Bosnia-Herzegovina - Working and dealing with the Bosnians
Objectives
The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Bosnians, enabling them to be operational right from the start.
At the end of this training, participants will have acquired insights and techniques to:
- Be aware of their own cultural baggage
- Fully understand Bosnian context and culture
- Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
- Reduce stress and misunderstandings
- Decipher and understand Bosnian decision-making and negotiation processes
Programme Outline
Module 1 : Understanding cultural differences
1. Intercultural awareness : the key to success in international business
- Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
- The basics of effective intercultural management
- Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes
2. Key aspects of Bosnian culture
- A crossroads of numerous civilisations: Roman, Slavic and Turkish heritage
- From the Austro-Hungarian empire to Yugoslavia
- Tito’s government
- The long and painful road to democracy
- A complex multiethnic and multi-confessional society
- A delicate economic situation
3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships
- A strong attachment to origins and the notion of the national soil
- A male-dominated and family-oriented society
- A significant collective position
- Hospitality, sociability and curiosity: "a smile can unlock the golden door"
- Passions and emotions
4. The Bosnian corporate world
- Organisational and working methods inherited from the communist era
- Privileges and favouritism
- The State, the unions and bureaucracy
- Professional relationships
Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Bosnians
1. Effective communication with the Bosnians
- An explicit and friendly communication style
- The importance of networks
- The spoken language: pitfalls to be avoided
- Serb, Bosnian or Croat: the importance of language
2. Adapting your working methods
- Effective management: informing, involving and listening
- Building trust and confidence: reliability and leadership. Leading by example
- Using praise, flattery and respect to boost performance
- Encouraging dynamism: the importance of relationships outside work
- Pitfalls to be avoided
3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Bosnians
- Relationship building
- Identifying decision-makers
- Anticipating obstacles: consultation and compromise
- Time, priority and deadline management
- Understanding written contracts, their interpretation and implications
- Organising the post-negotiation phase
4. Final handy tips
- Caution, patience and humility
- Protocol and etiquette
- Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code, etc
- Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion
- Humour: a double-edged sword
