Are you prepared to conduct a business meeting in India? How about a client pitch in Russia? A planning seminar in China?
More of us are going to be called upon to function professionally in different cultures in the coming years as globalization continues flattening out the world's economy. While much of the focus of this historic shift has centered on technology, the need to communicate effectively is just as important, if not more so.
A recent article in Time magazine about Dale Carnegie Training starting its first course in Bangalore, India, sums up the need succinctly: "The quality of degrees varies widely between institutes, and while many graduates may possess cutting-edge technical skills, their interpersonal and communication skills lag far behind."
While that sentence refers to graduates of India's burgeoning technical and engineering universities, it could just as well be said of American graduates. How many are ready to communicate with people from other cultures? What sort of training is being offered in relating to business people in emerging countries?
The type of communication and human relations skills taught by Dale Carnegie Training are becoming more critical than ever as global competition continues to shrink our world. Increased commerce and easier communication are creating a world where only time zones remain as a barrier to doing business. The pressure to communicate on the same level across cultures will be critical to achieving success.
A student in the new course in Bangalore said he has learned basic corporate principles such as the importance of asking questions instead of giving orders. "It's like learning to speak the lingo and to fit in," the student told the Time interviewer.
We in the United States face the same challenge. Business customs vary from region to region, and it will be a mistake to assume that our customs will take precedence. If we want to avoid losing business as a result of failing to understand cultural differences, it's important for us to start learning about those differences today, to better prepare for tomorrow.
Read the article in Time magazine
Bob
Visit us on the web at:
Dale Carnegie of Western CT Website
Check us out at Squidoo.com
Click here to visit us at MySpace.com!
No comments:
Post a Comment