Israel - Working and dealing with the Israelis

Who should attend ?

Company managers and staff working and dealing with the Israelis

Objectives

The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Israelis, 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 Israeli context and culture
• Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
• Decipher and understand Israeli 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 Israeli culture

• A young yet ancient state.  Zionism, Judaism and national identity
• A country of major geopolitical importance.
• A “patchwork quilt” of cultures, ethnic groups and religions.
• Urban areas and kibbutzim
• A changing economic situation

3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships

• National identity and military commitments
• Sabra, goyim, diaspora: the importance of individual’s origins
• Male-female equality: differences from one region to another
• Frankness, sincerity and respect
• Emotiveness, humour and irony
• Attitudes to risk and uncertainty

4. The Israeli corporate world

• Israeli companies: a second family
• The concept of “freier”, business and the Talmud
• Liberalized methods with the focus firmly on getting results
• The authorities, the state and the unions: the importance of Istadroute
• Jewish festivals and the business calendar

Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Israelis

1. Effective communication with the Israelis

• A relaxed communication style
• Gestural communication, tone and implicit messages
• The challenges of protexia
• Learning Hebrew: a definite advantage

2. Adapting your working methods

• Effective management: aptitude, leadership and qualifications
• Earning respect: fairness, responsiveness and adaptability
• Collective decisions
• Forging relationships: patience, perseverance and empathy
• Dealing with dissent: using dialogue to defuse difficult situations
• Pitfalls to be avoided

3. Successful meetings and negotiations

• Getting to know your contacts
• Identifying decision makers
• Preparing for a long-term presence in the country
• 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
• Sensitive subjects: the Holocaust, Palestine, the Diaspora
• Humour: a double-edged sword