leave employees feeling hesitant and unsure of how to proceed in
relationships with their new coworkers. Cross-cultural training offers
the tools and practice necessary so employees are better able to adapt
to their changing workforce quickly and confidently.
 Five Steps to Get You Started
• You know you need to address the cultural issues surrounding your
global organization, but you might not know where to start. These five
steps can help you start thinking about the proper framing for your
cross-cultural training and how to deliver it to your employees.
Get Strategic
• Your employees might already feel overloaded with all of the new
ways of working they’ve learned over the past year. Marketing your
cross-cultural training via a hearts and minds campaign helps
employees understand exactly why it’s necessary for moving forward.
Highlight what’s in it for them: smoother communication, better
feedback, and more empathy toward their colleagues. Don’t deploy
your training without first setting the stage and getting employees (and
executives) onboard.
Get honest
• Unless you have boots on the ground across all locations, departments,
it’s impossible to create truly honest cross-cultural training. Instead,
feedback will be your main source of information as you identify
potential issues and build out your courses.
• Offering anonymous surveys is a great place to start and empowers
employees to speak out about cultural issues they’ve experienced.
Once you’ve gathered feedback, you’ll know what areas concern your
employees the most, allowing you to create hyper-specific solutions to
benefit your team members and your organization as a whole.
Tell a story
• Its one of the easiest and most effective ways to create emotional
connections between learner and material. With cross-cultural training,
you already have a story in motion; use it to your advantage so
learners can see themselves in the part of the protagonist. Tell a story
of how it feels to get lost in translation on both sides of the spectrum,
and walk your learners through familiar scenarios. Doing so captures
their emotions in a more meaningful way and primes them to pay
better attention to potential solutions.
 Focus on Communication
• If you only have the time or bandwidth to focus on one facet of cross-cultural
training, it should be communication. Communication is at the root of most cultural
issues in a global organization, and is a natural place to start. Once you’ve trained
your employees in culturally-sensitive communication, you can build on that
foundation. Some communication-based topics to focus on include:
• Common language barriers and the use of colloquialisms that may not translate well
• Differences in cultural tones
• Body language
• Written communication policies
• Your employees have already dealt with issues stemming from these topics. Gather
feedback and come up with training solutions that address them.
Practice Makes Perfect
• The global workforce is changing at a breakneck pace and we’re all
learning at the same time.
• Rather than being paralyzed by the issue (or worse, ignoring it
completely), address it head-on. Show your employees that you’re
aware and willing to address cultural differences, even if they come
with growing pains and uncomfortable conversations. You’ll find that
developing cross-cultural training is a worthwhile investment in the
long run. Want help? Tell us about your training project here.
Benefits of Cross Cultural Training
1 Improved International Prospects

• Companies with employees that are aware of, open to and

accepting of differences in culture, will have increased
international prospects. The company will be able to attract
more highly skilled individuals due to the competitive benefit
of hiring people who are culturally sensitive.
2 Enhanced Employee Retention

• Employees at all levels will enjoy working for a company that

they feel is diverse, with an appreciation of different
cultures. Plus, when companies invest in their employees’
development, job satisfaction also increases. This translates
into less employee turnover, which reduces the high costs of
hiring and training new employees.
3 Better Market Insight

• Employees who are aware of cultural differences will be able

to provide better feedback on the company’s business
operations in foreign countries. With this information,
management will be more informed on how to improve
business. As market insight is key when it comes to strategic
planning, the benefits of cross-cultural training go beyond
just better market insight.
 4 Enhanced Business Performance

• Cultural awareness and appreciation will reduce conflict between

individuals from different cultures. This means that there is less
chance for misunderstandings to arise as a result of lack of awareness
or respect of cultural differences, which minimises business losses due
to poor communication.
5 Increased Productivity and Improved Working Relationships

• Employees who better understand cultural differences will have a

lower likelihood of miscommunication or misinterpretation of
behaviours, as well as being more open to adapting their own
behaviours for effective communication. Effective communication and
positive working relationships can result in more effective staff morale
and increased productivity.
 6 Boosted Bottom Line

• Being culturally aware means that employees can more

effectively select business partners. An employee’s
awareness also means they will be flexible in adapting to
different scenarios, which will result in increased profits for
the company. More potential customers will feel comfortable
engaging in business with the company, due to employees
being receptive towards different cultures.
7 Increased Creativity and Innovation

• Employees who understand and respect cultural differences, and also accept their own
culture’s limitations when it comes to conducting business abroad, can contribute positively to
an organisation’s creative output. This enhances the potential for new ideas and innovative
approaches to problem solving, which ultimately leads to improved business performance.
8 Increased Customer Satisfaction

• A company’s employees will be better equipped to provide customers

with high-quality customer service if they are culturally aware. This
awareness results in an improvement of the customer experience,
leading to increased brand loyalty and more positive word-of-mouth
referrals.
• Improved Staff Morale

• A diverse workforce is one that can provide better market insight and access to a wider range
of knowledge and skills – leading to greater value for the organisation. This is reflected through
improved staff morale, with satisfied employees more likely to feel motivated and happy in
their roles.