Keynote Presentations

Studies show that cross-cultural communication remains the biggest challenge to global business today.

Have you ever been speaking to a colleague from another culture and get the feeling that something got lost in translation, and not because of language? Have you ever had a colleague from another culture commit to something and then not deliver, in spite of assurances to the contrary? When you’re negotiating, do you ever wonder if you’re getting the “truth” from your counterparts?

The issue of differing cultural communication styles continues to plague businesses the world over. While communication may seem like a soft skill, deliverables and project results are often negatively affected when each person thinks he or she knows what the other is talking about!

Bridging the Cultural Communication Gap gives you the tools to ensure you have the best chance at mutual understanding. Don’t risk your deadline, team morale, or negotiation; get the inside scoop on what to look for and how to give culturally effective feedback.

In this interactive breakout session, you will learn the following and more:

1. How to identify differing communication styles across cultures
2. Ten ways to say “no” without saying “no”
3. How to give criticism and feedback across cultures
4. Core cultural concepts, such as saving face, and how they affect your workplace
5. How to give and receive instructions across cultures
6. Setting clear expectations
7. Coaching and mentoring communication

Don’t get caught off-guard by misunderstandings and risk your results. Get tuned in to cross-cultural communication styles, increase your skills, and get your message across!

Teams dispersed all over the globe have become the norm for business today. Even colleagues working down the street from each other are likely to spend the majority of their time communicating virtually. Virtual team members face cultural differences, language and accent barriers, technology issues, and demanding communication requirements. As organizations grow their global presence, their workforce will need enhanced, specific skills to make an effective transition to the virtual workspace.  This highly interactive session highlights five key skills for creating high-performing global virtual teams.

Using examples from NASA and the International Space Station, we will explore the concepts of creating a virtual team culture, common pitfalls for dispersed teams, the role of cultural differences, meeting and e-mail etiquette, virtual team best practices, and more. Participants will have the opportunity to practice some of these skills in the session, and also walk away with practical tools they can use immediately.

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the success factors for high-performance virtual communication
2. Create a framework for virtual team alignment
3. Practice key skills for effective global virtual communication
4. Formulate a plan for next steps

Among today’s political, economic, and cultural storms, having effective dialogue across differences can seem impossible. Contrary to popular belief, however, it is realistic to have civil conversations and accomplish goals with people whose views counter your own. In this presentation, we will explore what causes escalation in difficult conversations, how to manage emotions, and most importantly strategies for achieving effective dialogue. Using proven methods and real life examples, participants will imagine a new way of engaging people across a wide spectrum. They will receive tools and resources, as well as insight into what difficulties they might face while using these techniques. To solve our common challenges, we need a common language. Join the conversation in this interactive presentation.

One of the most important components of leadership is self-awareness. With a high-level of emotional intelligence and understanding of your own style, you can more effectively manage your relationship with others, bring teams together, mentor high-potentials, and grow your business. The DISC assessment is a tool that measures individuals on four behavior styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. The tools works by helping you recognize and acknowledge the strengths and limitations of your own style, as well as those of your team. This recognition helps leaders to reduce the communication barriers that can interfere in their goals and objectives, as well as use their style to their full advantage.

In this interactive session, you will have the opportunity to analyze your DISC assessment, and explore how your style can help you to grow your firm’s business. DISC is not a test; all styles are equally valid, but with awareness of your style you can tap into its potential. We will also discuss how the tool can help you identify the values behind your everyday behavior, manage conflict, and build cohesion in teams. You will have your assessment to take away and learn from into the future.