Cameroon - Working and dealing with the Cameroonians
Objectives
The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Cameroonians, 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 Cameroonian context and culture
- Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
- Reduce stress and misunderstandings
- Decipher and understand Cameroonian 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 Cameroonian culture
- A West African nation boasting numerous sources of wealth
- A population comprising 200 different ethnic groups
- The impact of French colonisation
- A relatively stable economy
3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships
- A profoundly stratified patriarchal society
- The assertiveness of Cameroonian women
- Pride and a sense of honour
- A significant religious and spiritual tradition
- A flexible approach to time
- Les Lions Indomptables: a vital part of Cameroon's national identity
- Humour and irony
4. The Cameroonian corporate world
- A friendly yet formal and hierarchical atmosphere in the workplace.
- The dichotomy between the public and private sectors
- Low productivity
- Professional relationships
Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Cameroonians
1. Effective communication with the Cameroonians
- Explicit communication.
- The importance of tactile contact in communication
- The circulation of information. Networking
- Deciphering non-verbal messages and ethnic aspects of communication
- The Cam-Fan-Glais, pidgin and the French language
2. Adapting your working methods
- Diplomacy, prudence and subtlety
- Building trust and confidence: an open mind, firmness and discipline
- Building a group culture in order to create staff loyalty
- Protecting, supervising and explaining
- Pitfalls to be avoided
3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Cameroonians
- Meeting the right people
- Honesty and fairness
- Persevering and adapting
- 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
