Burkina Faso - Working and dealing with the Burkinabe
Objectives
The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Burkinabe, 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 the Burkinabe context and culture
- Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
- Reduce stress and misunderstandings
- Decipher and understand 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 Burkinabe culture
- A West African enclave state, “The land of upstanding men”
- A young, large and multiethnic population
- Upper Volta during the days of the French empire
- The challenges of independence and democracy
- A fragile and chiefly agricultural economy
3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships
- A male-dominated society
- The family: a vital cornerstone of society
- Religion in a secular environment, arelative approach to time
- Careful attention paid to appearances, restraint and self control
- Hierarchy and social classes within Mossi culture
- The group takes precedence over the individual
- A rejection of envy and jealousy
4. The Burkinabe corporate world
- Respect for hierarchies and authority
- The collective aspect of productivity
- Personal commitment and a fear of failure
- The role of the state and the authorities
Module 2 : Succeeding in work
1. Effective communication with the Burkinabe
- The importance of greetings
- Maintaining neutrality: remaining above the fray
- The importance of mediators and networks
- The French language spoken in Burkina and local languages
2. Adapting your working methods
- Effective management: consensus and expertise
- Building trust and confidence: establishing your credibility and reputation
- Overcoming passive resistance
- Recruitment, loyalty building, training, passing on knowledge
- Motivation, delegation, providing feedback and praise, conflict resolution
3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Burkinabe
- Building trust and confidence: giving relationships that personal touch
- Identifying decision makers
- Restraint and subtlety: learning to be patient
- 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
