detail of painting, copyright 2006 by Margaret Allen. All rights reserved.

Cultural Competency

Sophisticated cross-cultural awareness is
essential for economic development.

For more information about our latest offering, please click to download: Found in Translation: Human Capability Solutions to Enhance India-Based Business Expansion (PDF).

Introduction

The deep elements of national culture influence every aspect of business development. The culture people are born and socialized into forms the foundation of their value system as well as their business mindset. Indeed, our cultural identity provides the road map for winning and succeeding in the workplace and impacts key business drivers such as communication, competition, leadership style, status and power, conflict resolution, risk tolerance, and innovation.

Working productively with people from other cultures is a challenging process. It requires not only knowledge about customs, etiquette, mindset, and behavior, but more importantly, a lens of cultural awareness—insight into how different cultures plan and implement work processes and awareness of one’s own “cultural blind spots” and how this in turn impacts learning and decision-making.

To enable effective global leadership, CENTERNORTH International delivers unique, high-impact inter-cultural programs to equip senior executives with the key insights necessary to partner productively with colleagues and customers from all four corners of the world. Armed with accurate information and greater self-awareness, executives are able to develop sophisticated strategies and business solutions for cross-cultural success.

Why CENTERNORTH International?
With our own multi-cultural backgrounds and a track-record of delivering training and coaching programs globally, we know first hand that gaining cultural competency is a developmental process. We therefore bring an in-depth and psychological framework to all our program designs, ensuring the participants achieve a sustainable sense of cross-cultural mastery. Additionally, as seasoned and experienced facilitators, we are able to provide practical, in-the-moment skill development and awareness. 

Who are you?
Our targeted training programs are specifically for:

  • Buyers and providers of outsourced services
  • Senior executives from within the same company who have been in the United States for less than a year
  • International mobility programs
  • Executives who provide oversight to BPO’s
  • Executives and families on ex-pat assignments

Cross-Cultural Alignment Programs
Our programs are targeted and customized and include distinct standalone modules OR a series of incremental modules where each module builds upon the previous objectives and competencies.

Below is a sample of our program offerings:

  1. Using Analytical Tools to “Know” Your Customer
  2. Hidden Differences: Increasing Cultural Self-Awareness
  3. Mastering the American Business Mindset
  4. Cross-cultural communication to manage customer relationships
  5.  
  6. Competing in an International arena: alignment of internal leadership and management capabilities to International Standards.
  7. Global Speak - Communication and Presentation Training
  8. Business Etiquette

Description of our course offerings (PDF)

What are the benefits of Intercultural competency training?
Increased cross-cultural alignment will enable organizations to increase their market share and be viewed as the company of choice in a highly competitive global arena. Benefits of these training programs include:

  • Insight into how different cultures plan and implement work processes
  • Increased productivity and efficiency, leading to growth of key accounts
  • Development of new business relationships
  • An “insiders’ knowledge” of what goes on between the lines
  • Demystifies the “other”—feel less like an “outsider”
  • Increased adaptation to the host country
  • Accurately understand problems and resolve them
  • Build trust with team members from different cultures
  • Awareness of personal biases and how they influence decision making
  • Increased self confidence, leading to career advancement
  • Become mentors and role models within their own organizations