Cross-Cultural Training for North Americans

Our cross-cultural training seminars for North Americans go beyond business card presentation and chopstick use to provide substantial insights that will affect your business. Our interactive sessions use group discussions, case studies, and lively examples from the facilitator's own business experience to keep the pace fast and stimulating. Our unique "self-customizing" format ensures that each session is tailored to the specific needs of the participants. Our seminars help participants better understand the cultural mindset of their colleagues, and develop practical strategies for achieving business goals together.

Working Effectively with Japanese Colleagues -- basic version

North Americans who work with Japanese usually have many questions about how to improve relationships and communication, but no good place to get the answers. This seminar is an opportunity to get those questions answered by an expert who is highly skilled in explaining the intricacies of Japanese business and society. Topics covered include Japanese communication style, techniques for overcoming the language barrier, how decisions are made in Japanese organizations, and how to make meetings with Japanese more effective. This is our flagship Japanese cultural seminar for those who are doing business with Japanese – either within the same company, or with Japanese customers, joint venture partners, licensees or investors.

Working Effectively with Japanese Colleagues -- advanced version

The longer one works with Japanese, the more questions one may have about the differences between North American and Japanese organizations and work styles. This seminar addresses the needs of North Americans who have worked with Japanese for more than three years, or have completed our basic course. This course goes into more depth than our introductory course, providing new insights and strategies for improving communication and relationships with Japanese. It is taught through interactive discussion of case studies, with topics including differences in goal-setting approaches, the role of the parent company in decision-making in Japanese organizations, and different views of work/life balance issues.

Communicating with Japanese Customers

In Japan, the ways that suppliers interact with their customers can be quite different than in North America. Japanese often bring those expectations along with them when they do business here. Understanding Japanese concepts of customer service, and the communication style preferred by Japanese, can help you be more successful in working with Japanese customers. This session covers which characteristics Japanese customers value most in their suppliers, how to market to Japanese, and how to communicate with Japanese before and after the sale.

Effective Business Trips to Japan

Business trips to Japan are important opportunities to interact with headquarters staff, make a good impression, and build relationships. At the same time, because one is on the "home turf" of Japanese, the expectation to follow Japanese business and social etiquette is intensified. This course discusses what you need to know to ensure that your business trip to Japan is successful, from conducting meetings to socializing in the evenings. Common pitfalls are discussed and ways of avoiding them are introduced.

Working Effectively with Mexican Colleagues

Mexican business culture is unique and not always well-understood by North Americans, yet it is important to be familiar with it in order to succeed when working with Mexicans. Recently, many of our clients have been expanding their operations in Mexico, which requires U.S. and Canada based staff to interact closely with colleagues in Mexico. This course provides insight into the Mexican culture that is essential for establishing productive working relationships. When this course is conducted for a Japanese company, we compare and contrast Mexican and Japanese culture.

Working Effectively with Indians

With the rise in outsourcing, more and more North Americans are working closely with Indians and visiting India on business. This seminar is designed to provide the information you need to make your work with Indians smooth and successful. The content is appropriate both for those new to working with Indians, and those who have significant experience and want to ‘get to the next level’ in their ability to collaborate with Indian colleagues.