Colombia - Working and dealing with the Colombians
Objectives
The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Colombians 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 Colombian context and culture
- Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
- Reduce stress and misunderstandings
- Decipher and understand Colombian 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 Colombian culture
- Significant geographical differences
- A racially mixed Latin American society
- The impact of Spanish colonisation
- A difficult socio-economic situation
3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships
- A patriarchal and family-centric tradition
- A class-based society
- Hospitality and affability
- Volubility and phlegm: a complex approach to managing emotions
- A view of time adapted to the situation concerned
- Festivals and festivities: an important part of Colombian social life
- The ever-present Colombian sense of humour
4. The Colombian corporate world
- A conventional business environment
- An extremely hierarchical management structure
- Privileges and favouritism
- The role of national and local authorities
Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Colombians
1. Effective communication with the Colombians
- Formality and greetings
- Taking account of regional differences
- Deciphering non-verbal and implicit communication
- Spanish used for business
2. Adapting your working methods
- Building trust and confidence: flexibility, a willingness to listen and reliability
- Effective management: professionalism, discipline and experience
- Understanding attitudes to authority
- Building an effective working environment
- Pitfalls to be avoided
3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Colombians
- Encouraging entrepreneurial commitment
- Punctuality and responsiveness
- Giving careful thought to relationships
- 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
